Microsoft has released two open source extensions for the relational database system PostgreSQL, aiming to compete in the document database market popularized by MongoDB. The extensions, pg_documentdb_core and pg_documentdb_api, enable support for Binary JavaScript Object Notation (BSON) and provide MongoDB-compatible commands for CRUD operations, queries, and index management.
The move is seen as a shift towards blurring the lines between relational and non-relational databases. According to Andrew Pavlo, associate professor of databaseology at Carnegie Mellon University, document databases will eventually become a feature of relational systems rather than a category on their own.
FerretDB, an open source MongoDB alternative, has partnered with Microsoft to achieve this long-term aim. The goal is to build a “more solid foundation for users to have a MongoDB alternative” by working widely among providers of MongoDB alternatives and building a common standard for PostgreSQL database services from alternative cloud vendors.
Industry analysts are skeptical that Microsoft’s partnership with FerretDB signals a broader open source shift, but Henry Cook, Gartner director analyst, believes the extensions will strengthen PostgreSQL’s position in the market. The tie-up with FerretDB is unlikely to seriously damage MongoDB either, as it has established itself in the market and will continue to defend its position based on its merits.
Microsoft’s move into the document database market aims to provide a schema-light approach popular among developers, but critics argue that bolting an API onto a relational database isn’t innovation – it’s just kicking the complexity can down the road. The debate raises questions about the future of open source databases and their role in competing with proprietary offerings like MongoDB.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/11/microsoft_postgresql_extensions