Technology · head to head
Postgres vs Checkmk
Checkmk
Technology
Comprehensive IT monitoring, open and flexible
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Postgres has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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; Checkmk pricing is metered per service (each individual metric or sensor monitored) rather than per host, so cost scales with monitoring depth, not just server count
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Postgres and Checkmk actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Checkmk
Nothing recorded that Postgres does not also cover.
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 Checkmk
- Self-hosting an open source SQL database with no licence feenot Checkmk
- Workloads needing extensions, JSON and full text search in one enginenot Checkmk
Checkmk
No use cases recorded yet. See the Checkmk review.
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
Checkmk
- Pricing is metered per service (each individual metric or sensor monitored) rather than per host, so cost scales with monitoring depth, not just server count
- Pro edition starts at 190 euro per month billed annually, and Ultimate at 275 euro per month billed annually; prices are published in euros only
- The CloudAI SaaS edition is capped at 50,000 services even though self-hosted Pro and Ultimate scale to over 100,000 hosts
Pricing, plan by plan
Postgres
Free- Community EditionFree
- Full database features
- No limitations
- Community support
Checkmk
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Checkmk review.
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 Checkmk if
Nothing in the data separates Checkmk from Postgres on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Postgres or Checkmk better?
- Neither clearly leads. Postgres starts at Free and Checkmk at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Postgres or Checkmk?
- Postgres has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Postgres and On request for Checkmk.
- Does Postgres or Checkmk run on more platforms?
- Postgres runs on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker. Checkmk runs on Web.
- Can I use Postgres for free?
- Yes. Postgres has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Checkmk starts at On request.
- 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 Checkmk is typically brought in for.
- What can Postgres do that Checkmk cannot?
- Postgres covers ACID compliance, Complex queries, Foreign keys, Triggers.