# PostgreSQL

- **Canonical URI:** https://www.vioscale.ai/software/postgresql
- **Category:** Relational Databases
- **Vendor:** PostgreSQL Global Development Group
- **Homepage:** https://www.postgresql.org
- **Also known as:** postgres, psql
- **Profile claimed by vendor:** no
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-05T13:33:42.005Z

## Vioscale score

**61.6 / 100**, confidence 64% (medium).

Composite of weighted, independently-sourced signals (no user reviews, no vendor payment).

| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence present |
|---|--:|--:|--:|:--:|
| docs_quality | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - |
| github_stars | 79.3 | 0.12 | 9.5 | ✓ |
| github_activity | 73.2 | 0.2 | 14.6 | ✓ |
| release_cadence | 50 | 0.13 | 6.5 | ✓ |
| security_posture | 15 | 0.2 | 3 | ✓ |
| package_downloads | 0 | 0.05 | 0 | - |
| stackoverflow_activity | 93.4 | 0.2 | 18.7 | ✓ |

## Pricing

_As of 2026-08-05, [verify at source](https://www.postgresql.org). Independently observed._

Open source

## About

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system with over 35 years of active development, known for reliability, feature robustness, and performance.

_Independently observed._

## Platform & deployment
- **Deployment:** Self-hosted

## Capabilities

_The capabilities that matter for Relational Databases. "-" = undocumented, not absent._

| Capability | Supported |
|---|:--:|
| **Core** | |
| SQL model | Full SQL |
| **Transactions** | |
| ACID transactions | - |
| Highest isolation level | - |
| **Consistency** | |
| Consistency | - |
| **Scale** | |
| Horizontal scale | - |
| **Replication** | |
| Replication | - |
| **Availability** | |
| Automatic failover / HA | - |
| **Deployment** | |
| Deployment | - |
| Serverless / scale-to-zero | - |
| **Compatibility** | |
| Wire compatibility | - |
| **Extensibility** | |
| Extensions / plugins / UDFs | - |
| **Licensing** | |
| Licence class | - |
| **Data types** | |
| JSON / document support | - |
| Geo / spatial | - |

## FAQ

### What is PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL is a free, open-source relational database system that emphasizes extensibility and standards compliance. It provides robust support for complex data types and advanced query capabilities, making it suitable for both small applications and large-scale enterprise deployments.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org](https://www.postgresql.org)._

### Is PostgreSQL free to use?

PostgreSQL is open-source and available at no cost under the PostgreSQL License. Organizations can deploy and modify the software without paying licensing fees, though managed hosting services may charge for their infrastructure and support.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org/about/licence/](https://www.postgresql.org/about/licence/)._

### What operating systems does PostgreSQL support?

PostgreSQL is cross-platform and runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS, and other operating systems. This broad platform support makes it accessible for diverse infrastructure environments.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org/download/](https://www.postgresql.org/download/)._

### Does PostgreSQL guarantee data integrity through ACID compliance?

PostgreSQL fully implements ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) transactions, ensuring that database operations are reliable and data remains consistent even in the face of failures or concurrent access patterns.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/tutorial-concepts.html](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/tutorial-concepts.html)._

### What are common database alternatives to PostgreSQL?

Organizations often evaluate PostgreSQL alongside MySQL for relational workloads, Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server for large enterprise deployments, and NoSQL systems like MongoDB for document-based requirements. The choice depends on specific priorities around complexity, scalability, and data structure needs.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org](https://www.postgresql.org)._

### How can developers deploy PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL can be deployed on self-managed infrastructure using binary installations or containerization, or through managed database services from cloud platforms such as AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, and Azure Database for PostgreSQL. Managed services typically handle automated backups, scaling, and routine maintenance.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org/download/](https://www.postgresql.org/download/)._

### What advanced features enable complex analytical and transactional work in PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL supports JSON/JSONB data types for semi-structured data, full-text search capabilities, window functions, Common Table Expressions, and custom extensions through its extensibility architecture. These features reduce the need for application-layer complexity and the addition of specialized separate systems.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-syntax.html](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-syntax.html)._

### Is PostgreSQL suitable for production and mission-critical applications?

PostgreSQL is used in production by thousands of organizations ranging from startups to large enterprises. It includes comprehensive features for data replication, backup strategies, and high-availability configurations, making it a reliable choice for applications where data consistency and uptime are critical.

_Source: [https://www.postgresql.org/](https://www.postgresql.org/)._


## Facts

Every value below carries its source and our confidence. Facts are re-crawled on a freshness schedule.

### adoption

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adoption.stackoverflow_questions | 170,000 | [link](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/postgresql) | 2026-07-30 | 80% (high) |
| adoption.github_stars | 21,653 | [link](https://github.com/postgres/postgres) | 2026-08-01 | 90% (high) |

### activity

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | [link](https://github.com/postgres/postgres/pulse) | 2026-08-01 | 65% (medium) |

### release

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| release.cadence_days | 90 | [link](https://www.postgresql.org/developer/roadmap/) | 2026-07-30 | 70% (medium) |

### license

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| license.spdx | PostgreSQL | [link](https://www.postgresql.org/about/licence/) | 2026-07-30 | 95% (high) |

### pricing

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pricing.model | commercial | [link](https://www.postgresql.org) | 2026-08-05 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.price_level | free | [link](https://www.postgresql.org) | 2026-08-05 | 60% (medium) |

### security

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | [link](https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/) | 2026-07-30 | 85% (high) |

### language

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| language.primary | C | [link](https://github.com/postgres/postgres) | 2026-08-01 | 90% (high) |

### content

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"PostgreSQL is a free, open-source relational database system that emphasizes extensibility and standards compliance. It provides robust support for complex data types and advanced query capabilities, making it suitable for both small applications and large-scale enterprise deployments.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org","question":"What is PostgreSQL?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"PostgreSQL is open-source and available at no cost under the PostgreSQL License. Organizations can deploy and modify the software without paying licensing fees, though managed hosting services may charge for their infrastructure and support.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org/about/licence/","question":"Is PostgreSQL free to use?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"PostgreSQL is cross-platform and runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS, and other operating systems. This broad platform support makes it accessible for diverse infrastructure environments.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org/download/","question":"What operating systems does PostgreSQL support?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"PostgreSQL fully implements ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) transactions, ensuring that database operations are reliable and data remains consistent even in the face of failures or concurrent access patterns.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/tutorial-concepts.html","question":"Does PostgreSQL guarantee data integrity through ACID compliance?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Organizations often evaluate PostgreSQL alongside MySQL for relational workloads, Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server for large enterprise deployments, and NoSQL systems like MongoDB for document-based requirements. The choice depends on specific priorities around complexity, scalability, and data structure needs.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org","question":"What are common database alternatives to PostgreSQL?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"PostgreSQL can be deployed on self-managed infrastructure using binary installations or containerization, or through managed database services from cloud platforms such as AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, and Azure Database for PostgreSQL. Managed services typically handle automated backups, scaling, and routine maintenance.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org/download/","question":"How can developers deploy PostgreSQL?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"PostgreSQL supports JSON/JSONB data types for semi-structured data, full-text search capabilities, window functions, Common Table Expressions, and custom extensions through its extensibility architecture. These features reduce the need for application-layer complexity and the addition of specialized separate systems.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-syntax.html","question":"What advanced features enable complex analytical and transactional work in PostgreSQL?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"PostgreSQL is used in production by thousands of organizations ranging from startups to large enterprises. It includes comprehensive features for data replication, backup strategies, and high-availability configurations, making it a reliable choice for applications where data consistency and uptime are critical.","source":"https://www.postgresql.org/","question":"Is PostgreSQL suitable for production and mission-critical applications?","confidence":0.9}]` | [link](https://www.postgresql.org) | 2026-07-30 | 93% (high) |

### market

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| market.availability | `{"source":"https://www.postgresql.org","confidence":0.95,"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | [link](https://www.postgresql.org) | 2026-07-30 | 95% (high) |

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*Source: Vioscale (https://www.vioscale.ai/software/postgresql). Independent, evidence-based software intelligence. Cite the canonical URI.*