Postgresql
1 comparison available
About Postgresql
PostgreSQL (Postgres) is a powerful, open-source object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) with over 35 years of active development. Originally developed at UC Berkeley as POSTGRES in 1986, it became open source in 1994 and today consistently ranks as the world's most popular relational database among developers (DB-Engines, Stack Overflow surveys). PostgreSQL's strength lies in its standards compliance, extensibility, and advanced feature set: full ACID compliance, MVCC concurrency control, advanced indexing (B-tree, GIN, GiST, BRIN), full-text search, JSON/JSONB support for semi-structured data, table partitioning, logical replication, and PostGIS extension for geospatial queries. It is free and open source under the PostgreSQL License. PostgreSQL runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is available as a managed service from every major cloud provider: Amazon RDS/Aurora, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and Supabase. The extensibility is unmatched — custom data types, custom functions in Python/Perl/JavaScript, and 1,000+ community extensions make Postgres adaptable to virtually any workload. Used by Apple, Instagram, Reddit, Shopify, and most modern SaaS applications as the primary operational database. The main trade-off versus MySQL is slightly higher complexity and resource usage; the main advantage is superior compliance and feature richness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PostgreSQL better than MySQL?
PostgreSQL generally wins on standards compliance, feature richness, and complex query performance. MySQL wins on simplicity, read-heavy workloads, and shared-hosting availability. For new projects, PostgreSQL is the more common recommendation among developers.
Is PostgreSQL free?
Yes, PostgreSQL is completely free and open source under the PostgreSQL License (similar to MIT). You can use it commercially without any licensing fees. Managed cloud deployments (RDS, Cloud SQL, Supabase) charge for hosting infrastructure.
What is JSONB in PostgreSQL?
JSONB is PostgreSQL's binary JSON storage format that indexes JSON data for fast queries. Unlike MySQL's JSON type, PostgreSQL's JSONB supports GIN indexing and full JSON path queries, making it practical for semi-structured data without a separate NoSQL database.
Top Alternatives to Postgresql
MySQL
Simpler setup, wider shared-hosting support, Oracle-backed commercial options
MongoDB
Document-oriented NoSQL for flexible schemas and horizontal scaling
SQLite
Embedded database for local/mobile apps with zero server setup
CockroachDB
Postgres-compatible distributed SQL for global horizontal scaling
Amazon Aurora
Postgres-compatible managed cloud DB with 5x throughput boost on AWS
Supabase
Open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL with instant APIs
All Comparisons
MySQL vs PostgreSQL
technology