Choosing the Right Postgres Database Provider: A Comparative Analysis
Ensure you find the best PostgreSQL solution for your enterprise. See how EDB stacks up against four other top providers, including their pricing structures, performance benchmarks, scalability options, security measures, and support offerings.
What to look for when comparing PostgreSQL hosting providers
Selecting the right database solution is crucial to ensure efficient data management, security, and scalability, all essential for business operations and growth. While the open source version of PostgreSQL is suitable for small businesses, enterprise-level applications require advanced tools for scalability. When evaluating the top PostgreSQL hosting solutions, it’s important to check if these providers meet these six key criteria:
| Key Criteria | Why It’s Important to Enterprises |
|---|---|
| Performance | Enterprises handle massive amounts of transactions that need to be processed quickly and efficiently without performance degradation. A high-performing database management system (DMBS) is essential to meet and maintain productivity as the company grows. |
| Scalability | Scalability ensures the database can handle increased data volumes and transactions as the business grows, maintaining high performance and operational efficiency. It is essential for cost efficiency by allowing businesses to start small and expand as needed, providing flexibility to adapt to different workloads, and future-proofing the infrastructure against technological advancements. |
| Security | Data breaches can have severe consequences, such as financial loss, reputational damage and legal penalties. Enterprises often handle sensitive customer data that requires robust protection and compliance with industry regulations, which is non-negotiable in many sectors. Maintaining a solid security posture also builds trust with stakeholders and customers. |
| Support | Comprehensive support and professional services are crucial for maintaining database performance, quickly addressing issues and ensuring the database adapts to shifting business needs. The best enterprise PostgreSQL providers offer round-the-clock troubleshooting and issue resolution, performance optimization, migration and upgrades, security considerations and more. |
| Cost | A clear understanding of managed PostgreSQL services' cost structure and licensing helps enterprises ensure projects remain within budget and assess long-term financial impact. When considering a provider, compare the benefits and features offered with its pricing structure to ensure the most cost-effective solution for your organization. |
| Additional Features | The top PostgreSQL hosting solutions offer additional features such as increased security with enhanced auditing, robust password policy management, SQL injection protection and row-level security. Best-in-class providers also offer comprehensive disaster recovery and high availability solutions, advanced replication, compatibility features with other systems, consultation, expert guidance and support for modern deployments (cloud environments) and monitoring tools, ensuring reliability and support for mission-critical applications. |
Meet the providers
EnterpriseDB (EDB)
EnterpriseDB (EDB) is a leading enterprise-class PostgreSQL software and services provider. Founded in 2004, EDB enhances PostgreSQL with robust enterprise-grade features and capabilities, making it suitable for mission-critical applications. Its flagship product, EDB Postgres Advanced Server, offers enhanced security, performance, and scalability features and tools for database migration, management and integration. EDB supports deployment on-premises, in the cloud and in hybrid environments, catering to various industries, including finance, government and technology. With a strong commitment to the PostgreSQL community and a global support network, EDB helps organizations leverage the power of PostgreSQL for modern data-driven applications.
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) for PostgreSQL is a managed database service designed to simplify the setup, operation and scaling of PostgreSQL deployments in the cloud. Its services include automating administrative tasks such as hardware provisioning, database setup, patching and backups, allowing users to focus on application development. RDS for PostgreSQL provides enhanced availability and durability for PostgreSQL databases through Multi-AZ deployments, read replicas for enhanced read performance and integration with other AWS services. It also includes additional security features like network isolation, encryption and fine-grained access control.
Google Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL
Google Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL is a fully managed database service that makes it easy to set up, maintain, manage and administer PostgreSQL relational databases on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This service supports automated routine tasks such as backups, patch management, database maintenance, automated failover, point-in-time recovery and seamless scaling to handle varying workloads. Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL integrates with other GCP services, offering enhanced security through encryption and fine-grained access controls. It is suitable for scalable, secure and reliable database management in the cloud.
Microsoft Azure Database for PostgreSQL
Microsoft Azure Database for PostgreSQL is a managed database service designed to simplify the deployment, management and scaling of PostgreSQL databases in the cloud. It offers built-in high availability with automated backups, point-in-time restore and automated patching to ensure data integrity and security. The service also features in-database AI integration, enterprise-level performance, the benefits of an open-source database and a low total cost of ownership. This service is ideal for developers and enterprises looking to leverage PostgreSQL's powerful database capabilities and Azure's infrastructure and ecosystem.
IBM Db2 on Cloud
IBM Db2 on Cloud is a fully managed, high-performance SQL database designed for mission-critical workloads. It features enterprise-level OLTP performance with a 99.99% uptime SLA, robust security with daily backups and encryption and flexible pricing and scalability options. The service supports .NET, ODBC, JDBC, and REST and is compatible with Netezza and Oracle. With high availability plans and HIPAA compliance, Db2 on Cloud offers reliability, security and compliance for enterprise applications.
A detailed comparative analysis based on key criteria
Businesses evaluating the best PostgreSQL hosting providers must consider several key differences between each solution to ensure they make the right call for their needs.
| Key Criteria/ Provider | EnterpriseDB (EDB) | Amazon RDS | Google Cloud SQL | Microsoft Azure | IBM Db2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance and Scalability |
Best price/ performance Excellent performance and scalability (up to 5X throughput efficiency and 30X analytical query performance versus standard Postgres), meeting enterprise-grade requirements with less overhead and lower TCO. |
Slow query execution Amazon RDS has slow query reads compared to EDB or even other AWS services. Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL does not use performance enhancing read replicas or additional tools. |
Scalability caveats There is no automatic scalability for compute or memory resources, only storage; it requires manual intervention. Vertical scalability negatively impacts network throughput. |
Requires expensive storage Scaling requires adoption of more expensive storage devices than the standard deployment otherwise the IOPS limitation will impact the expected performance. |
Steep learning curve Db2 has self-tuning and self-optimizing capabilities; the learning curve can be steep and implementation is expensive. |
| Security and Compliance |
Enterprise security built-in Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) support, SQL injection protection, data redaction, password policies within DB. |
Requires additional security tools and integrations No support for TDE, SQL injection protection or data redaction. AWS IAM is required for password/access management. |
Requires additional security tools and integrations No support for TDE, SQL injection protection or data redaction. |
Requires additional security tools and integrations No support for SQL injection protection or data redaction. Azure AD is required for password/access management. |
Versatile Security IBM has a positive track record for data security and compliance. The downside is the cost and the expertise required to implement the different security layers on DB2. |
| Support and Service |
True Postgres IQ 24/7 production-level break-fix Postgres support that differentiates database issues from cloud concerns. |
Support for service levels, not the database No break-fix support for the underlying database; support is only for the managed service itself. |
Support for service levels, not the database No break-fix support for the underlying database; support is only for the managed service itself. |
Support for service levels, not the database No break-fix support for the underlying database; support is only for the managed service itself. |
Support for service levels IBM offers multiple support levels that can rapidly increase the TCO. |
| Cost-Efficiency |
Flexible cost structure EDB has a flexible pricing structure to match the availability and reliability for each phase of the data application lifecycle. Predictable Cloud pricing makes budgeting easy. |
High cost for enterprise features Supporting mission critical workloads with Aurora costs up to 5x. RDS is equivalent cost for a fraction of the features and service levels. |
Complex cost structure Perceived as cost-efficient for dynamic workloads due to its flexible pricing and automatic scaling. However, sustained use discounts and committed use contracts may reduce the total cost. |
Complex cost structure Offers flexible pricing models, including serverless options for unpredictable workloads and managed instances with predictable costs. Additional savings can be achieved through the Azure Hybrid Benefit, leveraging existing SQL Server licenses and selecting from different service tiers to match specific performance and budget needs. |
Complex cost structure Possibility to be cost-efficient for large-scale, high-performance environments, but complex pricing and additional costs for advanced features may affect overall cost-efficiency. |
| Additional Features |
Enterprise-grade Postgres EDB enhances open source PostgreSQL with enterprise features such as advanced security, scalability, geo-replication, and performance tools. EDB offers specialized modules for end-to-end Oracle compatibility. Extreme HA 99.995% uptime using Postgres Distributed DBaaS Fastest onramp to Postgres from legacy databases Oracle Compatibility Mode offers backward compatibility with Oracle SQL, Stored Procedures, Objects, etc. Rapid analytics on Postgres Postgres Lakehouse nodes enable 30X average faster analytical queries versus standard Postgres. |
Self-service migration tooling with limited compatibility Limited Oracle compatibility is available via the open source orafce PostgreSQL extension AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) and Schema Conversion Tool (SCT). Standard HA Aurora: 99.99% uptime; |
Self-service migration tooling with limited compatibility No Oracle compatibility mode; limited compatibility is available via the open source orafce PostgreSQL extension. Standard HA Spanner: 99.999% (multi-region), 99.99% (single region) uptime; Self-service migration tooling with limited compatibility No Oracle compatibility mode; limited compatibility is available via the open source orafce PostgreSQL extension. |
Platform lock-in, no self-managed deployments Azure Database for PostgreSQL and Azure Cosmos DB for PostgreSQL only available as DBaaS, and only on Azure. Vanilla PostgreSQL can be self-managed on Azure VMs, AKS. Standard HA 99.99% uptime. Multi-service analytics story Analytics on Postgres achieved through integration with additional Azure services, e.g. Azure Stream Analytics. Self-service migration tooling with limited compatibility No Oracle compatibility mode; limited compatibility is available via the open source orafce PostgreSQL extension. |
Platform compatibility DB2 offers Oracle compatibility mode through their Netezza modules, adding another layer of cost and complexity to their database. Standard HA 99.99% uptime. Transactional and Data Warehousing DB2 offers Data warehousing capabilities in the cloud as a separate service from DB2. The option is another service offered by IBM Cloud, but it can be integrated as a Hybrid deployment. |
Why organizations choose EDB
Since 2006, EDB’s development team has contributed to numerous PostgreSQL projects, updates and features, becoming the most significant contributor to the PostgreSQL Community. Their efforts resulted in over 30% of PostgreSQL features today, firmly establishing EDB’s pivotal role within the open-source community. By offering seamless Oracle compatibility and advanced migration tools through the Postgres Advanced Server, businesses can expect superior performance and scalability for enterprise applications while prioritizing robust security measures and compliance standards. EDB’s cost-effectiveness, 24/7 support and extensive analytics tools built on PostgreSQL’s open-source foundation empower businesses to optimize operations and drive growth efficiently.
Superior Performance and Scalability Features
EDB’s solutions are designed to handle large-scale enterprise workloads and utilize enhancements that optimize query performance, transaction throughput and data processing speeds. These improvements ensure businesses can efficiently manage increasing data volumes and handle concurrent user requests without compromising responsiveness or stability. EDB’s architecture supports horizontal scalability, allowing organizations to expand their database infrastructure across multiple nodes or cloud instances as their needs grow. This is complemented by advanced tuning and optimization tools to ensure consistently high performance across varied operational demands and environments.
Comprehensive Security and Compliance
EDB prioritizes robust security measures such as encryption, access controls and advanced auditing capabilities to safeguard sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. Their proactive approach to security, coupled with continuous updates and expert support, empowers enterprises to mitigate risks effectively and maintain trust while navigating evolving cybersecurity landscapes.
Exceptional 24/7 Support and Customer Service
EDB provides round-the-clock support and customer service 365 days a year, ensuring quick issue resolution and minimal downtime through expert assistance. Their proactive approach to support and personalized guidance empowers businesses to optimize database operations effectively and confidently achieve strategic goals.
Cost-Effective and Value-Added Services
EDB’s database solutions are designed to deliver high performance and scalability at a competitive price, offering significant savings compared to proprietary database systems like Oracle. Tailored services such as migration tools, consulting and expert guidance to streamline operations ensure businesses achieve optimal performance and cost savings.
Extensive Toolset and Advanced Analytics
A comprehensive toolset is available to help enterprises manage, migrate, secure, comply, monitor and optimize without hassle. Combined with advanced analytics to help businesses perform complex queries, data aggregation and statistical analysis, companies can uncover trends, patterns and correlations within large datasets to drive informed decision-making.
“EDB Postgres’ combination of unstructured and relational database technologies provides us the freedom, flexibility and performance for handling unstructured and semi-structured data that we needed to run our system optimally.” – Suresh Neravati, database administrator for Ericsson.
“Thanks to EDB solutions, we have been able to provide ARMA with the same features as those offered by traditional proprietary, or “closed”, including professional enterprise-level support services, at a much lower price,” – Grzegorz Sułkowski, vice-president of Linux Polska.
Discover how enterprises achieved success with EnterpriseDB
#1 Ericsson Integrates EDB Postgres to Increase Performance and Lower Costs
Overview
Ericsson powers some of the world’s largest and most complex video platforms, helping the world’s strongest content brands deliver personalized, high-quality programming to consumers 24/7. To keep up with increasing demands for volume and performance, the company sought to re-architect its content management system (CMS) to address creation, delivery and distribution challenges associated with its media value chain. During this project, Ericsson replaced its legacy database system with EDB Postgres™ Advanced Server to ensure scalability, increase performance and reduce operational costs. With EDB Postgres, Ericsson met its goals, with the new system supporting content processing for two Ericsson customers. It increased Ericsson’s title ingestion rate from five to 11 titles per minute – an increase of over 100%.
Challenges Faced
The surge in on-demand digital media pressured Ericsson’s content management group’s IT systems to handle more content quickly. The legacy database system couldn’t keep up, prompting an upgrade to support increasing transactions. However, expanding the system’s capacity would raise costs due to the legacy system’s high license and maintenance fees.
Solution Implemented
Ericsson migrated to EDB Postgres, which provided better scalability, improved performance and lower costs. The integration was designed to be compatible with their existing system architecture, ensuring a smooth transition.
Outcomes Achieved
By implementing PostgreSQL through EnterpriseDB, Ericsson achieved significant improvements in performance, scalability and cost savings. They streamlined database operations and reduced proprietary systems’ management overhead and licensing costs. This migration enabled Ericsson to maintain high reliability and performance across their global operations while leveraging PostgreSQL’s robust features and community support.
#2 Zucchetti Works with EDB to Implement Cost-Effective, Scalable Database Archiving Solution for Electronic Invoices
Overview
Zucchetti partnered with EDB to develop a scalable and cost-efficient database archiving solution tailored for managing electronic invoices. This collaboration aimed to enhance the efficiency and reliability of Zucchetti’s data operations, the new solution needed to address the increasing volume of data and ensure seamless integration with existing systems. By leveraging EDB Postgres Advanced Server, Zucchetti sought to optimize its data management processes, improve system performance and reduce operational costs, ultimately enhancing its overall business operations and customer service capabilities.
Challenges Faced
Zucchetti faced significant hurdles with its legacy systems, which struggled to effectively manage the increasing volumes of electronic invoice data. The outdated infrastructure couldn’t scale efficiently to accommodate growing data demands, leading to performance bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Additionally, costs associated with maintaining and expanding the legacy systems escalated, posing financial strain and operational challenges. Even after implementing PostgreSQL to solve their scalability issue, they still had a significant issue: their backup and recovery solution targeted a single system and didn’t provide granular controls or visibility into the company’s complex Postgres-based architecture.
Solutions Implemented
Zucchetti transitioned to EDB Postgres Advanced Server to address their data management challenges. This solution provided robust capabilities tailored to Zucchetti’s needs, including advanced data management features, ensuring efficient handling of their growing electronic invoice volumes. The server’s scalability allowed Zucchetti to seamlessly expand its database infrastructure in response to increasing data demands without compromising performance. EDB Postgres Advanced Server significantly reduced operational costs by eliminating the high expenses of maintaining and scaling their previous legacy systems.
Outcomes Achieved
This strategic move optimized Zucchetti’s data operations and provided a sustainable and cost-effective foundation for future growth. The implementation led to significant cost savings, improved system performance and enhanced scalability, enabling Zucchetti to manage electronic invoices more efficiently.
Access our resources to understand what’s possible when you select the right PostgreSQL provider for your enterprise
Learn the differences in licensing, platform support, performance, features, scalability and ecosystem between PostgreSQL and SQL Server (MSSQL).
What are the key differences between the EDB Postgres Platform and PostgreSQL?
See how EnterpriseDB optimizes PostgreSQL for enterprise-grade workloads, offering enhanced performance, scalability and comprehensive support to meet the demands of large-scale deployments.
EnterpriseDB offers superior performance, robust security and exceptional 24/7 support, making it the best choice for enterprises.
EDB provides advanced performance tuning, high scalability and superior replication options, ensuring optimal database performance.
EDB can be cost-effective for large enterprises due to its expertise with PostgreSQL, providing enterprise-level support and tailored features.
PostgreSQL is excellent for enterprise use due to its reliability, scalability, strong feature set including support for JSON data and robust community and commercial support options
Comprehensive security features including encryption, access controls and extensive compliance certifications.
24/7 expert support, dedicated account management and proactive issue resolution.
Yes, EDB offers tools and services to facilitate smooth migration from other PostgreSQL providers.
EDB provides a comprehensive toolset, advanced analytics, cloud and on-premises options and integration with various enterprise applications.
Yes, PostgreSQL requires regular maintenance tasks such as updates, backups and performance tuning to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
PostgreSQL offers advanced features like JSON support, extensibility through custom functions, strong community support and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to traditional SQL databases.
PostgreSQL is well-suited for large databases due to its ability to handle large volumes of data, scalability options and robust features for managing complex queries and transactions
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