What Makes PostgreSQL Superior? Data Types, Indexes, and Queries Compared

Data Model and Types

PostgreSQL is not only relational but also object‑relational, allowing user‑defined objects, custom data types, functions, operators, domains, and indexes, which makes it more flexible and robust than MySQL, MariaDB, and Firebird.

Network Address Types

PostgreSQL provides dedicated network address types such as CIDR for IPv4/IPv6 networks and INET for host addresses, plus MACADDR for hardware MAC addresses. MySQL and MariaDB lack native storage types for these, and Firebird provides none.

192.168.100.128/25

10.1.2.3/32

2001:4f8:3:ba:2e0:81ff:fe22:d1f1/128

::ffff:1.2.3.0/128

Multidimensional Arrays

Because PostgreSQL is object‑relational, array elements can be any supported data type. Arrays are defined by appending brackets to a column type, optionally specifying size. The article shows a picnic‑menu example (note: the original DDL contains errors).

Geometric Types and PostGIS

PostgreSQL supports a wide range of geometric types (point, line, circle, polygon, path). Paths can be open or closed, demonstrated with a hiking‑route example. The PostGIS extension adds extra spatial types, functions, operators, and indexes, and integrates with many GIS tools.

JSON Support

PostgreSQL offers native JSON and JSONB types. JSON validates input and provides operators and functions; JSONB stores data in a binary format, removes whitespace, optimizes storage, allows indexing, and is generally preferred for performance.

MySQL 5.7.8 and MariaDB 10.0.1 added JSON support, but their indexing differs, and Firebird only stores JSON as plain text.

Custom Types

If built‑in types are insufficient, users can create new types with CREATE TYPE, including composite, enum, and range types. The article includes an example image of creating and using a composite type.

Data Size Limits

PostgreSQL can handle very large data volumes. Key limits are:

Maximum database size: Unlimited

Maximum table size: 32 TB

Maximum row size: 1.6 TB

Maximum field size: 1 GB

Maximum rows per table: Unlimited

Maximum columns per table: 250‑1600 (depending on column types)

Maximum indexes per table: Unlimited

While PostgreSQL can store data across many small files to bypass OS file‑size limits, excessive file counts may affect performance. MySQL/MariaDB have smaller row limits (65 KB) and column limits (up to 4096 columns), whereas Firebird’s limits are generally OS‑driven.

Data Integrity

PostgreSQL fully conforms to the ANSI‑SQL:2008 standard and implements ACID properties. It supports primary keys, constraints, foreign keys, unique and NOT NULL constraints, ensuring only valid data is stored.

MySQL/MariaDB rely on InnoDB/XtraDB engines for SQL compliance; they lack full CHECK constraints and have varying support for foreign keys. Firebird’s integrity depends on the chosen storage engine.

Indexes

Partial Indexes

Partial (or local) indexes index only rows that satisfy a condition, reducing index size and improving performance. PostgreSQL allows the indexed column to differ from the column used in the condition.

Expression Indexes

Expression indexes store the result of a function or expression, allowing fast lookup without recomputing the expression at query time. Example: indexing a lower‑cased URL for case‑insensitive lookups.

GiST and GIN

GiST (Generalized Search Tree) supports custom index types, used by PostGIS and OpenFTS. GIN (Generalized Inverted Index) indexes complex data types and is useful for array, JSONB, and full‑text search. PostgreSQL also supports SP‑GiST for partitioned search.

Creating GiST or GIN indexes uses CREATE INDEX … USING GIST|GIN …. PostgreSQL 9.5 (beta) adds support for BRIN (Block Range Index) for large tables.

Comparison

MySQL 5.7.6 introduced generated columns for expression indexes, MariaDB 5.2 added virtual columns, and Firebird 2.0 supports computed columns. However, none support partial, GiST, or GIN indexes.

Virtual Table Features

Common Table Expressions (CTE)

PostgreSQL’s WITH clause enables CTEs, which can be recursive, allowing hierarchical queries. MySQL and MariaDB lack native CTE support; Firebird does support them.

Materialized Views

Materialized views store the result of a query on disk, can be indexed, and refreshed on demand, offering performance benefits over regular views. Firebird, MySQL, and MariaDB do not have native materialized views, but can emulate them with tables and triggers.

Lateral Subqueries

The LATERAL keyword lets a subquery reference columns from preceding tables in the FROM clause, simplifying queries and improving speed. MySQL, MariaDB, and Firebird do not support lateral subqueries.

Functions and Language Extensions

PostgreSQL provides a rich set of built‑in operators and functions and allows users to create custom operators, functions, aggregates, and stored procedures in SQL, PL/pgSQL, C, or other languages. Example images illustrate creating a function that returns a composite type and a median‑calculating aggregate.

Other databases allow custom functions but lack PostgreSQL’s extensive data‑type support and user‑defined operator capability.

Language Extensions

PostgreSQL supports many procedural languages (PL/pgSQL, PL/Perl, PL/v8, etc.). The article notes that the Compose platform only enables trusted extensions for security.

Future Features

PostgreSQL 9.5 beta introduces new capabilities such as BRIN indexes and upsert support. The article references upcoming blog posts for deeper insight.