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ParadeDB
PostgreSQL-powered search engine for real‑time analytics and update‑heavy workloads.
ParadeDB offers full‑text search and analytics inside PostgreSQL, with real‑time updates, hybrid and vector capabilities, deployable via Docker or Helm.
Overview
Who it's for
ParadeDB targets developers, data engineers, and analysts who need powerful full‑text and vector search without managing a separate search cluster. It fits applications that already use PostgreSQL and want to add search, analytics, or similarity capabilities directly in the database.
What it does
Built as an extension to PostgreSQL 14+, ParadeDB implements Elasticsearch‑compatible query operators, BM25 ranking, hybrid search (text + sparse/dense vectors), and real‑time indexing. Because it runs inside the same transaction engine, updates are instantly searchable, enabling use cases such as live product catalogs, log monitoring, and recommendation pipelines.
How to get started
ParadeDB can be launched with a single Docker command or deployed on Kubernetes via a Helm chart backed by CloudNativePG. Pre‑compiled binaries are available for major Linux distributions and macOS, and the extensions can be compiled for other PostgreSQL versions. Documentation provides step‑by‑step guides for installation, schema design, and query tuning.
Highlights
Elasticsearch‑compatible query syntax with BM25 ranking
Real‑time indexing; updates are searchable instantly
Hybrid search combining full‑text and vector similarity
Native PostgreSQL extensions for seamless integration
Pros
- Leverages existing PostgreSQL ecosystem and tooling
- Eliminates need for a separate search cluster
- Supports both text and vector queries in one engine
- Easy deployment via Docker or Helm
Considerations
- Requires PostgreSQL 14 or newer
- Advanced search features may have higher resource usage than pure PostgreSQL
- No managed cloud offering yet
- Learning curve for extension installation and configuration
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Fit guide
Great for
- Applications already using PostgreSQL that need integrated search
- Real‑time analytics workloads with frequent data updates
- Teams wanting to avoid operating separate Elasticsearch infrastructure
- Projects requiring hybrid text‑vector similarity queries
Not ideal when
- Environments limited to older PostgreSQL versions (<14)
- Use cases demanding ultra‑low latency at massive scale without tuning
- Organizations that require a fully managed SaaS search service
- Simple key‑value lookups where full‑text search is unnecessary
How teams use it
E‑commerce product catalog search
Customers find relevant products instantly, with up‑to‑date inventory reflected in search results.
Log monitoring and alerting
Operators query logs in real time, combining keyword search with anomaly detection vectors.
Personalized recommendation engine
Hybrid queries match user queries to item embeddings, delivering context‑aware suggestions.
Compliance reporting
Analysts run full‑text and numeric aggregations across transactional data without exporting to external tools.
Tech snapshot
Rust90%
PLpgSQL10%
Dockerfile1%
Shell1%
Makefile1%
Frequently asked questions
Can ParadeDB be used with existing PostgreSQL tools?
Yes, it works as a standard PostgreSQL extension, so tools like psql, pgAdmin, and ORMs operate unchanged.
What is the minimum PostgreSQL version required?
ParadeDB supports PostgreSQL 14 and newer; earlier versions are not compatible.
How do I install the extensions on Linux?
Pre‑built packages are available for Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, and you can also compile from source following the README.
Is there a managed cloud version of ParadeDB?
Currently there is no hosted service; you can join the waitlist for future cloud offerings.
What license governs ParadeDB?
ParadeDB is released under the AGPL‑3.0 license.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 8,209
- Watchers
- 8,209
- Forks
- 318
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age2 years old
Last commit3 hours ago
Primary languageRust
Last synced 3 hours ago