In a significant advancement for PostgreSQL users, MotherDuck has unveiled the beta version of pg_duckdb, an innovative extension that integrates DuckDB’s powerful analytics engine directly into the PostgreSQL environment. This collaboration with Hydra and DuckDB Labs promises to enhance analytical query performance dramatically, allowing organizations to execute complex queries alongside their traditional transactional workloads.
Performance Enhancements
The pg_duckdb extension addresses a pressing need for PostgreSQL users who require robust analytics capabilities on their transactional data. With this integration, organizations can:
- Execute complex analytical queries up to 1500x faster than native PostgreSQL.
- Query data directly from Data Lakes and Lakehouses, including AWS S3.
- Seamlessly work with columnar file formats like Parquet and Iceberg.
- Scale analytics workloads using MotherDuck’s cloud resources.
As Jordan Tigani, CEO and Co-Founder of MotherDuck, noted, “PostgreSQL excels at transactional workloads but wasn’t specifically designed for analytics. With pg_duckdb, we’re bringing DuckDB’s analytical prowess directly to PostgreSQL users, allowing them to dramatically improve query performance without changing how their data is stored or updated.”
Real-World Performance
Initial testing has showcased remarkable performance enhancements. Utilizing the TPC-DS benchmark suite, a query that originally took 81.8 seconds in native PostgreSQL was completed in a mere 52 milliseconds with pg_duckdb—an astounding 1500x improvement. When applied to larger datasets on production hardware, the same query execution time plummeted from over 2 hours to approximately 400 milliseconds.
Future Developments
While currently in beta, the pg_duckdb development team is actively enhancing the extension with additional features. Users are encouraged to track progress and share feedback via the project’s GitHub repository. To begin using pg_duckdb, users can access a pre-built Docker image or follow the installation instructions provided in the repository’s README. For enhanced analytical capabilities, users can also leverage MotherDuck’s cloud resources by signing up at motherduck.com.
About MotherDuck
MotherDuck is dedicated to making analytics engaging, seamless, and remarkably efficient. Founded by former leaders from some of the most innovative companies in data, MotherDuck collaborates with the team behind the open-source database DuckDB. The company aims to merge the elegance and speed of DuckDB with the collaborative and scalable nature of the cloud, offering a serverless, user-friendly data warehouse suitable for organizations of all sizes.
