Managed vs. Unmanaged PostgreSQL Hosting: Choosing the Right Database Solution

Up to 30% of DevOps time is spent on maintenance rather than innovation.

Now think about it: genius engineers are hired to create, to crack difficult issues, and to get our product out. Instead, they have to spend 30% of their lives making backups and tweaking configurations.

Each week, our engineers invest significant time in patching servers, backing up databases, and adjusting configurations. It’s necessary work, but what if that time could be used for building new features, improving user experiences, or speeding up deployment cycles? This is the key issue that leads us to the conversation about managed vs. unmanaged PostgreSQL hosting.

Ultimately, the main factor for our team is deciding between how much control and accountability we want to keep versus how much ease and hands-off service we want from a provider.

Here in this insightful blog, we will analyze the technical and business trade-offs of each of the two models in this case. Given the variables of cost and control, as well as the variables of scalability and security, we will examine which of the two possible models best suits the team’s skill sets, budget, and expected growth, enabling us to make the best possible decision for the PostgreSQL infrastructure well into the future.

What is PostgreSQL Hosting?

PostgreSQL is an open-source, Object-Relational Database System (ORDBMS) that is feature-rich, emphasizing SQL compliance and extensibility. It is known for its tried-and-tested architecture, data consistency, and robustness, as well as its capacity to process complex, high-volume workloads.

Providers like MilesWeb, AWS, and Azure are fully responsible for the managed PostgreSQL hosting work as Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) providers. They take care of server maintenance, OS patching, automated backups, and even high availability and scaling, relieving our team of those responsibilities and allowing us to focus only on the data, schemas, and application performance.

Unmanaged PostgreSQL hosting, on the other hand, provides full ownership and is hosted on a VPS server or dedicated server, complete with the potential for OS-level tweaks and PostgreSQL configurations at every tier. Complete freedom of design, however, means that every aspect of patching, securing, monitoring, and maintaining uptime will be on our shoulders.

Defining Managed PostgreSQL Hosting

There are no longer burdens of legs and server systems, as the provider tends to all the complexities of setup and upkeep, along with the optimizations. Instead, the teams in charge of an app can concentrate on scaling and app-building, as the Postgres system is offered as a service for host clients.

With managed hosting, the provider bears the weight of the operational setup, inclusive of the following:

• Automated backups and Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) functionality: There is a guarantee that the data may be restored to any given instant, which proves to be useful towards the protection of data against any accidental loss or corruption.
• Automated patching, updates, and security gaps: Your PostgreSQL environment is kept secure and compliant while you focus on other aspects of your business.
• Monitoring and alerting: Your systems deliver health insights in real-time and automate recovery to minimize downtime during failure.

Pros of Managed PostgreSQL Hosting

• Minimal Administrative Overhead: Engineering hours are made available for other important tasks like innovation and application development.
• Ease of Use: Most managed systems integrate easy-to-use dashboards or APIs for configuring, monitoring performance, and scaling resources without any downtime.

Cons of Managed PostgreSQL Hosting

• Increased Direct Costs: Increased monthly costs compared to unmanaged host setups due to the inclusion of management services alongside infrastructure.
• Vendor Dependency: Managed service providers often lock customers in by making migrations hard due to proprietary setups and cloud services.
• Limited Control: There may be restrictions on advanced PostgreSQL config options, and managed services may limit access to a full OS.

Defining Unmanaged PostgreSQL Hosting

With unmanaged PostgreSQL hosting, you control the entire database server environment. You provision the server and configure, maintain, and protect every layer of the stack. You control everything, even the Operating System, which means you control every update, every patch, and every optimization. With this approach, you have the most control and flexibility, but it will require the most work and technical knowledge, which you have indicated is in your workload.

Your workload will include:

• Patching the OS and security hardening as new vulnerabilities are discovered in the system.
• Installing, configuring, and performance tuning PostgreSQL. For example, editing parameters in postgresql.conf.
• Designing backup and recovery strategies to control for data integrity.
• Building high availability (HA) systems and defining the failover procedures to lower the downtime during system failures.

Pros of Unmanaged PostgreSQL Hosting

• Maximum Control: You get maximum leverage on the system. Full root access means that you can customize to the finest detail, tweak the performance to your needs, and customize the PostgreSQL extensions or plugins you want to use.
• Lower Base Cost: You get value for your money. You are paying for the raw infrastructure, for example, a VPS or dedicated server, and you are avoiding the costs of service providers and third-party managers.

Cons of Unmanaged PostgreSQL Hosting

• Increased Operational Overhead: The time and money spent on product development will be offset by the amount of time that will be required to manage all the components and hire a skilled DBA or DevOps team.
• Reliability Issues: Your system will solely depend on your internal maintenance schedule and your monitoring, troubleshooting, and maintenance capabilities.

Managed Vs Unmanaged PostgreSQL Hosting: Head-to-Head Comparison

In the end, selecting managed versus unmanaged PostgreSQL hosting revolves around the control and effort you and your team are willing to allocate to the database operations. Below, there are practical differences outlined in a side-by-side comparison.