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Cloud · head to head

Oracle Cloud vs PostgreSQL

Oracle Cloud logo

Oracle Cloud

Cloud

Enterprise cloud computing services

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PostgreSQL logo

PostgreSQL

Databases

The world's most advanced open source relational database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Oracle Cloud the free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first; PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • They diverge on capability: Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oracle Cloud and PostgreSQL actually diverge.

Attributes where Oracle Cloud and PostgreSQL differ
AttributeOracle CloudPostgreSQL
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliLinux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix
CategoryCloudDatabases
Founded20191996

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 Oracle Cloud

  • Autonomous Database
  • Compute Instances
  • MySQL Database Service
  • Object Storage
  • Block Volume
  • Load Balancers
  • Virtual Cloud Network
  • API Gateway

Only in PostgreSQL

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

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Oracle Cloud

  • Running virtual machines, databases and storage on Oracle's cloud infrastructurenot PostgreSQL
  • Hosting Oracle Database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendornot PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL

  • Transaction processingnot Oracle Cloud
  • Data storagenot Oracle Cloud
  • Application backendnot Oracle Cloud
  • Reportingnot Oracle Cloud
  • Data analyticsnot Oracle Cloud

Where each one falls short

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

Oracle Cloud

  • The free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first
  • The US$300 cloud credit is available only in select countries
  • Only one Oracle Cloud Free Trial or Always Free account is permitted per person
  • Accounts left idle for 30 days or more are eligible for suspension or termination as abandoned
  • Always Free NoSQL Database is restricted to the Phoenix region
  • Free Tier availability is subject to capacity limits, and the published per-service capacity figures are estimates that assume the entire credit is spent on that one service

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

Oracle Cloud

Free
  • Always FreeFree
    • Oracle Autonomous Database
    • 2 compute instances
    • 100 GB storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible pricing
    • No long-term commitment
    • Enterprise support

PostgreSQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Oracle Cloud if

  • You need autonomous database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want compute instances.
Oracle Cloud 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 Oracle Cloud or PostgreSQL better?
Neither clearly leads. Oracle Cloud 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, Oracle Cloud or PostgreSQL?
Oracle Cloud starts at Free and PostgreSQL at Free.
Does Oracle Cloud or PostgreSQL run on more platforms?
Oracle Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. PostgreSQL runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
Can I use Oracle Cloud for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Oracle Cloud best used for?
Oracle Cloud is most often used for running virtual machines, databases and storage on oracle's cloud infrastructure, hosting oracle database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendor. Of those, running virtual machines, databases and storage on oracle's cloud infrastructure and hosting oracle database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendor are not what PostgreSQL is typically brought in for.
What can Oracle Cloud do that PostgreSQL cannot?
Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Compute Instances, MySQL Database Service, Object Storage. PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, JSON/JSONB Support, Full-text Search, Extensibility. Both handle Linux support, Windows support.

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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