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Log Management · head to head

Elasticsearch Service vs PostgreSQL

Elasticsearch Service logo

Elasticsearch Service

Log Management

Managed Elasticsearch Cloud Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PostgreSQL logo

PostgreSQL

Database & Data Management

The world's most advanced open source relational database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Elasticsearch Service the 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers; PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • They diverge on capability: Elasticsearch Service covers Full-text search, PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elasticsearch Service and PostgreSQL actually diverge.

Attributes where Elasticsearch Service and PostgreSQL differ
AttributeElasticsearch ServicePostgreSQL
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix
CategoryLog ManagementDatabase & Data Management
Founded20111996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Elasticsearch Service

  • Full-text search
  • Scalability
  • High availability
  • Security
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in PostgreSQL

  • ACID Compliance
  • JSON/JSONB Support
  • Full-text Search
  • Extensibility
  • Advanced Indexing
  • Partitioning
  • Replication
  • pgAdmin

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Elasticsearch Service

  • Managed Elasticsearch without running the clusternot PostgreSQL
  • Log and observability data storage and searchnot PostgreSQL
  • Full-text search behind an applicationnot PostgreSQL
  • Deployments needing a specific cloud region across AWS, Azure or GCPnot PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL

  • Transaction processingnot Elasticsearch Service
  • Data storagenot Elasticsearch Service
  • Application backendnot Elasticsearch Service
  • Reportingnot Elasticsearch Service
  • Data analyticsnot Elasticsearch Service

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Elasticsearch Service

  • The 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers
  • Serverless does not yet support traffic filtering, cross-project search or bring-your-own-key encryption
  • Serverless runs on AWS, GCP and Azure only, against 60 regions for the hosted option
  • Per-unit prices are not published; hosted is resource-based and serverless usage-based

PostgreSQL

  • Requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • Performance tuning requires deep knowledge of database internals
  • No built-in graphical admin interface; command-line tools are primary method

Pricing, plan by plan

Elasticsearch Service

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full-text search
    • Scalability
    • High availability

PostgreSQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Elasticsearch Service if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want scalability.
Elasticsearch Service review

Choose PostgreSQL if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
  • You also want json/jsonb support.
PostgreSQL review

Questions people ask

Is Elasticsearch Service or PostgreSQL better?
Neither clearly leads. Elasticsearch Service starts at Free and PostgreSQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Elasticsearch Service or PostgreSQL?
Elasticsearch Service starts at Free and PostgreSQL at Free.
Does Elasticsearch Service or PostgreSQL run on more platforms?
Elasticsearch Service runs on Web, Api. PostgreSQL runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
Can I use Elasticsearch Service for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Elasticsearch Service best used for?
Elasticsearch Service is most often used for managed elasticsearch without running the cluster, log and observability data storage and search, full-text search behind an application, deployments needing a specific cloud region across aws, azure or gcp. Of those, managed elasticsearch without running the cluster and log and observability data storage and search are not what PostgreSQL is typically brought in for.
What can Elasticsearch Service do that PostgreSQL cannot?
Elasticsearch Service covers Full-text search, Scalability, High availability, Security. PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, JSON/JSONB Support, Full-text Search, Extensibility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PostgreSQL: Is PostgreSQL completely free?

Yes. PostgreSQL is completely free and open source with no licensing fees or restrictions on use.

Source
PostgreSQL: What platforms does PostgreSQL run on?

PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems including Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, and commercial Unix variants, and has been proven highly scalable managing terabytes to petabytes of data.

Source
PostgreSQL: What procedural languages are supported?

PostgreSQL supports stored functions and procedures in multiple languages including PL/pgSQL, Perl, Python, Tcl, Java, JavaScript, R, and Rust.

Source
PostgreSQL: What is ACID compliance in PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL has been ACID-compliant since 2001, ensuring data integrity through atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability guarantees for all transactions.

Source
PostgreSQL: Does PostgreSQL support JSON data?

Yes. PostgreSQL supports JSON and JSONB data types for storing and querying JSON documents, along with XML and other document formats.

Source
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