pganalyze vs pgwatch

pganalyze monitors PostgreSQL production workloads and supports performance tuning. It tracks query slowdowns over time and collects execution plans for slow queries. The Index Advisor identifies missing indexes and provides information about unused ones. Its VACUUM Advisor offers workload-aware autovacuum guidance, while Alerts & Check-Up detects common database problems and can notify teams through email, Slack, or PagerDuty. The service is available through API, Linux, web, and self-hosted deployments. Installation guidance covers AWS RDS and Aurora, Azure Flexible Server, Google Cloud SQL and AlloyDB, self-managed systems, Heroku Postgres, Crunchy Bridge, Aiven, Supabase, and Neon. An open-source collector sends metrics and metadata snapshots periodically. In its recommended setup, a restricted role reads statistics and metadata without reading user data or modifying the database. pganalyze says sensitive query information is filtered, offers Docker-based on-premise deployment, and is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Production costs $149 a month.

pgwatch is a free, open-source metrics collector and visualization solution for PostgreSQL databases. A remote daemon periodically connects to databases and reads PostgreSQL statistics using a normal database user, without special database rights or server-side extensions. Grafana presents the metrics and lets users add graphs; optional alerts can go through Mail, Slack, or PagerDuty. Metrics can be extended using pure SQL, and supported storage options include PostgreSQL, Prometheus, JSON File, and RPC. A built-in web interface manages databases and metric definitions and displays logs. pgwatch supports PostgreSQL 14 and newer, including single instances, high-availability clusters, pooled environments using PgBouncer or Pgpool II, and Patroni cluster managers. It is self-hosted, with a one-minute Docker installation described alongside custom installation options. The FAQ says it can be deployed fully on premises. Some operating-system metrics may be unavailable on cloud-managed PostgreSQL services because of platform restrictions.