Technology · head to head
Postgres vs Spacelift
Postgres
Technology
The world's most advanced open source database
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Spacelift
Developer Tools
Infrastructure-as-code orchestration for Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi and Kubernetes
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
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; Spacelift users are unlimited and private workers are metered, so deployment concurrency rather than headcount drives the bill, which inverts how most engineering budgets are built and is easy to under-forecast.
- They diverge on capability: Postgres covers ACID compliance, Spacelift covers Multi-tool orchestration.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Postgres and Spacelift actually diverge.
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 Postgres
- ACID compliance
- Complex queries
- Foreign keys
- Triggers
- Views
- Stored procedures
- JSON/JSONB support
- Full-text search
Only in Spacelift
- Multi-tool orchestration
- Policy as code
- Private workers
- Spaces
- Blueprints
- Drift detection
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 Spacelift
- Self-hosting an open source SQL database with no licence feenot Spacelift
- Workloads needing extensions, JSON and full text search in one enginenot Spacelift
Spacelift
- Platform teams running infrastructure changes through approval gates rather than through application CInot Postgres
- Organisations standardising Terraform and OpenTofu across many teams with policy enforcementnot Postgres
- Estates needing private runners so cloud credentials never leave the networknot Postgres
- Teams wanting drift detection and reconciliation rather than plan-time checks alonenot 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
Spacelift
- Users are unlimited and private workers are metered, so deployment concurrency rather than headcount drives the bill, which inverts how most engineering budgets are built and is easy to under-forecast.
- There is no affordable paid entry point. The free tier stops at two users and the next tier is a five-figure commitment with nothing in between.
- Three of the five tiers are quote-only, so a shortlist cannot be costed without entering a sales process with each vendor on it.
- The self-hosted build lags the hosted one, has no public worker pool and lacks the Azure and Google Cloud integrations available in the SaaS product, with OIDC federation offered as the workaround.
- Stacks, Rego policies, Blueprints, Spaces and Spacelift-managed state are proprietary constructs, so leaving means rebuilding the orchestration layer rather than pointing it at a different runner.
Pricing, plan by plan
Postgres
Free- Community EditionFree
- Full database features
- No limitations
- Community support
Spacelift
Free- FreeFree
- Two users
- Public workers only
- No private workers
- Starter Plus$undefined/year
- Unlimited users
- Two public workers
- One to two private workers
- Business$undefined/year
- Unlimited users
- Three private workers
- Quoted
- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Unlimited users
- Five to thirty private workers
- Self-hosted option
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 Spacelift if
- You need multi-tool orchestration.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
- You also want policy as code.
Questions people ask
- Is Postgres or Spacelift better?
- Neither clearly leads. Postgres starts at Free and Spacelift at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Postgres or Spacelift?
- Postgres starts at Free and Spacelift at Free.
- Does Postgres or Spacelift run on more platforms?
- Postgres runs on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker. Spacelift runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
- 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 Spacelift is typically brought in for.
- What can Postgres do that Spacelift cannot?
- Postgres covers ACID compliance, Complex queries, Foreign keys, Triggers. Spacelift covers Multi-tool orchestration, Policy as code, Private workers, Spaces.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Postgres: How much does PostgreSQL cost to use?
PostgreSQL is completely free to download, install, and use. No licensing fees, subscription costs, or per-seat charges apply. The database is open source under the PostgreSQL License. Source: https://www.postgresql.org
SourceSpacelift: How is Spacelift priced?
By tier and by private worker count rather than per user. Users are unlimited on every paid plan. The published figure on the pricing page carries no period label, and the FAQ describes the tier as an annual subscription, so confirm the period in writing.
Postgres: Are there commercial PostgreSQL support options available?
Official PostgreSQL (the project) is free. Commercial PostgreSQL services such as hosting, professional support, training, and managed database services are offered by third-party vendors, not the PostgreSQL project itself. Source: https://www.postgresql.org
SourceSpacelift: Does it support OpenTofu?
Yes, and Spacelift sponsors the OpenTofu project, which is a substantive hedge for anyone avoiding Terraform under the Business Source Licence.
Postgres: Do I need a license to use PostgreSQL commercially?
No. PostgreSQL is open source under the PostgreSQL License, which permits free commercial use without royalties, licensing fees, or support obligations. Source: https://www.postgresql.org
SourceSpacelift: Is there a self-hosted version?
Yes, described as carrying Enterprise functionality, but it is priced on request and lags the hosted product on cloud integrations.
Spacelift: Why not just use the CI system we already have?
That is the real comparison. General purpose CI handles state, drift, approval gates and concurrency control for infrastructure poorly, and whether that is worth a five-figure floor depends on how much infrastructure change your organisation actually ships.
Spacelift: What happens to our pipelines if we leave?
They do not port. Rego policies, Blueprints, Spaces and managed state are Spacelift constructs and the orchestration has to be rebuilt elsewhere.
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