Not Equal in MySQL

The ‘not equal’ operator is a solid way to compare data. This post covers how to use it.

Understanding not equal in MySQL

The ‘not equal’ operator in MySQL is represented by <> or !=. It’s used in a WHERE clause to filter records where the specified column’s value is not equal to a given value.

SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name <> value;

Or alternatively:

SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name != value;

Use cases of not equal

Filtering specific records

To exclude records with a specific value, use the ‘not equal’ operator in the WHERE clause.

SELECT * FROM users WHERE status <> 'inactive';

Combine it with other conditions

‘Not equal’ can be combined with other conditions using AND or OR.

SELECT * FROM products WHERE price <> 100 AND category = 'electronics';

Use it with NULL values

Remember, NULL values require the IS NOT NULL operator instead of ‘not equal’.

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE last_name IS NOT NULL;

How it compares with other operators

Difference from equal operator

While = checks for equality, <> or != checks for inequality.

Interaction with LIKE operator

To find rows that do not match a specific pattern, combine ‘not equal’ with NOT LIKE.

SELECT * FROM books WHERE title NOT LIKE '%cookbook%';

Some things to be careful of

• <> and != are functionally identical, but some databases only support one.
• Using ‘not equal’ with NULL values requires special attention (see above).
• Ensure correct data types are compared (helps you avoid unexpected results).

Example

Consider a database of a bookstore. To find all books that are not in the ‘Fiction’ category and cost more than $20, use:

SELECT * FROM books WHERE category != 'Fiction' AND price > 20;

If this query pattern is part of recurring reporting, Basedash helps you turn it into reusable, AI-native BI workflows: prompt-to-SQL, shared dashboards, and trusted answers that stay aligned with your data model.