Technology · head to head
Postgres vs Amplitude
Amplitude
Technology
The digital analytics platform to understand your users
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Postgres each major version is supported for only 5 years after its initial release, after which it is end-of-life; Amplitude metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
- They diverge on capability: Postgres covers ACID compliance, Amplitude covers Event tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Postgres and Amplitude actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).
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 Postgres
- ACID compliance
- Complex queries
- Foreign keys
- Triggers
- Views
- Stored procedures
- JSON/JSONB support
- Full-text search
Only in Amplitude
- Event tracking
- User segmentation
- Funnel analysis
- Retention analysis
- Cohort analysis
- A/B testing
- Revenue analytics
- Predictive analytics
Both cover
- Encryption
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Postgres
- Running a general purpose relational database for applicationsnot Amplitude
- Self-hosting an open source SQL database with no licence feenot Amplitude
- Workloads needing extensions, JSON and full text search in one enginenot Amplitude
Amplitude
- User behavior analysisnot Postgres
- Feature adoption trackingnot Postgres
- Conversion rate optimizationnot Postgres
- Customer journey mappingnot Postgres
- Retention improvementnot Postgres
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Postgres
- Each major version is supported for only 5 years after its initial release, after which it is end-of-life
- Major version upgrades break on-disk compatibility and require a full dump and reload or the pg_upgrade tool
- New major versions ship about once a year, so staying supported means a disruptive upgrade cycle
- Minor releases contain only frequently-encountered bug fixes, low-risk fixes, security issues and data corruption fixes, so feature gaps are not addressed within a major version
- There is no vendor SLA; commercial support must be bought separately from third party professional services listed by the project
Amplitude
- Metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
- The free plan covers 2M events a month
- The Plus plan scales to 70M events, above which pricing is custom
- Growth and Enterprise pricing is not published
Pricing, plan by plan
Postgres
Free- Community EditionFree
- Full database features
- No limitations
- Community support
Amplitude
Free- StarterFree
- 2 million events per month
- Plus$49/month
- $0.049 per MTU
- Up to 300k MTUs
- Advanced analytics
- GrowthFree
- Causal insights
- Feature experimentation
- Real-time streaming
- EnterpriseFree
- Cross-product analysis
- Advanced permissions
- Dedicated account manager
Which should you pick?
Choose Postgres if
- You need acid compliance.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker.
- You also want complex queries.
Choose Amplitude if
- You need event tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want user segmentation.
Questions people ask
- Is Postgres or Amplitude better?
- Neither clearly leads. Postgres starts at Free and Amplitude at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Postgres or Amplitude?
- Postgres starts at Free and Amplitude at Free.
- Does Postgres or Amplitude run on more platforms?
- Postgres runs on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker. Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- Can I use Postgres for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Postgres best used for?
- Postgres is most often used for running a general purpose relational database for applications, self-hosting an open source sql database with no licence fee, workloads needing extensions, json and full text search in one engine. Of those, running a general purpose relational database for applications and self-hosting an open source sql database with no licence fee are not what Amplitude is typically brought in for.
- What can Postgres do that Amplitude cannot?
- Postgres covers ACID compliance, Complex queries, Foreign keys, Triggers. Amplitude covers Event tracking, User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis. Both handle Encryption.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amplitude: Does Amplitude have a free plan?
Yes, Amplitude offers a free Starter plan with 2 million events per month and access to the entire platform including analytics, session replay, and experimentation features.
SourceAmplitude: What is Amplitude's pricing based on?
Amplitude's pricing is based on the number of monthly tracked users (MTUs), data volume, and advanced features selected. The Plus plan starts at $49 per month with a rate of $0.049 per MTU.
SourceAmplitude: What analytics features does every Amplitude plan include?
Every plan includes access to the full platform: analytics, session replay, feature experimentation, web experimentation, guides and surveys, activation, and AI tools like AI Feedback and AI Assistant.
Source