Compare Web Hosting with PostgreSQL Databases UK

by Christopher Prüfer Web hosting expert

Why you can trust hosttest

Since 2006

active

6.165

Customer reviews

14.133

Offers compared

> 400

Providers

Our test methodology About us

Web Hosting with PostgreSQL Database Comparison

The database management system (DBMS) PostgreSQL, along with MySQL and SQLite, is one of the most popular databases of the 21st century. Its application includes integration into external software for managing large datasets. Since version 10.7 Lion, Apple has been using PostgreSQL as the standard for databases in its Mac OS X operating system. Separate server and client applications exist for Linux and Microsoft Windows. PostgreSQL also plays a significant role in the field of web hosting - most open-source and commercial Content Management Systems (CMS) and e-commerce platforms support PostgreSQL as an alternative to MySQL or MariaDB.

How did PostgreSQL originate and what is its significance today?

PostgreSQL has its origins in the early 1980s, making it one of the oldest databases still in productive use. It is based on the Ingres database developed at the University of California, Berkeley, and has been under its own open-source license since 1994. The SQL extension was added to its name in 1996, indicating compliance with the SQL interpreter introduced two years earlier. With the increasing connectivity and expansion of the World Wide Web (WWW) around the turn of the millennium, PostgreSQL established itself as a reliable, stable, and high-performance database system for the internet. Today, it is considered one of the most important DBMS alongside MySQL for websites.

What advantages does PostgreSQL have over other databases?

Unlike MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite, which are purely relational databases, PostgreSQL distinguishes itself with its object-relational approach. Similar to object-oriented programming, it views data not just as a relational connection between values, variables, and names, but as independent objects that can be individually compared, manipulated, and duplicated. This results in advantages, particularly in handling and speed with large and complex databases. Some of the features include:

• Features that extend the SQL standard
• Multiversion Concurrency Control (MVCC) for coordination in parallel access
• Data handling through transaction processing
• User-specific extension and modification through open-source source code
• High speed in performing operations
• Low consumption of resources by the software
• Unlimited number of cells, indexes, and database size
• Analytical functions for structure
• Different data formats such as Array, Hstore, or custom types

Due to its advantages and largely identical properties, PostgreSQL is among the most common alternatives to MySQL and MariaDB when priorities lie in complex relational or object-oriented relationships and high-speed computation.

What are the alternatives to a PostgreSQL database?

The benefits of PostgreSQL specifically include features that are advantageous for a quick response with low Server Response Time (SRT) in extensive databases. An alternative should consider the requirements that are currently a priority for the specific situation. In web hosting, MariaDB and MySQL are considered the unofficial standard for data storage on dynamic websites - these can be processed internally or, with higher traffic, externally on a separate Linux Dedicated Server or Windows Dedicated Server, or outsourced in your own environment. Due to a largely identical syntax, both DBMSs are similar in their application, although direct migration between systems is limited due to the different structures. For local storage of limited data amounts, SQLite is a suitable option, known for its excellent integration within software.