How to Set Up and Optimize MySQL for Your FiveM Server (2026)

Why Your FiveM Server Needs a Database

Every FiveM roleplay server stores persistent data — player characters, inventories, vehicles, jobs, bank accounts, properties, and more. This data lives in a MySQL or MariaDB database that your server reads from and writes to constantly.

Getting your database set up correctly and optimized is one of the most important steps in building a reliable FiveM server in 2026.

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MySQL vs MariaDB

Both work with FiveM:

• MySQL — The original, maintained by Oracle. Widely used and well-documented
• MariaDB — A community fork of MySQL, fully compatible. Often preferred for its open-source nature and performance improvements

Either choice works. MariaDB is slightly more common in the FiveM community because many VPS providers include it by default.

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Installing the Database

On Windows (XAMPP)

The easiest way to get MySQL running on Windows for development:

1. Download XAMPP from apachefriends.org
2. Install it with MySQL selected
3. Open the XAMPP Control Panel and start MySQL
4. The database is now running on localhost:3306

On Windows (Standalone MariaDB)

For production or dedicated servers:

1. Download MariaDB from mariadb.org
2. Run the installer and set a root password
3. MariaDB runs as a Windows service automatically

On Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server
sudo mysql_secure_installation

The mysql_secure_installation script sets a root password and removes test databases.

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Creating Your FiveM Database

Once MySQL/MariaDB is running, create a database for your server:

1. Open a database management tool (HeidiSQL, DBeaver, or phpMyAdmin)
2. Connect to your database server (localhost:3306 with root credentials)
3. Create a new database — Common names are fivem, es_extended, or qbcore
4. Create a dedicated user for your FiveM server (don't use root in production)
5. Grant the user full permissions on the FiveM database

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Installing oxmysql

oxmysql is the standard database connector for FiveM in 2026. It replaces older alternatives like mysql-async and ghmattimysql:

1. Download oxmysql from its GitHub releases page
2. Place it in your resources/ folder
3. Add ensure oxmysql to your server.cfg — this must come before your framework
4. Configure the connection string

Connection String Format

Add this to your server.cfg:

set mysql_connection_string "mysql://username:password@localhost/database_name?charset=utf8mb4"

Replace:

• username — Your database user
• password — The user's password
• localhost — The database host (use localhost if on the same machine)
• database_name — The name of your FiveM database

Connection String Tips

• Special characters in passwords — If your password contains special characters like @ or #, URL-encode them
• Remote databases — Replace localhost with the database server's IP address
• Custom port — Add the port after the host: localhost:3307

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Database Management Tools

HeidiSQL (Windows)

Free, lightweight, and popular in the FiveM community:

• Visual table browser and editor
• Query execution with syntax highlighting
• Export and import functionality
• Available at heidisql.com

DBeaver (Cross-platform)

More powerful, supports multiple database types:

• Advanced query editor
• ER diagrams and table visualization
• Community edition is free

phpMyAdmin (Web-based)

Runs in your browser, typically included with hosting panels:

• No installation needed if using a hosting panel
• Intuitive for basic operations
• Comes with XAMPP

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Importing Framework Tables

After connecting your FiveM server to the database, your framework needs its tables created:

• ESX Legacy — Import the SQL file included in the es_extended resource
• QBCore — Import the SQL file from qb-core
• QBOX Core — Follow the QBOX documentation for database setup

Most scripts also include SQL files that add their own tables. Always import these before starting the server with a new resource.

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Optimization Tips

Buffer Pool Size

The most impactful MySQL setting for FiveM:

innodb_buffer_pool_size = 512M

This caches frequently accessed data in memory. Set it to 50-70% of available RAM on a dedicated database server, or 256M-512M on a shared server.

Connection Limits

max_connections = 150

FiveM resources can open many simultaneous connections. Set this high enough to avoid "too many connections" errors.

Regular Maintenance

• Back up daily — Use mysqldump or your management tool's export feature
• Clean old data — Remove stale player records and old logs periodically
• Monitor slow queries — Enable the slow query log to find problematic queries

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Common Issues

"Connection refused"

• Verify MySQL/MariaDB is running
• Check the port (default 3306)
• Confirm the user has permission to connect from the server's IP

"Access denied"

• Double-check username and password in the connection string
• Verify the user has grants on the correct database

"Table doesn't exist"

• Import the required SQL files for your framework and resources
• Check that you're connected to the correct database

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A Solid Database Foundation

A properly configured database is invisible — it just works. Combined with well-built scripts like Jobs Creator that use efficient async queries, your server's data layer will handle anything your players throw at it.

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