Why Everyone’s Talking About PostgreSQL 18

Video Description

PostgreSQL 18 is finally here, bringing faster queries, smarter indexes, smoother upgrades, and modern authentication. In this video, we break down the biggest new features - from 3× faster reads with async I/O to skip scans, virtual generated columns, and better replication. If you’re a developer or run Postgres in production, this release is packed with upgrades you don’t want to miss. 🔗 Relevant Links Postgres 18 Released: https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/postgresql-18-released-3142/ ❤️ More about us Radically better observability stack: https://betterstack.com/ Written tutorials: https://betterstack.com/community/ Example projects: https://github.com/BetterStackHQ 📱 Socials Twitter: https://twitter.com/betterstackhq Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterstackhq/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betterstack LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betterstack 📌 Chapters: 00:00 Intro – Why PostgreSQL 18 is a big deal 00:28 Async I/O – Up to 3× faster reads 00:47 Smarter query planning – Skip scans for multicolumn indexes 01:07 Easier upgrades – Planner stats carried across versions 01:22 Faster pg_upgrade – Parallel checks and --swap option 01:37 Developer quality of life – Virtual generated columns 01:50 OLD/NEW in RETURNING – Instant before/after values 02:05 Debugging made easier – EXPLAIN with buffer usage 02:16 Security refresh – OAuth 2.0 and stronger defaults 02:38 Smarter replication – Auto drop idle slots & parallel streaming 02:55 Maintenance updates – Page checksums, vacuum, richer stats 03:42 What it means for developers – Why you should care