NoSQL database vendor MongoDB has announced significant progress in its battle against open-source relational competitor PostgreSQL, defying recent industry research. MongoDB's CEO, Dev Ittycheria, revealed the company's success during the announcement of its second-quarter results, which exceeded expectations with a 13 percent revenue increase to $478.1 million.

Ittycheria attributed part of MongoDB's recent achievements to winning competitive deals against PostgreSQL, which was named the most popular database among professional developers in a Stack Overflow survey last year. Despite operational losses of $71.4 million in Q2 of its fiscal year 2025, higher than the previous year's $49.0 million, MongoDB's value climbed by 14 percent, buoying the CEO's positive outlook.

He highlighted a specific instance where MongoDB's database service, Atlas, outperformed PostgreSQL. Fanatics Betting & Gaming, a division of sports ecosystem company Fanatics worth approximately $30 billion, initially launched its platform on PostgreSQL but faced challenges with scalability, flexibility, and complexity. After migrating to MongoDB Atlas, they seamlessly integrated Atlas Search, enhancing user experience in finding available betting options. Fanatics plans to continue expanding on MongoDB Atlas to ensure smooth operations at scale as they prepare for the start of the NFL season.

Although the exact reasons behind Fanatics Betting & Gaming's decision to switch databases are unclear, Ittycheria claimed it was part of an ongoing trend where MongoDB competes with PostgreSQL. He acknowledged PostgreSQL's 40-year existence but suggested it could be a disadvantage. "That technology has been around a long time," he explained. "They're really the beneficiary of lift and shift from Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL, so they're kind of consolidating the relational market."

Ittycheria highlighted MongoDB's strengths which contribute to its competitive edge over PostgreSQL. MongoDB offers a flexible schema that allows storing documents in a JSON-like format, accommodating evolving application structures over time. Additionally, MongoDB's ability for horizontal scaling enables effortless distribution of data across multiple servers or virtual servers, making it ideal for applications handling massive amounts of data. The built-in sharding feature further allows for automatic data distribution, enhancing performance with large datasets.

Furthermore, Ittycheria claimed that MongoDB promotes developer productivity due to the JSON-like format and flexible schema, leading to faster development cycles. This benefit is particularly valuable for customers employing agile development methodologies.

MongoDB's latest successes against PostgreSQL demonstrate its prowess in providing scalable, flexible, and efficient solutions, attracting customers across various industries. With its focus on continuous innovation and adapting to evolving market demands, MongoDB aims to strengthen its position and further expand its market share in the competitive database landscape.