A relational database is a type of database that uses a structure with access to data points that are related to one another. In a relational database, data is organized into tables based on the relational model. Each row in the tables holds a record with a unique ID called the key. The columns of the table contain the attributes. So each record has a value for each attribute, and this structure leads to making relations between data points.

If someone asks you “Are all databases relational?”, you can answer it with a big No! But what is the main difference between relational and non-relational databases? As we already mentioned, data in relational databases, like MySQL, and PostgreSQL, is stored in tables with rows and columns. Meanwhile, non-relational or NoSQL databases do not use tabular structure, and keep all the information in one place, like documents or forms.

Relational databases are the most popular and practical databases. Users can consistently manipulate and manage data in this type of database, so all types of companies and organizations are widely using the relational model to secure their data.