3. Paying a premium for security features PostgreSQL includes for free

Proprietary database vendors bank on the belief that open source isn’t secure, convincing organizations that only their expensive “enterprise security packages” can meet regulatory requirements. In reality, PostgreSQL includes robust security capabilities by default, but many companies overlook this advantage due to misleading marketing.

When properly configured, PostgreSQL’s built-in encryption, access controls, and audit logging match or exceed the security of proprietary alternatives—without the exorbitant licensing fees. While some industries may require additional layers of security, that doesn’t mean you need to pay for overpriced vendor solutions that simply repackage what PostgreSQL already provides for free.

Consider this: When a healthcare technology company was slapped with thousands in surprise licensing fees from its proprietary database vendor just to maintain HIPAA compliance, it reached its breaking point. The pivot to PostgreSQL revealed what many discover too late: equivalent or superior security through native capabilities and extensions like pgAudit, full regulatory compliance maintained, and a dramatic cost reduction. Another proprietary vendor's "gotcha moment" transformed into an open source success story we've seen play out repeatedly.