whichdb
vs

DuckDB vs PGlite

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. PGlite: Real PostgreSQL compiled to WebAssembly: an embeddable Postgres for browsers, Node, Bun and Deno.

key differences

  • DuckDB is primarily a columnar / OLAP database; PGlite is relational.
  • DuckDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than PGlite (≤ 100 GB).
  • Only DuckDB has columnar storage, compression, encryption at rest.
  • Only PGlite has triggers, stored procedures, materialized views, pub/sub, offline sync.

choose duckdb for

  • +Local data analysis in notebooks
  • +ETL and data-engineering pipelines on files
  • +Embedded analytics inside applications
  • +Querying data lakes on S3 without a cluster

best at · OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse

choose pglite for

  • +Local-first web apps with Electric sync
  • +In-browser SQL playgrounds and tutorials
  • +Ephemeral Postgres for unit tests in Node/Bun
  • +Client-side vector search with pgvector

best at · Embedded, Local-first, Mobile/offline

DuckDBIn-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook.
PGliteReal PostgreSQL compiled to WebAssembly: an embeddable Postgres for browsers, Node, Bun and Deno.
overview
Primary model
Columnar / OLAP
Relational
Also supports
Relational, Document, Spatial, Vector
Document, Vector, Spatial
Type
Database engine
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
DuckDB Foundation / DuckDB Labs
ElectricSQL
First release
2019
2024
Latest version
2.0.0 (Oct 21, 2026)
0.5.12 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)MIT License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0 / PostgreSQL License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
63.7
35.1
Rank
#13
#57
GitHub stars
42.6K
16.2K
Stack Overflow questions
501
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Single node, In memory
Embedded, In memory
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
✓
Edge
—
✓
Clouds
–
–
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
✓
✓
Secondary indexes
✓
✓
Full-text search
✓
✓
Vector search
✓
✓
Geospatial
✓
✓
JSON
✓
✓
Change data capture
—
—
Triggers
—
✓
Stored procedures
—
✓
Materialized views
—
✓
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
—
✓
Columnar storage
✓
—
In-memory
✓
✓
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
✓
—
Encryption at rest
✓
—
Role-based access
—
—
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
—
✓
Runs in WebAssembly
✓
✓
interfaces
Query languages
SQL (PostgreSQL-like dialect)
SQL, PL/pgSQL
Client languages
Python, R, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C, Swift
JavaScript, TypeScript
Best for
OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse, Warehouse
Embedded, Local-first, Mobile/offline, Edge
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

DuckDB vs PGlite: FAQ

What is the difference between DuckDB and PGlite?

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. PGlite: Real PostgreSQL compiled to WebAssembly: an embeddable Postgres for browsers, Node, Bun and Deno. DuckDB is primarily a columnar / OLAP database; PGlite is relational. DuckDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than PGlite (≤ 100 GB). Only DuckDB has columnar storage, compression, encryption at rest.

When should I choose DuckDB over PGlite?

Choose DuckDB for local data analysis in notebooks; ETL and data-engineering pipelines on files; and embedded analytics inside applications. Choose PGlite for local-first web apps with Electric sync; in-browser SQL playgrounds and tutorials; and ephemeral Postgres for unit tests in Node/Bun.

Is DuckDB or PGlite more popular?

DuckDB ranks #13 on the WhichDB Score (63.7/100) and PGlite ranks #57 (35.1/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are DuckDB and PGlite open source?

Yes. DuckDB is open source. License: MIT License. Yes. PGlite is open source. License: Apache License 2.0 / PostgreSQL License.