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IvorySQL vs PostgreSQL

IvorySQL: Apache-licensed PostgreSQL distribution with an Oracle-compatible mode, PL/iSQL and Oracle packages. PostgreSQL: The extensible, standards-first open-source relational database.

key differences

  • Only PostgreSQL has vector search, compression.

choose ivorysql for

  • +Open-source Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migrations
  • +Running Oracle-style PL/SQL code on Postgres
  • +Teams wanting Oracle syntax without commercial licensing

best at · OLTP, Geo

choose postgresql for

  • +General-purpose application backend
  • +SaaS multi-tenant data
  • +Geospatial applications with PostGIS
  • +Semantic search alongside relational data with pgvector

best at · OLTP, Geo, Search

IvorySQLApache-licensed PostgreSQL distribution with an Oracle-compatible mode, PL/iSQL and Oracle packages.
PostgreSQLThe extensible, standards-first open-source relational database.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
Document, Spatial
Document, Spatial
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
IvorySQL community (sponsored by HighGo Software)
PostgreSQL Global Development Group
First release
2021
1996
Latest version
5.6 (Sep 18, 2026)
18.6 (Aug 13, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)PostgreSQL License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
5.5
93.2
Rank
#384
#1
GitHub stars
1.1K
22.6K
Stack Overflow questions
–
178.8K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Addon
Addon
Multi-region
Read replicas
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Single node, Primary replica, Client server
Single node, Primary replica, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Oracle Cloud, IBM Cloud, Alibaba Cloud
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, PL/pgSQL, PL/iSQL (Oracle-compatible)
SQL, PL/pgSQL
Client languages
C, Java, Python, JavaScript, Go, C#
C, Java, Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C#, Ruby
Best for
OLTP, Geo
OLTP, Geo, Search, Content
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

IvorySQL vs PostgreSQL: FAQ

What is the difference between IvorySQL and PostgreSQL?

IvorySQL: Apache-licensed PostgreSQL distribution with an Oracle-compatible mode, PL/iSQL and Oracle packages. PostgreSQL: The extensible, standards-first open-source relational database. Only PostgreSQL has vector search, compression.

When should I choose IvorySQL over PostgreSQL?

Choose IvorySQL for open-source Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migrations, running Oracle-style PL/SQL code on Postgres and teams wanting Oracle syntax without commercial licensing. Choose PostgreSQL for general-purpose application backend, SaaS multi-tenant data and geospatial applications with PostGIS.

Is IvorySQL or PostgreSQL more popular?

PostgreSQL ranks #1 on the WhichDB Score (93.2/100) and IvorySQL ranks #384 (5.5/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are IvorySQL and PostgreSQL open source?

Yes. IvorySQL is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. PostgreSQL is open source. License: PostgreSQL License.