What is the difference between VARCHAR and CHAR data types in MySQL?
Jun 13, 2025 am 12:32 AMChoosing CHAR or VARCHAR depends on data characteristics and performance requirements. CHAR is suitable for data with fixed lengths such as country codes or gender identification, with fixed storage space and high query efficiency; VARCHAR is suitable for data with large lengths such as names or addresses, saving storage space but may sacrifice part of performance; CHAR is up to 255 characters, VARCHAR can reach 65535 characters; CHAR will automatically fill in spaces while VARCHAR ignores the tail space; small items are not much different, but selection in large-scale data tables will affect performance and storage efficiency.
When you're setting up a database table in MySQL, choosing between VARCHAR
and CHAR
might seem like a minor detail — but it can actually affect performance, storage, and how your data behaves. The main difference lies in how they handle string length: CHAR is fixed-length , while VARCHAR is variable-length .
Let's break this down into more practical terms so you can make the right choice depending on your use case.
When to Use CHAR – For Consistent Length
CHAR
is best suited for data that has a consistent or predictable length. For example, things like country codes ( 'US'
, 'FR'
), gender abbreviations ( 'M'
, 'F'
), or state codes ( 'CA'
, 'NY'
) are perfect fits.
- It always takes up the same amount of storage, regardless of the actual data length.
- If you define a
CHAR(10)
column and store'hello'
, MySQL still reserves space for 10 characters. - Extra spaces are padded when storing and trimmed when retrieving (dependent on SQL mode).
So if you're working with short, standardized strings and care about speed over storage efficiency, CHAR
can be a good pick because fixed-length types often perform better in looksups.
VARCHAR Saves Space for Variable-Length Data
If your text varies widely in length — like names, addresses, or descriptions — VARCHAR
is usually the smarter option.
- It only uses as much storage as needed, plus one or two bytes to record the length.
- A
VARCHAR(255)
column storing'hello'
will take up just enough space for those five letters. - Trailing spaces are typically ignored when stored (but again, behavior may vary by SQL mode).
This makes VARCHAR
more storage-efficient, especially when dealing with longer fields where most entries are significantly shorter than the maximum allowed length.
Practical Implications You Should Know
Here are a few key points that might influence your decision:
- Performance :
CHAR
columns can be faster for queries involving exact matches or frequent updates since the size is fixed. - Padding Behavior :
- With
CHAR
, MySQL pads the value with spaces to the defined length when storing. - On retrieval, those trailing spaces are removed automatically unless you're using certain SQL modes.
- With
- Maximum Length :
-
CHAR
max is 255 characters. -
VARCHAR
can go up to 65,535 characters (though subject to row size limits).
-
- Use Case Example :
- Store passwords? Probably not either — use a hashed field with binary type.
- Email addresses?
VARCHAR(255)
is standard. - Gender or yes/no flags?
CHAR(1)
or even an enum might work better.
Choosing between VARCHAR
and CHAR
comes down to understanding your data patterns and what trade-offs you're willing to make — space vs. speed, flexibility vs. prediction.
It's not a big issue for small projects, but it definitely matters when scaling tables to millions of rows.
Basically that's it.
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