PostgreSQL

MVCC relational server with the widest SQL surface and a deep extension ecosystem.

postgresql.org postgresql.org/docs/current github.com/postgres/postgres

Overall in database engines

1of 5 · score 82.1

Data coverage

96%

25 of 26 fields sourced

Best for

•Concurrent writers plus queries that outgrow simple key lookups
•Anything storing embeddings, geometry or time series alongside rows
•Teams who will run it managed, or who have someone who wants to own it

Strong on

+ALTER TABLE Minimal 1/5
+Extension ecosystem 5 1/5
+Migration tooling 5 1/5
+JSON support Binary JSONB + indexes 1/5
+Managed options Neon, Supabase, Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database, PlanetScale 1/5
+Embedded or server Server (client/server) 1/5

Weak on

−Ops burden 4 5/5
Better: SQLite: 1
−Connection model Process per connection 5/5
Better: SQLite: In-process (no connections)

vs MariaDB

•Ahead on Extension ecosystem: 5 vs 3
•Ahead on Migration tooling: 5 vs 3
•Behind on Online schema change: Partial vs Yes
•Behind on Ops burden: 4 vs 3

How PostgreSQL scores among 5 database engines25 of 26 fields known

Engine & SQL10

Embedded or server1st

Server (client/server)

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Concurrency model1st

MVCC (heap row versions)

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Write concurrency1st

Concurrent writers (row-level)

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Isolation levels3rd

Read committed, Repeatable read, Serializable

3/5

Leader: MySQL · Read uncommitted, Read committed, Repeatable read, Serializable

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

JSON support1st

Binary JSONB + indexes

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Full-text search1st

Built-in

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Vector search2nd

Extension

2/5

Leader: MariaDB · Native type + ANN index

github.com · 2026-07-01

Type strictness1st

Static, strict

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

ALTER TABLE1st

Minimal

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Max database size

—

postgresql.org · 2026-11-07

Operations7

Replication1st

Built-in async + synchronous

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

PITR1st

Yes

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Online schema change3rd

Partial

3/5

Leader: MySQL · Yes

· 2026-07-01

Connection model

Process per connection

5/5

Leader: SQLite · In-process (no connections)

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Default max conns

100

3/3

Leader: MySQL · 151

postgresql.org · 2026-11-06

Managed options1st

Neon, Supabase, Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database, PlanetScale

1/5

· 2026-07-01

Ops burden

4

5/5

Leader: SQLite · 1

· 2026-07-01

Ecosystem5

Extension ecosystem1st

5

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Client libraries1st

5

1/5

· 2026-07-01

Migration tooling1st

5

1/5

· 2026-07-01

GitHub stars2nd

18,000

2/5

Leader: DuckDB · 33,000

github.com · 2026-07-01

Positioning

The world's most advanced open source relational database.

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Licence & governance3

Licence2nd

PostgreSQL Licence (BSD-style)

2/5

Leader: SQLite · Public domain

postgresql.org · 2026-11-06

Embed in closed source1st

Yes

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Governance1st

Community project

1/5

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

History1

First release

1997-01-29

postgresql.org · 2026-07-01

Alternatives4

Compare

Sources19

www.postgresql.org/docs/current/tutorial-arch.html2 fields
www.postgresql.org/about/licence/2 fields
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/mvcc-intro.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/explicit-locking.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/transaction-iso.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype-json.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/textsearch.html1 field
github.com/pgvector/pgvector1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/typeconv.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-altertable.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/limits.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/high-availability.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/continuous-archiving.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/runtime-config-connection.html1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/extend-extensions.html1 field
github.com/postgres/postgres1 field
www.postgresql.org/1 field
www.postgresql.org/developer/1 field
www.postgresql.org/docs/current/history.html1 field

PostgreSQL logo & brand colours

Logo assets

LogoSVG

WordmarkSVG

Wordmark (dark)SVG

MonochromeSVG

Flattened to currentColor, what Toolweight renders in tables and nav.

PostgreSQL brand colours

#336791

#000000

#FFFFFF