PostgreSQL Has Come a Long Way. What’s Next?
Did you know that this May marks 25 years since PostgreSQL 7.0 was released? Back in May 2000, this version introduced foundational features like write-ahead logging and foreign keys that many of us now take for granted. This milestone reminds us how continuous community commitment has shaped PostgreSQL into a database trusted by organizations worldwide to move faster, stay flexible, and scale efficiently.
In this edition of The Open Source, we're focusing on PostgreSQL: why so many teams choose it, how to make the most of it in your enterprise, and how Percona can help you optimize, secure, and scale your PostgreSQL deployments.
Let’s jump in.
Will PostgreSQL’s future remain mostly open?
PostgreSQL’s rising popularity has sparked a wave of innovation, but it’s also driving a shift across the ecosystem. Cloud providers, startups, and traditional vendors are increasingly layering proprietary features and managed services on top of PostgreSQL, introducing new risks around lock-in, hidden costs, and reduced control.
While PostgreSQL itself remains fully open source and is not governed by a single entity like MongoDB or Oracle, vendors are increasingly controlling how it’s packaged, hosted, and sold. It’s a sharp contrast to the values that got PostgreSQL here in the first place.
So what comes next? Could the next 25 years play out very differently?
Discover the key market trends IT leaders need to know
As PostgreSQL gains ground, vendors are pushing it in a proprietary direction
As PostgreSQL adoption accelerates, choosing it is a smart move. But opting for a proprietary PostgreSQL solution? That’s where many teams run into trouble. Licensing traps, hidden fees, and non-standard extensions often create the very problems PostgreSQL was meant to avoid.
This guide breaks down the top mistakes IT leaders make when evaluating proprietary PostgreSQL solutions. Their lessons can help you make smarter, safer decisions from day one.
Learn from the hard-earned lessons of IT leaders who’ve been there
Looking for a quick comparison of what to look for and what to avoid? This checklist shows you what to look for, what to avoid, and how to spot red flags before they cost you.
Passing on proprietary vendors? Know what DIY requires
Choosing to self-manage PostgreSQL gives you freedom and control, but it also shifts the burden to your team. Keeping it fast, secure, and reliable at scale takes more time, expertise, and resources than most teams expect. From constant performance tuning to upgrade cycles, compliance overhead, and subtle configuration issues, the hidden costs of DIY PostgreSQL add up fast. And those costs aren’t just technical; they can impact your budget, slow down your team, and put your business at risk.
See the real cost of managing PostgreSQL yourself
The good news? Many of those costs are avoidable with the right practices and architecture in place. This guide shows where PostgreSQL teams overspend and how to fix it.
How to design, optimize, and scale PostgreSQL without overspending
Thinking about PostgreSQL on Kubernetes? Here’s what to know
Kubernetes isn’t just for stateless apps anymore; it’s becoming the control plane for everything, including PostgreSQL. But getting PostgreSQL right in cloud environments takes more than standing up a container. High availability, automation, backups, tuning? They all get harder in a dynamic and distributed environment.
If you’re planning to consolidate, modernize, or scale your infrastructure, it’s worth seeing why so many teams are now putting PostgreSQL on Kubernetes… and how to do it right.
Get real benchmarks, best practices, and practical guidance
Want to skip the headaches entirely? Percona delivers a production-ready, fully open source PostgreSQL solution built for Kubernetes. Automated deployments. Self-service provisioning. Full control over where and how your database runs, without the cloud provider fine print.
Learn how to simplify PostgreSQL on Kubernetes
What’s next for PostgreSQL? A truly open source (and enterprise-ready) path forward
PostgreSQL isn’t just growing; it’s growing up. It’s showing up in critical systems, in regulated industries, in places where performance, security, and accountability aren’t optional. But with that shift comes pressure: pick the wrong vendor, ignore compliance gaps, or underestimate what enterprise-ready really takes, and the risks add up fast.
Here’s what smart teams are paying attention to, and how Percona helps you stay ahead.
Compare what “enterprise PostgreSQL” really means
Enterprise PostgreSQL should mean enterprise features, not hidden fees, forced upgrades, or fine print. We break down where the real capabilities live (and where the extra costs sneak in) when you compare Percona, EDB, Crunchy Data, and more.
Get the facts before you choose
Stay compliant without giving up control
Meeting GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOX, and DORA requirements isn't optional, and it shouldn't mean giving up control of your database, either. While other vendors push you into proprietary systems just to check compliance boxes, Percona for PostgreSQL gives you full encryption, auditing, access control, and high availability without forcing you into a closed system.
See how Percona helps you stay compliant, secure, and in control
Enterprise PostgreSQL, without the tradeoffs
Percona gives you the enterprise-grade PostgreSQL platform you need to grow, without hidden costs, lock-in, or operational chaos.
See why enterprises are switching to Percona for PostgreSQL
Just ask Solera
Faced with skyrocketing costs from proprietary database services, they partnered with Percona to migrate to open source PostgreSQL. The result? Dramatically lower expenses, better performance, and more control without sacrificing reliability.
Learn about their transformation
Thanks for reading the ninth edition of The Open Source! From market shifts to smarter deployment strategies, we’re here to help you stay one step ahead with open source you can trust. Have questions or ideas for future editions? Drop a comment below and let us know!