PostgreSQL
A relational database that takes data seriously.
What it is
PostgreSQL is a relational database management system. It stores data in tables with defined columns and relationships between them, and you query it with SQL. It's been in development since 1986 and is consistently one of the most respected databases in use - reliable, standards-compliant, and exceptionally capable.
Where MySQL focuses on speed for simple read-heavy workloads, PostgreSQL prioritises correctness, standards compliance, and advanced features. It supports JSON storage alongside relational data, full-text search, geospatial queries, complex joins, and a rich extension ecosystem.
How I use it
PostgreSQL is the database of choice for applications that need structured, relational data - user accounts, orders, bookings, CMS content, anything where the relationships between records matter. It runs either on a managed cloud service (like Supabase or Railway) or on a dedicated server depending on the project scale.
Combined with an ORM like Prisma or Drizzle, schema changes are version-controlled migrations rather than manual database edits, which makes deployments predictable and rollbacks possible.
Why this over the alternatives
For relational data, PostgreSQL is the best open-source option available. It's more capable than MySQL, free and open-source unlike Oracle, and has a 30-year track record of reliability. MongoDB is better suited for document-style data without fixed schemas; for everything with clear relationships between entities, PostgreSQL is the right choice.
What it means for your site
- ACID-compliant transactions - data integrity is guaranteed even if something fails mid-operation
- Complex queries with joins, aggregations, and window functions that MongoDB can't match
- JSON support means it can handle semi-structured data alongside relational tables
- Free, open-source, and cloud-hosted options available from multiple providers
