diff --git a/go/vt/schemadiff/table.go b/go/vt/schemadiff/table.go
index f6b7677e8bf..f58faa06310 100644
--- a/go/vt/schemadiff/table.go
+++ b/go/vt/schemadiff/table.go
@@ -775,15 +775,34 @@ func (c *CreateTableEntity) TableDiff(other *CreateTableEntity, hints *DiffHints
 		}
 	}
 	tableSpecHasChanged := len(alterTable.AlterOptions) > 0 || alterTable.PartitionOption != nil || alterTable.PartitionSpec != nil
+
+	newAlterTableEntityDiff := func(alterTable *sqlparser.AlterTable) *AlterTableEntityDiff {
+		d := &AlterTableEntityDiff{alterTable: alterTable, from: c, to: other}
+
+		var algorithmValue sqlparser.AlgorithmValue
+
+		switch hints.AlterTableAlgorithmStrategy {
+		case AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyCopy:
+			algorithmValue = sqlparser.AlgorithmValue("COPY")
+		case AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyInplace:
+			algorithmValue = sqlparser.AlgorithmValue("INPLACE")
+		case AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyInstant:
+			algorithmValue = sqlparser.AlgorithmValue("INSTANT")
+		}
+		if algorithmValue != "" {
+			alterTable.AlterOptions = append(alterTable.AlterOptions, algorithmValue)
+		}
+		return d
+	}
 	if tableSpecHasChanged {
-		parentAlterTableEntityDiff = &AlterTableEntityDiff{alterTable: alterTable, from: c, to: other}
+		parentAlterTableEntityDiff = newAlterTableEntityDiff(alterTable)
 	}
 	for _, superfluousFulltextKey := range superfluousFulltextKeys {
 		alterTable := &sqlparser.AlterTable{
 			Table:        c.CreateTable.Table,
 			AlterOptions: []sqlparser.AlterOption{superfluousFulltextKey},
 		}
-		diff := &AlterTableEntityDiff{alterTable: alterTable, from: c, to: other}
+		diff := newAlterTableEntityDiff(alterTable)
 		// if we got superfluous fulltext keys, that means the table spec has changed, ie
 		// parentAlterTableEntityDiff is not nil
 		parentAlterTableEntityDiff.addSubsequentDiff(diff)
@@ -793,7 +812,7 @@ func (c *CreateTableEntity) TableDiff(other *CreateTableEntity, hints *DiffHints
 			Table:         c.CreateTable.Table,
 			PartitionSpec: partitionSpec,
 		}
-		diff := &AlterTableEntityDiff{alterTable: alterTable, from: c, to: other}
+		diff := newAlterTableEntityDiff(alterTable)
 		if parentAlterTableEntityDiff == nil {
 			parentAlterTableEntityDiff = diff
 		} else {
@@ -1990,6 +2009,8 @@ func (c *CreateTableEntity) apply(diff *AlterTableEntityDiff) error {
 					c.TableSpec.Options = append(c.TableSpec.Options, option)
 				}()
 			}
+		case sqlparser.AlgorithmValue:
+			// silently ignore. This has an operational effect on the MySQL engine, but has no semantical effect.
 		default:
 			return &UnsupportedApplyOperationError{Statement: sqlparser.CanonicalString(opt)}
 		}
diff --git a/go/vt/schemadiff/table_test.go b/go/vt/schemadiff/table_test.go
index 4f5fd8424db..18fce4ec759 100644
--- a/go/vt/schemadiff/table_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/schemadiff/table_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ func TestCreateTableDiff(t *testing.T) {
 		colrename  int
 		constraint int
 		charset    int
+		algorithm  int
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "identical",
@@ -1114,6 +1115,31 @@ func TestCreateTableDiff(t *testing.T) {
 			diff:  "alter table t1 comment ''",
 			cdiff: "ALTER TABLE `t1` COMMENT ''",
 		},
+		// algorithm
+		{
+			name:      "algorithm: COPY",
+			from:      "create table t1 (`id` int primary key)",
+			to:        "create table t2 (id int primary key, `i` int not null default 0)",
+			diff:      "alter table t1 add column i int not null default 0, algorithm = COPY",
+			cdiff:     "ALTER TABLE `t1` ADD COLUMN `i` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 0, ALGORITHM = COPY",
+			algorithm: AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyCopy,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "algorithm: INPLACE",
+			from:      "create table t1 (`id` int primary key)",
+			to:        "create table t2 (id int primary key, `i` int not null default 0)",
+			diff:      "alter table t1 add column i int not null default 0, algorithm = INPLACE",
+			cdiff:     "ALTER TABLE `t1` ADD COLUMN `i` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 0, ALGORITHM = INPLACE",
+			algorithm: AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyInplace,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "algorithm: INSTANT",
+			from:      "create table t1 (`id` int primary key)",
+			to:        "create table t2 (id int primary key, `i` int not null default 0)",
+			diff:      "alter table t1 add column i int not null default 0, algorithm = INSTANT",
+			cdiff:     "ALTER TABLE `t1` ADD COLUMN `i` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 0, ALGORITHM = INSTANT",
+			algorithm: AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyInstant,
+		},
 	}
 	standardHints := DiffHints{}
 	for _, ts := range tt {
@@ -1140,6 +1166,7 @@ func TestCreateTableDiff(t *testing.T) {
 			hints.ColumnRenameStrategy = ts.colrename
 			hints.FullTextKeyStrategy = ts.fulltext
 			hints.TableCharsetCollateStrategy = ts.charset
+			hints.AlterTableAlgorithmStrategy = ts.algorithm
 			alter, err := c.Diff(other, &hints)
 
 			require.Equal(t, len(ts.diffs), len(ts.cdiffs))
diff --git a/go/vt/schemadiff/types.go b/go/vt/schemadiff/types.go
index 365c5cfb7fb..1f1186b41bd 100644
--- a/go/vt/schemadiff/types.go
+++ b/go/vt/schemadiff/types.go
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ const (
 	TableCharsetCollateIgnoreAlways
 )
 
+const (
+	AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyNone int = iota
+	AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyInstant
+	AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyInplace
+	AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyCopy
+)
+
 // DiffHints is an assortment of rules for diffing entities
 type DiffHints struct {
 	StrictIndexOrdering         bool
@@ -104,4 +111,5 @@ type DiffHints struct {
 	TableRenameStrategy         int
 	FullTextKeyStrategy         int
 	TableCharsetCollateStrategy int
+	AlterTableAlgorithmStrategy int
 }
diff --git a/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb.go b/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb.go
index 4c3ebf6caab..840fb16b849 100644
--- a/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb.go
+++ b/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb.go
@@ -306,6 +306,7 @@ func (si *schemaInit) getCurrentSchema(tableName string) (string, error) {
 func (si *schemaInit) findTableSchemaDiff(tableName, current, desired string) (string, error) {
 	hints := &schemadiff.DiffHints{
 		TableCharsetCollateStrategy: schemadiff.TableCharsetCollateIgnoreAlways,
+		AlterTableAlgorithmStrategy: schemadiff.AlterTableAlgorithmStrategyCopy,
 	}
 	diff, err := schemadiff.DiffCreateTablesQueries(current, desired, hints)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb_test.go b/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb_test.go
index 136d814f12c..1f6b58ac493 100644
--- a/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/sidecardb/sidecardb_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/sqlparser"
+
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/mysql/fakesqldb"
@@ -113,3 +115,37 @@ func TestValidateSchema(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestAlterTableAlgorithm confirms that we use ALGORITHM=COPY during alter tables
+func TestAlterTableAlgorithm(t *testing.T) {
+	type testCase struct {
+		testName      string
+		tableName     string
+		currentSchema string
+		desiredSchema string
+	}
+	testCases := []testCase{
+		{"add column", "t1", "create table if not exists _vt.t1(i int)", "create table if not exists _vt.t1(i int, i1 int)"},
+		{"modify column", "t1", "create table if not exists _vt.t1(i int)", "create table if not exists _vt.t(i float)"},
+	}
+	si := &schemaInit{}
+	copyAlgo := sqlparser.AlgorithmValue("COPY")
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
+			diff, err := si.findTableSchemaDiff(tc.tableName, tc.currentSchema, tc.desiredSchema)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			stmt, err := sqlparser.Parse(diff)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			alterTable, ok := stmt.(*sqlparser.AlterTable)
+			require.True(t, ok)
+			require.NotNil(t, alterTable)
+			var alterAlgo sqlparser.AlterOption
+			for i, opt := range alterTable.AlterOptions {
+				if _, ok := opt.(sqlparser.AlgorithmValue); ok {
+					alterAlgo = alterTable.AlterOptions[i]
+				}
+			}
+			require.Equal(t, copyAlgo, alterAlgo)
+		})
+	}
+}