Why PostgreSQL Remains the Top Choice for Developers in 2025

January 3, 2025

PostgreSQL just did it again! PostgreSQL continues to dominate the database landscape in terms of adoption and popularity. This blog unpacks why we believe PostgreSQL will continue to be the top database choice now and in the future.

Most Popular Database: Stack Overflow Survey 2024

In May 2024, over 65,000 developers worldwide participated in Stack Overflow’s annual survey, sharing their insights into the technologies they currently use and the tools they plan to adopt in the future.

PostgreSQL made its Stack Overflow Survey debut in 2018, with 33% of developers reporting that they used it. At the time, PostgreSQL trailed behind then-leader MySQL, which had 59% of the user base.

Fast forward six years to 2024, and PostgreSQL has rocketed in popularity. Now used by 49% of developers, it has secured its position as the most popular database for the second consecutive year.

Most Popular Database: Stack Overflow Survey 2024

DB-Engines DBMS of the Year: PostgreSQL

DB-Engines is an authoritative and widely recognized ranking platform that evaluates and compares database management systems (DBMS) based on their popularity. PostgreSQL was named DBMS of the year by DB-Engines in 2023. With its continued momentum and popularity, PostgreSQL is likely to also be named DBMS of the year for 2024.

DBMS of the year for 2023

Key Reasons for PostgreSQL’s Increasing Popularity With Developers

Robust Features and Continued Innovation

PostgreSQL offers a robust set of features including support for complex queries, JSON and XML data types, full-text search, and window functions. Its adherence to SQL standards, combined with extensibility via PostgreSQL extensions, makes it a versatile choice for developers. Each release brings a high pace of innovation and steady improvements.

Active Open Source Community and Ecosystem

PostgreSQL benefits from a vibrant open-source community that continually enhances its capabilities. A rich ecosystem of tools and integrations supports diverse use cases, from analytics and web applications to distributed systems.

Cloud-Native and Enterprise Adoption

PostgreSQL is cloud agnostic, making it easier to deploy and scale. Its reliability, security, and performance have earned it a place in many enterprise-grade applications, further driving adoption.

YugabyteDB and the PostgreSQL API

Yugabyte spotted this trend early and decided to reuse PostgreSQL for YugabyteDB’s relational API (YSQL).

We have seen our bet on PostgreSQL play out very well over the years, but this year’s results demonstrate that PostgreSQL adoption across the board has become an irreversible trend. PostgreSQL now dominates the database charts, leaving MySQL in the dust.

YugabyteDB builds on PostgreSQL’s robust capabilities, enhancing it further to suit modern enterprise environments by providing optimized performance through improved availability, scalability, and security.

What You Should Know About YugabyteDB and PostgreSQL’s API

Compatibility: YugabyteDB’s “YSQL” API is designed to be highly compatible with PostgreSQL syntax and functionality. This allows applications built for PostgreSQL to work seamlessly with YugabyteDB.
Developer Experience: By using the PostgreSQL API in YugabyteDB, developers can utilize existing tools, libraries, frameworks, and extensions built for PostgreSQL without having to learn a new database language.
Open Source Philosophy: YugabyteDB and PostgreSQL are both open-source under the Apache 2.0 license, remaining committed to the core values and philosophy of open source software.