Redis vs PostgreSQL – What’s the Difference ? (Pros and Cons)
Redis vs PostgreSQL – What’s the Difference ? (Pros and Cons). The topic of today’s blog is two data storage structure systems. First of all, Redis is characterized as an in memory data structure store used as a database, a solid state transfer engine, or a message broker.
On the other hand PostgreSQL has earned a strong reputation for the proven architecture, reliability and robustness of its feature set. Moreover, it is an open source database system.
In this blog talk about the above mentioned data storage. Starting at the outset, we introduce both and explain what they are used for. In addition, we find out what their benefits and features are altogether with pros and cons.
At the very end I will make a comparative analysis of both of these sytems.
Let’s start with Redis vs PostgreSQL – What’s the Difference ? (Pros and Cons).
What is a Redis?
Redis is short for remote dictionary server and is a fast, open source, in memory key value data store. Moreover Redis delivers sub millisecond response times. Hence serving millions of requests per second for real time applications in industries such as gaming, ad tech, financial services, healthcare, and the internet of things.
Because of it’s fast performance, Redis is a popular choice for caching, session management, gaming, leader boards, real time analytics, geospatial, automation, chat/messaging, media streaming, and publish/subscribe, applications.
How does Redis work?
All Redis data resides in memory, unlike databases that store data on a disk or SSD. Therefore, by eliminating the need for disk access, in memory data stores like Redis avoid latency and accesses data in microseconds.
Additionally, Redis offers multiple data structures, high availability, transactional support, disk persistence, and clustering. In turn that makes it easy to build real time applications at Internet scale.
Benefits of using Redis
Flexible data structures
- Segmentation of data structures to store lists of fields and values.
- Defines unordered set of strings capable of intersecting, joining, and separating other types of sets.
- JSON is a nested, semi structured object with named values that supports numbers, strings, logical units, arrays, and other objects.
- A bitmap is a data type that provides one way operations.
Performance
Altogether, all Redis data resides in memory. Basically, that allows low latency, high performance data access. Unlike traditional databases, in memory data stores do not need to be transferred to disk. Thus reducing drive latency to microseconds.
The result is ultra fast performance, with read and write operations averaging less than one millisecond and supporting millions of operations per second.
Replication and persistence
Besides, Redis uses a replica master architecture. Also supports asynchronous replication, where data is replicated across multiple replica servers.
Certainly, this improves read performance (as requests can be distributed across servers) and restores faster in the event of a major failure. For stability, Redis supports just in time backups (copying a Redis dataset to disk).
High availability and scalability
Additionally, it provides replication master architecture in a single master node or cluster topology. This allows you to create highly available solutions that provide consistent performance and reliability.
There are also different options to increase or decrease the size when you need to change the size of your group. This allows your group to grow with your needs.
Pros and cons of using Redis
Pros
- Automation and support.
- Serverless engine for Redis, Redis Gears.
- Multi layer security and compliance.
- Redis has clients for all popular programming languages such as C, Ruby, Java, JavaScript, and Python.
- Allows storing key value pairs of up to 512 MB. Have huge objects with a key value of up to 512MB, meaning Redis supports up to 1GB of data for a single entry.
- With hashing mechanism, called Redis Hashing, it stores data in form of keys and maps.
- Redis is a NoSQL database. You don’t need to learn SQL to use it.
Cons
- To achieve scalability, Redis must configure and deploy multiple instances. However, the enterprise grade Redis product promises easy development and sharing support.
- Difficult to learn how to use Redis from the documentation.
- The security provided by Redis is very basic. Only provides access to the data.
- Takes time to set up and run. We’ve had a hard time getting established on any website we’ve built, but we’ve gotten through it in the end.
What is a PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL is a powerful open source ORDBMS (Object Relational Database System) for over two decades. BSD allows PostgreSQL to be distributed as open source so that developers and related companies around the world can participate.
Based on these features, the functionality of PostgreSQL goes beyond simple data storage. Users easily implement unlimited functionality, such as a new programming language based on developers’ creativity.
Unlike other relational database systems PostgreSQL allows users to create unique operators, complex data types, aggregate functions, data type transformation characters, other database objects, and various data using SQL functions.
How does PostgreSQL work?
It handles multiple simultaneous client connections by “spawning” a new process for each connection. It queries the database from the client and returns the results there. Remote clients can connect to the server over the network or the Internet.
Moreover, PostgreSQL uses the client server model, where the client and server reside on different hosts in a network environment. Then, the server software manages database files and accepts database connections from client applications.
Benefits of using PostgreSQL?
Spatial data – For example, Postgres contains specific data types for geometric objects. While Post GIS allows quick and easy creation of spatial databases. This makes Postgres especially popular with shippers and logistics companies.
Data availability and resiliency – For mission critical production environments such as government agencies, financial services companies, and healthcare companies; PostgreSQL private editions offer additional high availability, flexibility, and security features.
Code quality – Every line of code that goes into PostgreSQL is reviewed by multiple experts. So, the entire development process is driven by the community. Well, bug reports, patches, and checks happen very quickly.
Path for new database technology – enables organizations to practice and implement new database technologies such as cloud services, machine learning, data science, data warehouse analytics, Internet of Things and migration services.
This is one of the reasons why PostgreSQL is now so popular and is increasingly being deployed by organizations.
Extensible – For example, it allows users to define their own data types, design custom functions, or write code in other programming languages without having to recompile their database.
Pros and cons of using PostgreSQL
Pros
- User defined data type.
- Make use of stored procedures.
- Supports ACID, i.e. atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability.
- Lots of community support.
- Open source.
Cons
- In terms of speed, it’s not worth it compared to other tools.
- Not very popular compared to other DBMS.
- In comparison, PostgreSQL is not great in terms of performance.
- There is a shortage of qualified professionals.
- Installation is not easy for beginners.
Now it is time to learn what are the differences with Redis vs PostgreSQL.
Redis vs PostgreSQL - Key Differences
Both Redis and PostgreSQL are both the databases. Redis is closer to a key value store. Instead of only storing keys and values, Redis supports extremely useful data structures such as lists, sets, and hashes.
Oppositely, PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object relational database system. It runs on all major operating systems, including Linux, UNIX and Windows.
Usability
Redis
With redis, setting up to manage user sessions in the backend is very simple. Do it easily and combine it with other products or technologies, such as Spring in Java.
If you really need to see data stored in Redis in your application, it’s a little hard to figure out at first, but it’s possible.
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL is the best tool for relational data, so I have to give it high marks for analytics, data availability, and consistency.
SQL is also a relatively consistent language. So there are enough tools to do ETL in a scalable way when creating new tables and loading data from OLTP databases.
Support Rating
Redis
The support team has always been great at dealing with our issues and has rarely dealt with them. They interact, find solutions and take us forward again. I never had to escalate the issue to them.
They always solve our problems on the spot. I highly recommend the support team.
PostgreSQL
You can contact with several technical support companies, such as EnterpriseDB or Percona, all of which are very experienced and committed to the software.
But we don’t have a contract with them, we’ve googled the forums, and we never had a problem we couldn’t solve.
Implementation Rating
Redis
Redis is implemented in C and with an event driven model similar to Node.JS.
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL’s online product documentation is comprehensive and guides the user step by step.
Return on Investment
Redis
- Help us increase data productivity to handle increased traffic while keeping our applications running quickly.
- Running a Redis node on something like AWS can be expensive. But is often required to scale your business. If you need to get data quickly and your business is already seeing a positive ROI, then Redis is well worth the investment.
PostgreSQL
- Provides incredibly reliable storage wherever customer data is dumped. In the years we’ve had Postgres, we haven’t lost a byte of customer data during multiple hard drive failures (thanks to ACID compliance!).
- Postgres is also highly controllable. There is not much to configure and the ready-made configuration is very convenient. This saves a lot of time for engineers running Postgres.
Likelihood to Renew
Redis
Why should you use Redis? It is free and open source. What’s more, it is already used in so many applications that it will be difficult for us to let go. Also, there is no other competing product that we know provides better performance.
PostgreSQL
As a needed software for day to day development activities. All in all very beneficial too.
Thank you for your time in reading Redis vs PostgreSQL – What’s the Difference ? (Pros and Cons). We shall conclude.
Redis vs PostgreSQL – What’s the Difference ? Conclusion
Considering relational database, high availability, and enterprise database are key factors developers consider when selecting and using PostgreSQL. By contrast, “performance”, “ultrafast” and “ease of use” are the main reasons to prefer Redis. Both of these databases are worth paying attention to, and you should choose the one that works best for you.
If you wanna know more about Redis and PostgreSQL click here for redis and here for Postgres.
