title: What are real performance implications of using text instead of varchar types in MySQL?
body: <p>Is there/has somebody any comparison, personal experience, or guideline when to use the <code>text</code> type instead of a large <code>varchar</code> in MySQL?</p>
  
  <p>While most of the entries in my database will be less than 1000 characters, some might take up to 4000 characters or more. What is the limiting length of <code>varchar</code> which makes <code>text</code> a better variant?</p>
  
  <p>I do not need to index those fields.</p>