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Databases · head to head

PostgreSQL vs RavenDB

PostgreSQL logo

PostgreSQL

Databases

The world's most advanced open source relational database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RavenDB logo

RavenDB

Databases

The fully transactional NoSQL document database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments; RavenDB the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • They diverge on capability: PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, RavenDB covers ACID Transactions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PostgreSQL and RavenDB actually diverge.

Attributes where PostgreSQL and RavenDB differ
AttributePostgreSQLRavenDB
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, BSD, UnixLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
Founded19962010

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

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 PostgreSQL

  • ACID Compliance
  • JSON/JSONB Support
  • Extensibility
  • Advanced Indexing
  • Partitioning
  • Replication
  • pgAdmin
  • DBeaver

Only in RavenDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Auto-indexing
  • Graph Queries
  • Distributed Counters
  • Time Series
  • Document Compression
  • .NET
  • Node.js

Both cover

  • Full-text Search
  • Linux support
  • Windows support
  • Mac support
  • Docker support

What people use each for

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

PostgreSQL

  • Transaction processingnot RavenDB
  • Data storagenot RavenDB
  • Application backendnot RavenDB
  • Reportingnot RavenDB
  • Data analyticsnot RavenDB

RavenDB

  • Running a distributed document database with ACID transactionsnot PostgreSQL
  • Self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardwarenot PostgreSQL
  • Replicating operational data out to analytics systems through ETLnot PostgreSQL

Where each one falls short

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

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

RavenDB

  • The free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • The free Community licence caps a customer at 60 cores and forces you to stay on the latest major version
  • The Professional licence is limited to a single database, a 5 node cluster, 40 cores and 240 GB RAM
  • Sharding across nodes, ETL to OLAP, Elasticsearch and Kafka, and data archival are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise and AI licence pricing is contact us only with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

PostgreSQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL review.

RavenDB

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • 3 cores
    • 6GB RAM
    • Community support
  • Professional$499/year
    • Production use
    • Professional support
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

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

Choose RavenDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want auto-indexing.
RavenDB review

Questions people ask

Is PostgreSQL or RavenDB better?
Neither clearly leads. PostgreSQL starts at Free and RavenDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PostgreSQL or RavenDB?
PostgreSQL starts at Free and RavenDB at Free.
Does PostgreSQL or RavenDB run on more platforms?
PostgreSQL runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix. RavenDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use PostgreSQL for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is PostgreSQL best used for?
PostgreSQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what RavenDB is typically brought in for.
What can PostgreSQL do that RavenDB cannot?
PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, JSON/JSONB Support, Extensibility, Advanced Indexing. RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Graph Queries, Distributed Counters. Both handle Full-text Search, Linux support, Windows support, Mac 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
RavenDB: Is RavenDB free or open source?

RavenDB is open source under the AGPLv3 license and available on GitHub. It also offers a free developer license with enterprise-level features limited to 9 cores, 36GB max RAM, 3 nodes, and non-commercial 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
RavenDB: Can I use RavenDB commercially for free?

RavenDB offers a free Community License that permits commercial deployment with unlimited databases and sizes, subject to a 60-core maximum per customer and requirement to run the latest major version.

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
RavenDB: What commercial licensing options does RavenDB offer?

RavenDB offers Professional, Enterprise, and AI tiers for commercial use. Pricing for these tiers requires contacting their sales team at [email protected].

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
RavenDB: Does RavenDB offer a cloud hosting option?

RavenDB Cloud provides a fully managed cloud database with maintenance, failover, and backups included. Pricing is available at cloud.ravendb.net/pricing.

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
RavenDB: Is there a refund window if I purchase RavenDB?

RavenDB offers a 30-day refund window for purchased licenses.

Source
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