Linux & Oracle DBA Blog
TL;DR: A realistic Oracle to PostgreSQL migration costs between €5,000 and €80,000+ depending on schema complexity, PL/SQL volume, and whether zero-downtime cutover is required.
The tools are free.
The cost is almost entirely consultant time, testing effort, and application changes.
Most medium-complexity migrations pay back their full cost within the first year of Oracle license savings.
TL;DR: Oracle licensing has become a serious financial burden.
A dual-socket server running Oracle Enterprise Edition can cost over €350,000 in base licenses alone, with 22% annual support fees that rise every year.
PostgreSQL is now the most widely used database among developers, with 55.6% adoption overall and 58.2% among professional developers in the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey and proven enterprise maturity.
Companies that have made the switch report 70–80% reductions in database licensing costs.
This post explains what's driving the exodus and what it takes to migrate safely.