Postgresql vs. MongoDB

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PostgreSQL vs. MongoDB is the one of the most wondered comparisons in the database world. Let me compare them in a concise way.

PostgreSQL vs. MongoDB: A Concise Comparison

PostgreSQL and MongoDB are two of the most popular database management systems. PostgreSQL is an open-source relational database, while MongoDB is a NoSQL document-oriented database. Both have their unique strengths, and choosing between them depends on various factors such as data structure, scalability needs, and performance requirements. This article will compare them based on installation, benchmarks, pricing, and key performance metrics.

Installation Tutorials

Installing PostgreSQL on Ubuntu

  1. Update the Package List: 
    sudo apt update
  2. Install PostgreSQL: 
    sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib
  3. Verify Installation: 
    psql --version

Installing MongoDB on Ubuntu

  1. Import the Public Key: 
    wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-5.0.asc | sudo apt-key add -
  2. Create a List File for MongoDB: 
    echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu focal/mongodb-org/5.0 multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-5.0.list
  3. Update the Package List: 
    sudo apt update
  4. Install MongoDB: 
    sudo apt install -y mongodb-org
  5. Start and Enable MongoDB: 
    sudo systemctl start mongod
sudo systemctl enable mongod

PostgreSQL vs. MongoDB: Performance Benchmarks

Transaction Performance

According to Airbyte:

  • PostgreSQL processed over 20,000 transactions per second, whereas MongoDB handled fewer than 2,000 transactions per second.

OLTP Workloads

  • PostgreSQL was found to be 2.7 to 3.2 times faster in in-memory tests.
  • With larger datasets (2TB), PostgreSQL outperformed MongoDB by 25 to 40 times.

OLAP Workloads

  • PostgreSQL performed 35% to 53% faster than MongoDB in JSON-based analytical queries.

PostgreSQL vs. MongoDB: Pricing Models

PostgreSQL

  • PostgreSQL is free and open-source.
  • Managed PostgreSQL services start at $15/month on platforms like DigitalOcean.

MongoDB

  • MongoDB provides a free Community Edition and a paid Enterprise Edition.
  • Managed MongoDB Atlas services start at $15.23/month on DigitalOcean.

PostgreSQL vs. MongoDB: Other Performance Metrics

Scalability

  • MongoDB supports horizontal scaling with built-in sharding.
  • PostgreSQL primarily scales vertically, though sharding can be manually implemented.

Data Modeling

  • MongoDB is schema-less and flexible for unstructured data.
  • PostgreSQL follows a strict schema model for structured data integrity.

Query Language

  • MongoDB uses MongoDB Query Language (MQL).
  • PostgreSQL uses SQL, a widely adopted query language.

PostgreSQL vs. MongoDB: Conclusion

Both PostgreSQL and MongoDB are powerful databases with different strengths.

  • Choose PostgreSQL if you require ACID compliance, complex transactions, and structured data.
  • Choose MongoDB if you need high scalability, flexibility, and quick development for unstructured data.

Selecting the right database depends on your specific use case, workload requirements, and budget.

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