DuckDB Spatial: Fast spatial SQL on files, right on your laptop. PostGIS: Spatial database extension for PostgreSQL.
| DuckDB Spatial | PostGIS | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Spatial Analysis & GeoAI | Spatial Analysis & GeoAI |
| Pricing model | Open source | Open source |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Software licence | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| API | — | — |
| Platforms | Python, Command line, Windows, macOS, Linux | Linux, Windows, macOS |
| Made by | — | — |
| Commercial use | Allowed | Allowed |
| Export / print images | Allowed | Allowed |
| Offline / caching | Allowed | Allowed |
| Visits from MapTools | 1 | 3 |
| Visit | Visit |
DuckDB Spatial features
- Spatial SQL in an embedded database
- Reads many formats via GDAL
- GeoParquet support
- Fast analytics on large files
PostGIS features
- Geometry, geography and raster types
- Spatial indexes
- Hundreds of ST_ functions
- Topology and routing (pgRouting)
Summary based on public information. Check each provider's current pricing and terms.