# PostgreSQL

> free and open-source relational database management system

**Wikidata**: [Q192490](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192490)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostgreSQL)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/postgresql

## Summary
PostgreSQL is a free and open-source relational database management system developed by Michael Stonebraker and the PostgreSQL Global Development Group. First released in 1996, it is renowned for its extensibility, standards compliance, and advanced features like complex queries and data integrity.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 1996 (official publication date: 1996-07-08) by Michael Stonebraker.  
- Developed by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group, including key contributors Tom Lane and Bruce Momjian.  
- Competes directly with MySQL (since 2001) and MongoDB in the database management system market.  
- Operates on multiple operating systems: FreeBSD, OpenBSD, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Unix-like systems.  
- Released under the PostgreSQL License, a permissive free software license.  
- Source code hosted at https://git.postgresql.org/gitweb/?p=postgresql.git, with GitHub mirror.  

## FAQs
### Q: Who created PostgreSQL?  
A: PostgreSQL was created by Michael Stonebraker, with ongoing development led by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group and key contributors like Tom Lane and Bruce Momjian.  

### Q: What operating systems support PostgreSQL?  
A: PostgreSQL runs on FreeBSD, OpenBSD, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, and other Unix-like operating systems.  

### Q: When was PostgreSQL first released?  
A: PostgreSQL was first released in 1996, with the public release date recorded as July 8, 1996.  

### Q: What license governs PostgreSQL?  
A: PostgreSQL is released under the PostgreSQL License, a permissive free software license allowing unrestricted use, modification, and distribution.  

### Q: What are some notable derivatives of PostgreSQL?  
A: Notable derivatives include PostGIS (spatial database), Postgres-XL (scalable database), and Postgres-XC (concurrent database).  

## Why It Matters
PostgreSQL revolutionized enterprise data management by providing a free, open-source alternative to proprietary databases with enterprise-grade features. Its commitment to SQL standards, ACID compliance, and extensibility through custom functions and data types enables developers to build complex, scalable applications without licensing costs. As a long-term rival to MySQL and MongoDB, PostgreSQL shaped modern database ecosystems by prioritizing performance, data integrity, and community-driven development. Its adoption by organizations worldwide underscores its role as a critical infrastructure component for applications ranging from web services to scientific research.

## Notable For
- **Standards Compliance**: Embraces full SQL standards compliance and advanced features like window functions and recursive queries.  
- **Extensibility**: Supports user-defined types, procedural languages (PL/pgSQL, PL/Python), and custom functions.  
- **ACID Transactions**: Provides robust atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability for critical applications.  
- **Open-Source Model**: Developed under a permissive license by a global community, affiliated with Software in the Public Interest.  
- **Derivative Impact**: Inspired specialized extensions like PostGIS and spawned projects like Postgres-XL.  

## Body
### Development and Governance
- **Creator**: Michael Stonebraker, with foundational work based on the POSTGRES project.  
- **Developers**: PostgreSQL Global Development Group; key figures include Tom Lane, Bruce Momjian, Peter Eisentraut, and Marc Fournier.  
- **Affiliation**: Maintained by Software in the Public Interest (SPI), a non-profit organization.  
- **License**: PostgreSQL License, permitting free use, modification, and distribution.  

### Technical Specifications
- **Type System**: Supports native data types (e.g., JSON, XML, spatial) and custom user-defined types.  
- **Concurrency Control**: Implements multi-version concurrency control (MVCC) for efficient read/write operations.  
- **Procedural Languages**: Integrates PL/pgSQL (default), PL/Perl, PL/Python, and PL/Tcl.  
- **Derivatives**: Includes PostGIS (geospatial), Postgres-XL (scalability), and Postgres-XC (concurrency).  

### Ecosystem and Availability
- **Operating Systems**: Cross-platform support for FreeBSD, OpenBSD, macOS, Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Unix-like systems.  
- **Package Repositories**: Available in major distributions (Arch Linux, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu) via packages like `postgresql` and `postgresql-lts`.  
- **Community Engagement**: Active IRC channels (#postgresql on Libera Chat), Stack Exchange presence, and subreddit (`r/PostgreSQL`).  
- **Source Code**: Primary repository at https://git.postgresql.org/gitweb/?p=postgresql.git, mirrored on GitHub.  

### Version History
- **Initial Release**: 1996-07-08 (public version).  
- **Notable Versions**:  
  - 9.3.5 (released 2014-07-24)  
  - 9.4.0 (released 2014-12-18; added JSONB and GIST improvements)  
  - 9.0.18 (released 2014-07-24)  
  - Long-term support (LTS) packages maintained for ongoing stability.  

### Competitive Landscape
- **Direct Competitors**:  
  - MySQL (since 2001)  
  - MongoDB (since 2009)  
- **Market Position**: Competes as a relational and object-relational database management system with strong emphasis on SQL compliance.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/history.html)
2. [Source](http://www.journaldunet.com/developpeur/itws/itw-postgresql-marcgfournier.shtml)
3. [Source](https://github.com/postgres/postgres)
4. [The postgres Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/postgres/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
5. [2025](https://github.com/EvanLi/Github-Ranking/blob/master/Data/github-ranking-2025-07-06.csv)
6. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/download/)
7. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1534/)
8. [Source](http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.db.postgresql.announce/2504)
9. [Mehr NoSQL in PostgreSQL 9.4. heise online. 2014](http://www.heise.de/open/meldung/Mehr-NoSQL-in-PostgreSQL-9-4-2503835.html)
10. [Source](http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.db.postgresql.announce/2526)
11. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.0/static/release-9-0-22.html)
12. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/static/release-9-1-18.html)
13. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.2/static/release-9-2-13.html)
14. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.3/static/release-9-3-9.html)
15. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.4/static/release-9-4-4.html)
16. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1590/)
17. [Source](http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.5/static/release-9-5.html)
18. [2016-03-31 Security Update Release](http://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1656/)
19. [PostgreSQL 9.5.3](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.5/release-9-5-3.html)
20. [2016-08-11 Security Update Release](http://postgresql.nabble.com/2016-08-11-Security-Update-Release-td5916002.html)
21. [PostgreSQL 9.6 Beta 4 Released](http://postgresql.nabble.com/PostgreSQL-9-6-Beta-4-Released-td5916001.html)
22. [PostgreSQL 9.6](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.6/release-9-6.html)
23. [PostgreSQL 9.6.1, 9.5.5, 9.4.10, 9.3.15, 9.2.19 and 9.1.24 Released!. 2016](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1712/)
24. [PostgreSQL 9.6.2, 9.5.6, 9.4.11, 9.3.16 and 9.2.20 released!](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1733/)
25. [PostgreSQL source code](https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/v9.6.3/)
26. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/v9.6.4/)
27. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/v10beta4/)
28. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/v9.6.5/)
29. [Release 9.6.5. 2017](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.6/static/release-9-6-5.html)
30. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/v10.0/)
31. [PostgreSQL 10 Released. 2017](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1786/)
32. [PostgreSQL 10.1, 9.6.6, 9.5.10, 9.4.15, 9.3.20, and 9.2.24 released!. 2017](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1801/)
33. [Source](https://git.postgresql.org/gitweb/?p=postgresql.git;a=commit;h=2840d201c6a62beb86d9671a66eeec56183d261b)
34. [PostgreSQL 10.2, 9.6.7, 9.5.11, 9.4.16, and 9.3.21 released!. 2018](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1829/)
35. [PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL 10.3, 9.6.8, 9.5.12, 9.4.17, and 9.3.22 released!](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1834/)
36. [PostgreSQL 10.4, 9.6.9, 9.5.13, 9.4.18, and 9.3.23 released! (English)](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1851/)
37. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1855/)
38. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1878/)
39. [PostgreSQL 11 Released!. 2018](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1894/)
40. [PostgreSQL 11.1, 10.6, 9.6.11, 9.5.15, 9.4.20, and 9.3.25 Released!. 2018](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1905/)
41. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1890/)
42. [PostgreSQL News Archive](https://www.postgresql.org/about/newsarchive/)
43. [Source](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1920/)
44. [PostgreSQL 11.3, 10.8, 9.6.13, 9.5.17, and 9.4.22 Released!](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1939/)
45. [PostgreSQL 11.4, 10.9, 9.6.14, 9.5.18, 9.4.23, and 12 Beta 2 Released!](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1949/)
46. [2019](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1960/)
47. [PostgreSQL 12 RC 1 Released!. 2019](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1975/)
48. [PostgreSQL 12 Beta 4 Released!. 2019](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1972/)
49. [PostgreSQL 12 Press Kit PostgreSQL. 2019](https://www.postgresql.org/about/press/presskit12/)
50. [2019](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1994/)