PgDog is a scaling engine for PostgreSQL that acts as a transparent routing layer, enabling seamless sharding and load balancing for managed databases without requiring changes to application code or database schema. PgDog is designed to move data between database nodes and direct query traffic intelligently, helping organizations scale their PostgreSQL environments efficiently.
PgDog understands SQL and can automatically distribute queries across multiple databases, making it possible to horizontally scale relational databases like AWS RDS and Google Cloud SQL. In addition to sharding, PgDog functions as a load balancer and pooler—serving as a replacement for tools such as PgBouncer and RDS Proxy. By combining these features, PgDog brings the reliability and performance of HTTP load balancers to database infrastructure, allowing for query distribution, replica load balancing, and even query blocking or rewriting as needed.
How Was PgDog Started?
PgDog was founded by Lev Kokotov, a second-time technical founder with deep experience in large-scale database infrastructure. Prior to starting PgDog, Lev co-founded PostgresML and led the storage infrastructure team at Instacart, where he was responsible for scaling over 100TB of databases during a period of rapid company growth. His background in scaling Postgres environments directly influenced the development of PgDog as a practical solution for real-world database scaling challenges.
Who Uses PgDog?
PgDog is aimed at engineering teams and businesses that rely on PostgreSQL as their primary database and require high scalability, reliability, and performance—particularly those using managed services like AWS RDS or Google Cloud SQL. It is especially useful for organizations seeking to shard their data, balance query loads, or replace legacy pooling and proxy tools, all while minimizing disruption to existing applications.
What Makes PgDog Different?
PgDog differentiates itself by providing a sharding and load balancing solution that does not require modifications to application logic or database schemas. It speaks native SQL and routes queries automatically, enabling organizations to scale out their relational databases much like modern HTTP load balancers do for web infrastructure. This approach offers simplicity and flexibility not typically found in other Postgres scaling products.
Who Are PgDog's Competitors?
PgDog competes with established Postgres scaling and proxy solutions such as PgBouncer, RDS Proxy, Citus, and other database sharding or connection pooling tools. Its unique ability to shard, load balance, and rewrite queries—while remaining transparent to applications—sets it apart from more traditional alternatives.
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