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PostgreSQL VS OrbitDB

Compare PostgreSQL VS OrbitDB and see what are their differences

PostgreSQL logo PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system.

OrbitDB logo OrbitDB

OrbitDB is a serverless, distributed, peer-to-peer database.
  • PostgreSQL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21
  • OrbitDB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

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.

OrbitDB features and specs

  • Decentralization
    OrbitDB is a peer-to-peer database system built on top of IPFS, meaning it does not rely on a central server. This enhances data availability and resilience against censorship.
  • Offline-first Operation
    Since OrbitDB is built on IPFS, it can operate without a constant connection to the internet, allowing data access and changes even when offline.
  • Versioning and Immutability
    It provides built-in support for versioning and immutability of data, ensuring that historical records can be maintained and easily accessed.
  • Eventual Consistency
    OrbitDB uses eventual consistency, which means all nodes will eventually reach the same data state. This is suitable for applications tolerant to eventual consistency rather than immediate data consistency.
  • Community and Open Source
    As an open-source project, OrbitDB benefits from community contributions and transparency, allowing for improved security, auditing, and flexibility in modifications.

Possible disadvantages of OrbitDB

  • Complex Synchronization
    Handling data consistency and synchronization in a decentralized manner can be complex, which may result in increased development and maintenance efforts.
  • Performance Overhead
    Running on a peer-to-peer network can introduce performance overhead due to factors like data propagation delays and potential network instability.
  • Limited Ecosystem Support
    Compared to more established databases, OrbitDB has a more limited ecosystem of tools and integrations, potentially requiring more custom development work.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers may face a steeper learning curve due to the decentralized nature and unique characteristics of OrbitDB and IPFS.
  • Eventual Consistency Trade-offs
    While eventual consistency can be a pro, it also means that applications requiring strict immediate consistency could face challenges when using OrbitDB.

PostgreSQL videos

Comparison of PostgreSQL and MongoDB

More videos:

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

OrbitDB videos

On Telemetry for InterPlanetary Systems (OrbitDB + IPFS)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PostgreSQL and OrbitDB)
Databases
91 91%
9% 9
Relational Databases
91 91%
9% 9
NoSQL Databases
92 92%
8% 8
Network & Admin
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

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, Peliqan’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 it’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

OrbitDB Reviews

We have no reviews of OrbitDB yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PostgreSQL should be more popular than OrbitDB. It has been mentiond 16 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.

PostgreSQL mentions (16)

  • Convert insert mutation to upsert
    In this quick post, we’ll walk through implementing an Upsert operation in Hasura using PostgreSQL and GraphQL. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Perfect Elixir: Environment Setup
    I’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 / about 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 / over 1 year 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: almost 2 years ago
  • Why SQL is right for Infrastructure Management
    SQL immediately stands out here because it was designed for making relational algebra, the other side of the Entity-Relationship model, accessible. There are likely more people who know SQL than any programming language (for IaC) or data format you could choose to represent your cloud infrastructure. Many non-programmers know it, as well, such as data scientists, business analysts, accountants, etc, and there is... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
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OrbitDB mentions (7)

  • Show HN: TeaTime – static distributed library powered by SQLite, IPFS and GitHub
    > (I'm looking into using Helia so that users are also contributing nodes in the network) I had to look that term up I was reminded of https://github.com/orbitdb/orbitdb#readme which seems like it may be much less rolling your own parts. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • How to make a crowdsourced distributed metadata database?
    Both use OrbitDB: Peer-to-Peer Databases for the Decentralized Web. JavaScript. MIT license. repo. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Release: New features for Nalli
    I think a wallet-agnostic memo solution is definitely the way. Having wallets that end up (partly) incompatible is only gonna hurt the UX. Maybe a decentralised DB solution like OrbitDB or GunDB can be the best way forward, although I haven't dove deeply into the docs yet. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Building a decentralized database
    Checkout this https://github.com/orbitdb/orbit-db peer-to-peer database for the decentralized Web. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Any suggestions to build a decentralized web app?
    I want to build a decentralized social media web app for a personal project, and I'm thinking on using IPFS. What tool, API, or library can get me set up without writing smart contracts or using blockchain solutions? I've heard that GunDB or OrbitDB are useful libraries- is that true? What are your thoughts and suggestions? Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

MySQL - The world's most popular open source database

MongoDB - MongoDB (from "humongous") is a scalable, high-performance NoSQL database.

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.

Datahike - A durable datalog database adaptable for distribution.

SQLite - SQLite Home Page

Datomic - The fully transactional, cloud-ready, distributed database