TL;DR:

Yes, you can store images in PostgreSQL, but you definitely shouldn’t. Here’s why and what to do instead.

Can You Store Images/PDFs/Files in PostgreSQL?

This is a common question among junior developers. The answer is yes, PostgreSQL supports storing binary data using:

• BYTEA (Binary Data): Stores small to medium-sized files directly in the database.
• Large Objects (LOBs): A more scalable approach for larger files but still not ideal.

Example: Storing an Image in PostgreSQL

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CREATE TABLE images (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT,
    image_data BYTEA
);

INSERT INTO images (name, image_data)
VALUES ('example.jpg', pg_read_binary_file('/path/to/image.jpg'));

Retrieving the Image

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SELECT name, encode(image_data, 'base64') FROM images;

Why You Should NOT Store Images in PostgreSQL

Even though PostgreSQL allows storing images, you should avoid it due to the following reasons:

1. Performance Issues

• Database Bloat: Storing images increases database size significantly, making queries slower. Slow Retrieval: Databases are not optimized for file delivery. You can't use CDNs for caching, meaning every file request hits your database, slowing down performance.

2. High Database Storage Costs

• A 20-50GB database instance is enough for most applications storing text data. But if you store images, storage costs will skyrocket as databases charge more per GB than object storage services.

3. Backup and Restore Issues Large Backups: When using pg_dump, your backup files will grow rapidly. Slow Restores: The larger the database, the longer it takes to restore, increasing downtime during disaster recovery.

4. Scalability Challenges

• Cloud Storage is Optimized for Files: Services like AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Firebase are designed for efficient file handling.
• Limited Bandwidth: Your database server’s bandwidth is a bottleneck. Unlike cloud storage, which integrates with CDNs for high-speed global access, databases require costly replication for worldwide availability.

The Right Way to Store Files ✅

Instead of storing images directly in PostgreSQL, use cloud storage services and store only the file URL in your database.

Best Practice: Store Images in Cloud Storage, Save the URL in PostgreSQL

• Upload images to AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Firebase, or DigitalOcean Spaces. Store only the file path (URL) in PostgreSQL.

Example Table Schema:

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CREATE TABLE images (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT,
    image_url TEXT -- Store the cloud URL, not the binary data
);

Example Query:

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INSERT INTO images (name, image_url) 
VALUES ('example.jpg', 'https://your-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/example.jpg');

Secure File Access with Signed URLs

• Instead of storing images in PostgreSQL, manage access via signed URLs. You can do it on your backend, you can have the access control to allow users to access the file or not. Only when users pass the access control check. The backend can generate the signed url for users.

Example: Generate a signed URL using AWS S3 SDK (Node.js)

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const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const s3 = new AWS.S3();

const params = {
  Bucket: 'your-bucket-name',
  Key: 'example.jpg',
  Expires: 3600, // URL valid for 1 hour
};

s3.getSignedUrl('getObject', params, (err, url) => {
  console.log('Signed URL:', url);
});

🚀 Conclusion

❌ Do NOT store images in PostgreSQL— keep it simple, don't over engineering.

✅ Use cloud storage services and store only the image URLs in your database for better efficiency, security, and performance.