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TimescaleDB

by Tiger Data (formerly Timescale) · Extension · also known as Timescale, Tiger Data

PostgreSQL extension for time-series data adding hypertables, compression and continuous aggregates, from the company now named Tiger Data

Apache-2.0 AND LicenseRef-Timescale-License licenseOpen sourceFreeUsage-basedEnterpriseSelf-hostedCloudSelf-hostable
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Link verified Nov 2, 2026

Overview

TimescaleDB is a PostgreSQL extension that turns ordinary tables into hypertables partitioned automatically by time (and optionally another key), adds columnar compression for older chunks, continuous aggregates that keep materialized rollups current, and a library of hyperfunctions for time-bucketing and gap filling. Because it is an extension, the full PostgreSQL SQL dialect, tooling and driver ecosystem keep working.

The company behind it rebranded from Timescale to Tiger Data in 2025; timescale.com now redirects to tigerdata.com, and the hosted service is sold under the Tiger Data name. The repository is split by license: code outside the tsl directory is Apache 2.0, while the tsl directory (compression, continuous aggregates and other advanced features) is under the source-available Timescale License, which permits self-hosted use but restricts offering it as a database service.

Typical users are teams storing sensor, market or operational metrics who want SQL and relational joins rather than a separate time-series store. Scaling is bounded by a single PostgreSQL instance unless the managed service is used.

Capabilities

  • Hypertables with automatic time partitioning
  • Columnar compression of historical chunks
  • Continuous aggregates (incrementally maintained rollups)
  • Hyperfunctions for time bucketing, gap filling and statistics
  • Data retention and tiering policies
  • Standard PostgreSQL SQL, drivers and tools

Typical workflows

  1. Store intraday market data or IoT telemetry in PostgreSQL
  2. Downsample metrics with continuous aggregates for dashboards
  3. Mix time-series tables with relational reference data

Strengths

  • Keeps the PostgreSQL ecosystem and SQL
  • Compression reduces storage for historical data
  • Self-hostable under Apache 2.0 plus Timescale License

Limitations

  • Advanced features fall under the source-available Timescale License
  • Single-node scaling for self-hosted deployments
  • Company and documentation rename can confuse older references

Prerequisites

  • A PostgreSQL server where the extension can be installed, or the Tiger Cloud service

Who it is for

  • Data engineers with time-series workloads
  • Quantitative researchers storing market data

Alternatives & comparison

  • ClickHouse

    Open-source columnar OLAP database server for fast aggregations over billions of rows, with MergeTree storage, SQL and a managed ClickHouse Cloud

    Open sourceOpen source
  • DuckDB

    In-process analytical SQL database that queries Parquet, CSV and Arrow data directly from Python, R, Node or the CLI

    Open sourceOpen source
  • PostgreSQL

    Open-source object-relational database server with a large extension ecosystem (PostGIS, pgvector, TimescaleDB) and broad SQL coverage

    Open sourceOpen source
Compare TimescaleDB with its alternatives →

Sources & verification

Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.

Confidence
High
Reviewed
Nov 1, 2026
Links
Verified · Nov 2, 2026

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