Evaluating Enterprise PostgreSQL: A Checklist for IT Leaders
1. Performance and scalability
• High availability & failover – Are automated failover and multi-node replication built into the core offering?
• Scalability – Can it handle growing workloads with connection pooling, read replicas, and sharding?
• Performance monitoring – Can you pinpoint bottlenecks instantly with integrated query analytics, real-time dashboards, and threshold-based alerting?
• AI & analytics readiness – Does it support AI/ML workloads with vector search (pgvector) and time-series data?
2. Security and compliance
• Data encryption – Does encryption (TDE) come standard, or will you face additional licensing costs?
• Access control & auditing – Can you enforce granular permissions and maintain comprehensive audit trails (pgAudit) that satisfy security teams and auditors?
• Regulatory compliance – Are GDPR, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and other security requirements addressed out of the box?
• Data masking & redaction – Can it protect sensitive data at the database level to reduce exposure risks?
• Backup & disaster recovery – Are automated, point-in-time recovery (PITR) and geographically distributed backups standard?
3. Deployment flexibility
• Multi-cloud & hybrid support – Can you deploy where it makes business sense—across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and on-premises—without compatibility issues?
• Kubernetes-native – Is there built-in support for containerized PostgreSQL with automated orchestration?
• Automated scaling – Will your database adapt to demand patterns by intelligently scaling storage and compute resources without manual intervention?
• Provisioning options – Do you maintain full control over your database environment, or does the vendor's architecture force long-term dependency?
4. Vendor support and services
• 24/7 support – When critical issues arise, will you reach PostgreSQL experts who solve problems, or just tier-one agents following scripts?
• Consulting & training – Does the vendor offer guidance for architecture planning, migrations, performance optimization, and ongoing training?
• Proactive monitoring – Will potential issues be identified and resolved through continuous automated health checks before they impact your business?
• Transparent pricing – Can you confidently predict your database costs, or will you discover hidden fees and licensing surprises as you scale?
5. Community and ecosystem strength
• True open source – Does the vendor actively contribute to PostgreSQL, avoiding proprietary forks?
• Broad extension support – Will you have access to the full PostgreSQL ecosystem, including PostGIS, pgvector, Citus, and more, without compatibility concerns?
• Active innovation – Does the vendor's roadmap align with and help shape PostgreSQL advancements?
• Compatibility – Can you preserve investments in existing tools by integrating them with your preferred monitoring, security, and cloud management platforms?
6. Freedom to migrate and avoid lock-in
• Exit without disruption – Can you leave the vendor’s PostgreSQL solution without losing critical features or facing downtime?
• No proprietary dependencies – Does the solution rely on proprietary add-ons or custom forks that make migration difficult?
• Transparent licensing – Are there hidden clauses, contract lock-ins, or fees that make switching providers costly?
• Full PostgreSQL portability – Can your workloads move seamlessly to another PostgreSQL environment without extensive rework or new licensing?
Beyond the checklist: Making the right choice
While technical features matter, your PostgreSQL solution's long-term value hinges on three critical business factors:
1. Strategic control: Will you maintain the freedom to evolve your database environment based on business needs rather than vendor constraints?
2. Cost predictability: Can you confidently forecast database costs as you scale, or will you face escalating licensing fees and unexpected charges?
3. Vendor partnership: Is your vendor incentivized to drive your success, or is their business model built around creating dependency and maximizing your spend?
Why consider Percona for PostgreSQL
Truly open source: All enterprise features included—no proprietary forks or licensing traps
- Enterprise-ready: High availability, security, and performance monitoring built into the core offering
- Expert support: 24/7 access to PostgreSQL specialists who understand enterprise requirements
- Transparent approach: Clear pricing, no hidden costs, and a commitment to your long-term success
Click the link below for an in-depth look at how Percona for PostgreSQL compares to community and proprietary versions (EDB, Crunchy Data, etc.).