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SurrealDB vs PostgreSQL

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.

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SurrealDB
SurrealDBA scalable, ACID‑compliant NoSQL database with SQL‑like queries
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PostgreSQL
PostgreSQLThe advanced open-source relational database.
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Overview
Description

SurrealDB is a cloud‑native, distributed database that combines the flexibility of NoSQL with the power of SQL‑style querying. It delivers strong ACID guarantees while scaling horizontally for modern applications. Designed for developers and startups, SurrealDB offers seamless integration with popular languages and frameworks, making it easy to embed real‑time data capabilities into web and mobile services.

PostgreSQL is a powerful, standards-compliant open-source relational database known for reliability, extensibility, and strong support for complex queries and JSON. It is a default choice for modern applications.

Pricing
Freemium
Free

Free and open source.

Category
Databases
Databases
Best for
Developers and startups
Developers and data engineers
Specifications
Spec source
AI-estimated
AI-estimated
open source
Yes
Yes
github stars
32,749
—
api available
Yes
Yes
support options
Email, Documentation, Community Forum
—
key integrations
JavaScript, Python, Java, Node.js
—
primary language
Rust
—
platforms
—
Windows, Mac, Linux
deployment
—
Self-hosted
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Combines NoSQL flexibility with familiar SQL syntax
  • Built‑in real‑time subscription support
  • Strong ACID compliance for distributed workloads
  • Easy integration with major programming languages
  • Extremely capable and reliable
  • Free and open source
  • Great JSON and extension support
  • Massive ecosystem
Cons
  • Ecosystem and community are smaller than established databases
  • Advanced clustering setup can be complex for beginners
  • Limited official GUI tools for data exploration
  • Requires DB administration knowledge
  • Tuning needed at scale
  • No official managed hosting (use a provider)
Community & Metrics
Upvotes
0
3
User rating
Not enough data
4.3 (3)

What reviewers say

SurrealDB Reviews

No reviews yet.

PostgreSQL Reviews

4.3 (3)
Anonymous

Great database

PostgreSQL has been part of our stack. Great JSON and extension support. Minor gripe: requires db administration knowledge. Would recommend.

Anonymous

Recommend PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL has been part of our stack. Great JSON and extension support. Minor gripe: requires db administration knowledge. Would recommend.

Anonymous

Great database

We rolled out PostgreSQL last quarter. Great JSON and extension support. No real complaints. Would recommend.

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More alternatives & similar tools

Alternatives to SurrealDB

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TiDB
TiDB

A cloud‑native, MySQL‑compatible distributed SQL database for massive scalability

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Supabase
Supabase

Postgres database for the modern web

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PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL

The advanced open-source relational database.

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Alternatives to PostgreSQL

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MySQL
MySQL

The world’s most popular open-source relational database.

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MongoDB
MongoDB

The popular document (NoSQL) database.

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Supabase
Supabase

Postgres database for the modern web

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TiDB
TiDB

A cloud‑native, MySQL‑compatible distributed SQL database for massive scalability

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The Verdict

AI-generated from listing data

SurrealDB offers a modern, ACID‑compliant NoSQL engine with real‑time subscriptions and SQL‑style queries, while PostgreSQL provides a battle‑tested relational platform with extensive ecosystem and tooling.

Key differences

  • •Data model: SurrealDB unifies documents, graphs, and key‑value; PostgreSQL is relational with JSONB for semi‑structured data.
  • •Real‑time: SurrealDB has built‑in WebSocket change notifications; PostgreSQL lacks native real‑time subscription support.
  • •Scalability: SurrealDB includes automatic horizontal sharding and replication; PostgreSQL requires manual clustering or external tools.
  • •Ecosystem: PostgreSQL has a massive ecosystem and many GUI tools; SurrealDB’s community and tooling are smaller.
DimensionWinner

Pricing & value

SurrealDB uses a freemium model offering paid features; PostgreSQL is completely free open source.

SurrealDB

Ease of use / learning curve

PostgreSQL’s SQL is standard and widely known; SurrealDB adds NoSQL concepts and clustering complexity.

PostgreSQL

Features & depth

PostgreSQL provides extensive extensions, custom types, and mature tooling; SurrealDB’s feature set is narrower.

PostgreSQL

Integrations & ecosystem

PostgreSQL has a huge ecosystem and many official GUI tools; SurrealDB’s integrations are limited to a few SDKs.

PostgreSQL

Scalability

SurrealDB offers automatic horizontal sharding and replication out‑of‑the‑box; PostgreSQL requires manual setup or external solutions.

SurrealDB

Support

PostgreSQL benefits from broad community, third‑party support, and many vendors; SurrealDB provides email, docs, and community forum only.

PostgreSQL

Security & privacy

Both offer authentication and role‑based access control; specific security features beyond that are not detailed.

Tie

Choose SurrealDB if…

Startups needing real‑time updates, graph/document flexibility, and built‑in horizontal scaling.

Choose PostgreSQL if…

Teams requiring a proven relational DB, extensive tooling, and a large support ecosystem.

Common questions

Which database is cheaper to run?

SurrealDB has a freemium tier but may require paid plans for advanced features; PostgreSQL is fully free.

Do both support real‑time data feeds?

SurrealDB includes native WebSocket subscriptions; PostgreSQL does not have built‑in real‑time notifications.

Can I store graph data easily?

SurrealDB stores documents, graphs, and key‑value pairs in one engine; PostgreSQL can model graphs but only via tables or extensions.