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Amazon Redshift VS PostgreSQL

Compare Amazon Redshift VS PostgreSQL and see what are their differences

Amazon Redshift logo Amazon Redshift

Learn about Amazon Redshift cloud data warehouse.

PostgreSQL logo PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system.
  • Amazon Redshift Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-14
  • PostgreSQL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

Amazon Redshift features and specs

  • Scalability
    Amazon Redshift allows you to scale your data warehouse up or down easily based on your needs with just a few clicks or by using the API, providing flexibility to handle varying workloads.
  • Performance
    Redshift uses columnar storage, parallel processing, and efficient data compression techniques to deliver high performance for complex queries and large datasets.
  • Integration
    It seamlessly integrates with various AWS services like S3, DynamoDB, and QuickSight, making it easier to build a comprehensive data ecosystem.
  • Cost-effective
    Redshift offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model with no upfront costs, and you can save more with reserved instances, making it cost-effective for many businesses.
  • Security
    It includes features like encryption, Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), and compliance certifications (such as SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, and more) to ensure data security and compliance.
  • Managed Service
    Amazon Redshift is a fully managed service, so it takes care of managing, monitoring, and scaling the infrastructure, allowing you to focus on your data and insights.

Possible disadvantages of Amazon Redshift

  • Complexity
    Although Redshift is powerful, it can be complex to set up, configure, and optimize for best performance, requiring knowledge and experience in data warehousing.
  • Cost for Unused Resources
    While Redshift is cost-effective for large-scale operations, costs can add up quickly if resources are not managed properly, especially with long-running clusters that are under-utilized.
  • Maintenance Windows
    Despite being a managed service, maintenance windows and updates can occasionally lead to downtime or performance degradation, impacting availability.
  • Data Transfer Costs
    Transferring data in and out of Redshift can incur additional costs, particularly if large volumes of data are involved, which can affect overall budget planning.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using Amazon Redshift ties you to the AWS ecosystem, which could be a disadvantage if you are considering a multi-cloud strategy or planning to switch providers in the future.

PostgreSQL features and specs

  • Open Source
    PostgreSQL is an open-source database management system, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This reduces the cost of database management for individuals and organizations.
  • ACID Compliance
    PostgreSQL is fully ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) compliant, ensuring reliable transactions and data integrity.
  • Extensible
    PostgreSQL is highly extensible, allowing users to add custom functions, data types, and operators. This enables tailored solutions to specific requirements.
  • Advanced SQL Features
    PostgreSQL supports advanced SQL features like full-text search, JSON and XML data types, and complex queries, providing powerful tools for database operations.
  • Community Support
    There is a strong and active community around PostgreSQL, offering extensive documentation, forums, and collaborative support, which aids troubleshooting and development.
  • Multiple Indexing Techniques
    PostgreSQL offers a variety of indexing techniques such as B-tree, GIN, GiST, and BRIN, allowing for optimized query performance on various data types.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux, Unix), giving flexibility in deployment and development environments.

Possible disadvantages of PostgreSQL

  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up and configuring PostgreSQL can be complex and time-consuming, especially for beginners, requiring a good understanding of its parameters and best practices.
  • Heavy Resource Consumption
    PostgreSQL can be resource-intensive, consuming significant CPU and memory compared to other database systems, which may affect performance on lower-end hardware.
  • Backup and Restore Process
    The backup and restore process in PostgreSQL is not as straightforward as in some other database systems, requiring more manual intervention and understanding of tools like pg_dump and pg_restore.
  • Replication Complexity
    While PostgreSQL supports replication, setting it up can be more complex than some other databases. Advanced configurations like multi-master replication can be particularly challenging.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    Due to its advanced features and extensive capabilities, PostgreSQL can have a steeper learning curve, making it harder for new users to get started compared to simpler database systems.
  • Less Third-Party Tool Support
    PostgreSQL has less support from third-party tools compared to more widely adopted databases like MySQL, which can limit options for auxiliary functions like administration, monitoring, and development.

Analysis of Amazon Redshift

Overall verdict

  • Amazon Redshift is generally considered a good solution for businesses seeking a robust, scalable, and cost-effective data warehousing service within the AWS cloud environment. However, its suitability may vary depending on specific organizational needs and workloads.

Why this product is good

  • Amazon Redshift is a popular data warehousing service within the AWS ecosystem, known for its scalability, ease of integration with other AWS services, and relatively low cost. It provides fast query performance for large datasets and offers features like columnar storage, parallel query execution, and advanced compression. These attributes make it an attractive choice for organizations looking to perform complex analytics and data processing tasks.

Recommended for

  • Organizations already utilizing AWS services and seeking seamless integration.
  • Businesses requiring scalable data warehousing at a competitive price.
  • Data-driven companies looking to perform fast, complex analytics on large datasets.
  • Teams needing flexible management options that can grow with their data storage needs.

Analysis of PostgreSQL

Overall verdict

  • Yes, PostgreSQL is considered a high-quality and reliable database management system, suitable for a wide range of applications, from small-scale personal projects to large enterprise systems.

Why this product is good

  • PostgreSQL is known for its strong support of SQL standards and excellent documentation, making it reliable for complex database requirements.
  • It provides advanced features such as multi-version concurrency control (MVCC), point-in-time recovery, and support for advanced indexing techniques.
  • PostgreSQL offers robust performance optimization options, powerful extensions, and a highly customizable platform.
  • It has a strong open-source community, ensuring ongoing improvements and support.
  • PostgreSQL is compatible with popular development frameworks and languages, enhancing its versatility.

Recommended for

  • Organizations seeking a scalable and stable database solution with strong compliance with SQL standards.
  • Developers who need advanced features like custom data types and indexing capabilities.
  • Projects requiring robust transactional integrity and data consistency.
  • Businesses looking for a cost-effective open-source database solution with active community support.

Amazon Redshift videos

Getting Started with Amazon Redshift - AWS Online Tech Talks

More videos:

  • Review - Amazon Redshift Materialized Views
  • Tutorial - Amazon Redshift Tutorial | Amazon Redshift Architecture | AWS Tutorial For Beginners | Simplilearn

PostgreSQL videos

Comparison of PostgreSQL and MongoDB

More videos:

  • Review - PostgreSQL Review
  • Review - MySQL vs PostgreSQL - Why you shouldn't use MySQL

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Amazon Redshift and PostgreSQL)
Databases
17 17%
83% 83
Big Data
100 100%
0% 0
Relational Databases
0 0%
100% 100
Data Management
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Amazon Redshift and PostgreSQL

Amazon Redshift Reviews

Data Warehouse Tools
No, SQL (Structured Query Language) is not a data warehouse itself. SQL is a programming language used for managing and querying data stored in relational database management systems (RDBMS) and data warehouses. Many data warehouse solutions, such as Peliqan, Amazon Redshift, and PostgreSQL, support SQL for querying and analyzing data within the data warehouse
Source: peliqan.io
Top 6 Cloud Data Warehouses in 2023
Coined in November 2021, Amazon Redshift was launched as a fully managed cloud data warehouse that can handle petabyte-scale data. While it was not the first cloud data warehouse, it became the first to proliferate in the market share after a large-scale adoption. Redshift uses SQL dialect based on PostgreSQL, which is well-known by many analysts globally, and its...
Source: geekflare.com
Top 5 Cloud Data Warehouses in 2023
Jan 11, 2023 The 5 best cloud data warehouse solutions in 2023Google BigQuerySource: https://cloud.google.com/bigqueryBest for:Top features:Pros:Cons:Pricing:SnowflakeBest for:Top features:Pros:Cons:Pricing:Amazon RedshiftSource: https://aws.amazon.com/redshift/Best for:Top features:Pros:Cons:Pricing:FireboltSource: https://www.firebolt.io/Best for:Top...
Top 5 BigQuery Alternatives: A Challenge of Complexity
As the most proven tool in this category, Amazon Redshift is a fully managed cloud-based data warehouse used to collect and store data. Like BigQuery, Redshift seamlessly integrates with multiple products and ETL services.
Source: blog.panoply.io

PostgreSQL Reviews

Data Warehouse Tools
Peliqan acts as a bridge, allowing you to e.g. effortlessly pull your PostgreSQL data into Google Sheets for easy access and analysis using its one-click connector. Additionally, Peliqanโ€™s platform provides a user-friendly environment for data exploration, transformation with Magical SQL, and visualization capabilities, all without needing to switch between multiple tools.
Source: peliqan.io
Top 5 BigQuery Alternatives: A Challenge of Complexity
For over three decades, the open-source object-relational database system PostgreSQL has maintained its reputation as a top SQL server due to its features, performance, and reliability. (Heck, Redshift is even based on Postgres!) It's the go-to database solution for large corporations and organizations across a variety of industries from ecommerce to gaming to...
Source: blog.panoply.io
10 Best Database Management Software Of 2022 [+ Examples]
Applications Manager offers out-of-the-box health and performance monitoring for 20 popular databases including RDBMS, NoSQL, in-memory, distributed, and big data stores. It supports both commercial databases such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL, IBM DB2, and MongoDB as well as open source ones like MySQL and PostgreSQL.
Source: theqalead.com
ClickHouse vs TimescaleDB
Recently, TimescaleDB published a blog comparing ClickHouse & TimescaleDB using timescale/tsbs, a timeseries benchmarking framework. I have some experience with PostgreSQL and ClickHouse but never got the chance to play with TimescaleDB. Some of the claims about TimescaleDB made in their post are very bold, that made me even more curious. I thought itโ€™d be a great...
9 Best MongoDB alternatives in 2019
PostgreSQL is a widely popular open source database management system. It provides support for both SQL for relational and JSON for non-relational queries.
Source: www.guru99.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Amazon Redshift should be more popular than PostgreSQL. It has been mentiond 29 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Amazon Redshift mentions (29)

  • How to Pitch Your Boss to Adopt Apache Iceberg?
    If your team is managing large volumes of historical data using platforms like Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, or Google BigQuery, youโ€™ve probably noticed a shift happening in the data engineering world. A new generation of data infrastructure is forming โ€” one that prioritizes openness, interoperability, and cost-efficiency. At the center of that shift is Apache Iceberg. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Everyone Uses Postgresโ€ฆ But Why?
    Postgres can be easily adapted to build highly tailored solutions. For instance, Amazon Redshift can be considered a highly scalable fork of Postgres. Itโ€™s a distributed database focusing on OLAP workloads that you can deploy in AWS. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • From ETL and ELT to Reverse ETL
    With the transition from ETL to ELT, data warehouses have ascended to the role of data custodians, centralizing customer data collected from fragmented systems. This pivotal shift has been enabled by a suite of powerful tools: Fivetran and Airbyte streamline the extraction and loading, DBT handles the transformation, and robust warehousing solutions like Snowflake and Redshift store the data. While traditionally... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Choosing Between a Streaming Database and a Stream Processing Framework in Python
    They differ from conventional analytic databases like Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery, and Oracle in several ways. Conventional databases are batch-oriented, loading data in defined windows like hourly, daily, weekly, and so on. While loading data, conventional databases lock the tables, making the newly loaded data unavailable until the batch load is fully completed. Streaming databases continuously receive new... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Choosing the Right AWS Database: A Guide for Modern Applications
    Data warehousing is the process of storing and analyzing large volumes of data for business intelligence and analytics purposes. AWS offers a fully managed data warehousing service called Amazon Redshift that can handle petabyte-scale data warehouses with ease. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
View more

PostgreSQL mentions (17)

  • #5 - 'The Power of [Separation] Compels You!'
    You also might be saying, Why not include the credit and attribution data with the product data and just use one data file? Thats a great question. I could have for the purpose of this demo, but if there were a backend to this project and a relational database like PostgreSQL attached to it, I would still have both sets of data in separate tables in the database. By using a foreign key between related records in... - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • Convert insert mutation to upsert
    In this quick post, weโ€™ll walk through implementing an Upsert operation in Hasura using PostgreSQL and GraphQL. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Perfect Elixir: Environment Setup
    Iโ€™m on MacOS and erlang.org, elixir-lang.org, and postgresql.org all suggest installation via Homebrew, which is a very popular package manager for MacOS. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Rust & MySQL: connect, execute SQL statements and stored procs using crate sqlx.
    According to the documentation, crate sqlx is implemented in Rust, and it's database agnostic: it supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and MSSQL. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Really tired. Is PostgreSQL even runnable in Windows 10? pgAdmin4 stucks at Loading whatever I try.
    Solution is just downloading and installilng pgAdmin from official pgAdmin homepage version, not the one that is included in the postgresql.org package. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Amazon Redshift and PostgreSQL, you can also consider the following products

Google BigQuery - A fully managed data warehouse for large-scale data analytics.

MySQL - The world's most popular open source database

Microsoft SQL Server - Microsoft Azure is an open, flexible, enterprise-grade cloud computing platform. Move faster, do more, and save money with IaaS + PaaS. Try for FREE.

Microsoft SQL - Microsoft SQL is a best in class relational database management software that facilitates the database server to provide you a primary function to store and retrieve data.

Snowflake - Snowflake is the only data platform built for the cloud for all your data & all your users. Learn more about our purpose-built SQL cloud data warehouse.

SQLite - SQLite Home Page