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PostgreSQL vs SurrealDB

PostgreSQL: The extensible, standards-first open-source relational database. SurrealDB: Rust multi-model database (documents, graph, vectors, live queries) that runs embedded, in WASM or clustered.

key differences

  • PostgreSQL is primarily a relational database; SurrealDB is document.
  • Licensing: PostgreSQL is open source (permissive) (PostgreSQL License); SurrealDB is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years)).
  • Only PostgreSQL has compression.
  • Only SurrealDB has in-memory, runs in webassembly.
  • SurrealDB can run embedded in your application process.

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

choose surrealdb for

  • +Greenfield apps wanting one backend for documents and relationships
  • +Agent memory and knowledge graphs for AI applications
  • +Local-first or in-browser data with WASM
  • +Realtime collaborative features

best at · OLTP, Traversal, Vector search

PostgreSQLThe extensible, standards-first open-source relational database.
SurrealDBRust multi-model database (documents, graph, vectors, live queries) that runs embedded, in WASM or clustered.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Document
Also supports
Document, Spatial
Graph, Key-Value, Vector, Search Engine, Time-Series, Spatial
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
PostgreSQL Global Development Group
SurrealDB Ltd
First release
1996
2022
Latest version
18.6 (Aug 13, 2026)
3.3.4 (Oct 19, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)PostgreSQL License
Source-availableBusiness Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
93.2
28.8
Rank
#1
#94
GitHub stars
22.6K
33.2K
Stack Overflow questions
178.8K
111
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Addon
Addon
Multi-region
Read replicas
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Flexible
Architecture
Single node, Primary replica, Client server
Single node, Embedded, Distributed, Client server, In memory
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
✓
Edge
—
✓
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Oracle Cloud, IBM Cloud, Alibaba Cloud
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
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
SurrealQL, GraphQL
Client languages
C, Java, Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C#, Ruby
Rust, JavaScript, Python, Go, Java, C#, PHP
Best for
OLTP, Geo, Search, Content
OLTP, Traversal, Vector search, RAG
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

PostgreSQL vs SurrealDB: FAQ

What is the difference between PostgreSQL and SurrealDB?

PostgreSQL: The extensible, standards-first open-source relational database. SurrealDB: Rust multi-model database (documents, graph, vectors, live queries) that runs embedded, in WASM or clustered. PostgreSQL is primarily a relational database; SurrealDB is document. Licensing: PostgreSQL is open source (permissive) (PostgreSQL License); SurrealDB is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years)). Only PostgreSQL has compression.

When should I choose PostgreSQL over SurrealDB?

Choose PostgreSQL for general-purpose application backend, SaaS multi-tenant data and geospatial applications with PostGIS. Choose SurrealDB for greenfield apps wanting one backend for documents and relationships; agent memory and knowledge graphs for AI applications; and local-first or in-browser data with WASM.

Is PostgreSQL or SurrealDB more popular?

PostgreSQL ranks #1 on the WhichDB Score (93.2/100) and SurrealDB ranks #94 (28.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are PostgreSQL and SurrealDB open source?

Yes. PostgreSQL is open source. License: PostgreSQL License. Not in the OSI sense. SurrealDB is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: Business Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years).