PgDAC: Direct PostgreSQL Access for Delphi, C++Builder and Lazarus
PostgreSQL Data Access Components (PgDAC) is a Devart library, $229.95 for Standard or $349.95 for Professional, that connects Delphi, C++Builder and Lazarus applications to PostgreSQL 8.0 through 18 directly over TCP/IP, without libpq.dll. It's for developers building on PostgreSQL, on premises or on managed cloud services.
The stock libpq.dll brings its own set of dependencies, and every one has to ship with your application and match its bitness. PgDAC connects to PostgreSQL itself, in every edition, so your application deploys without any of them.
Quick facts
- Version: 10.1.0, released September 29, 2026
- Developer: Devart
- IDEs: Delphi and C++Builder from version 6 up to RAD Studio 13 Florence, every edition including Community, plus Lazarus 4.8 and Free Pascal 3.2.2 (Professional with Source Code edition only)
- Targets: Windows (32-bit, 64-bit, ARM64EC), macOS (64-bit, Apple Silicon), Linux, iOS and Android. The Standard edition builds for Windows only
- Frameworks: VCL, FireMonkey (FMX) and Lazarus LCL
- Databases: PostgreSQL 8.0 to 18, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS and Aurora (including Aurora DSQL), Google Cloud for PostgreSQL and AlloyDB
- Price: $349.95 for Professional, one developer, with a year of updates and support. Standard is $229.95
- Trial: 60 days, fully functional, for evaluation only. A free Devart account is needed to download it
- Guarantee: 60-day money-back guarantee
- Download size: 41.87 MB for the RAD Studio 13 installer
- What we checked: version 10.1.0 and its 41.87 MB RAD Studio 13 installer on Devart's download page, and the Professional license for one developer at $349.95 on the order page (renewing at $179.95 a year), both on October 15, 2026
Before you buy: Standard or Professional?
Direct mode is in every PgDAC edition, so PgDAC Standard ($229.95) is enough for a Windows application that needs fast PostgreSQL access. Buy Professional ($349.95) to target macOS, Linux, iOS or Android, or for TPgLoader, TPgAlerter, TPgDump, TPgMetaData, the encryptor and the DataSet Manager. Lazarus needs the Professional with Source Code edition.
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Overview
PgDAC gives you TPgConnection, TPgQuery, TPgTable, TPgStoredProc, TPgSQL and TPgScript, all TDataSet-compatible, so data-aware controls and reporting tools such as InfoPower and ReportBuilder work as usual. Its interface is compatible with the BDE and ADO, which helps when porting older code.
Version 10.1, released September 29, 2026, added a ReadOnly connection option, SNI for SSL, ClientCharset and ComplexAsBlob options, support for the pv32 protocol, materialized-view metadata in TPgMetaData, an AutoCommit property for the dump component, RAD Studio 13 Florence Release 2 and Lazarus 4.8. It also fixed prepared statements piling up on the server, and a script component that ignored its AutoCommit setting.
Features
No libpq.dll, in any edition
PgDAC talks to PostgreSQL directly over TCP/IP, supporting protocol 2, 3 and 3.2. Connections can use SSL (including password-protected private keys and SNI), or SSH and HTTP tunnels with Devart's SecureBridge. You can search the local network for PostgreSQL servers and set connection and command timeouts.
PostgreSQL 18 and managed cloud services
PgDAC 10.1 supports PostgreSQL from 8.0 to 18, plus Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS and Aurora (including Aurora DSQL), Google Cloud for PostgreSQL and AlloyDB.
PostgreSQL-specific types and features
PgDAC handles composite and domain types, large objects, REF CURSORs, DATE, TIME, TIMESTAMP and INTERVAL, and includes wrapper classes for geometric types. It supports sequences, retrieving the last inserted OID, server notices and detailed error information, and uses COPY ... TO STDOUT for efficient streaming exports.
Notifications, bulk loading and dumps
PgDAC Professional adds TPgAlerter for PostgreSQL's asynchronous LISTEN/NOTIFY notifications, TPgLoader for fast bulk inserts, TPgDump for storing a database as a script, TPgMetaData for reading object metadata (now including materialized views), TCRBatchMove, the encryptor and the DataSet Manager.
Everyday data work
PgDAC updates data automatically, retrieves output parameters and default values, checks for rows changed by other users, and can break off a long-running query. Cached updates, local sorting and filtering, master/detail and the in-memory TVirtualTable all work offline. TPgSQLMonitor and the free dbMonitor tool trace every statement.
Benefits
PgDAC's key benefit is deployment without libpq.dll, which matters most in corporate environments where every extra DLL has to be approved and installed. It also keeps up with PostgreSQL itself: version 10.1 supports PostgreSQL 18 and the main managed services, so moving a database to the cloud doesn't mean changing your data access layer.
For applications that react to data changes, TPgAlerter turns LISTEN/NOTIFY into an event you can handle on a form, rather than a polling loop.
Real-World Uses
- Corporate desktop apps: Windows tools on PostgreSQL that IT can deploy as one executable, with no libpq.dll.
- Admin and developer tools: PostgreSQL management utilities built in Delphi.
- Event-driven screens: applications that refresh when the server sends a NOTIFY, using TPgAlerter.
- Cloud migrations: moving an on-premises database to Aurora, Azure, Google Cloud or AlloyDB without changing data access code.
- Data exports: streaming large tables out with COPY for reporting or transfers.
Who It's For
PgDAC is for Delphi, C++Builder and Lazarus developers building on PostgreSQL. Standard fits Windows-only applications, and Professional fits cross-platform apps and ones that need notifications or bulk loading. If PostgreSQL is one of several databases you support, UniDAC is the better fit, since its PostgreSQL provider covers most of what PgDAC does.
Usage Guide
- Create a Devart account and download. On the PgDAC download page, choose the installer for your IDE version and sign in to start the 60-day trial.
- Install. Close the IDE and run the installer. Keep any other Devart DACs in the same IDE at versions with the same release date.
- Add a connection. Drop a TPgConnection from the PgDAC palette page on a VCL or FireMonkey form.
- Connect. Set Server, Port, Database, Username and Password, then set Connected to True.
- Query. Add a TPgQuery and a TPgDataSource, link a DBGrid, write your SELECT and open it.
Tips
- Set the new ReadOnly connection option for reporting tools that should never write to the database.
- Run dbMonitor while you develop to see every statement and its parameters.
- PgDAC includes the PostgreSQL provider for UniDAC Express, so the two can share an IDE.
What Users Say
PgDAC has few public reviews, so this section is short. The comment below is from Devart's testimonials page, written by the developer of a PostgreSQL administration tool.
From Devart's testimonials page
"Just wanted to say I thing the PgDAC components are the best on the market for Delphi and the fact you don't need libpq.dll is simply amazing and is a huge advantage when using PostgreSQL in a corporate environment as you dont have to worry about deploying libpq.dll, and unless you compile your own libpq.dll, the stock ones have tons of dependencies that you also have to included with your app, but not with Devart! :)"
Tony Caduto, AM Software Design, Lightning Admin for PostgreSQL developer
The recurring themes
What people like: no libpq.dll and its dependencies to ship. What to weigh: with so few independent reviews, test it on your own database during the 60-day trial.
Comparisons
PgDAC vs. UniDAC
UniDAC covers PostgreSQL plus Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite and more, for $349.95 (Standard) or $599.95 (Professional), and its PostgreSQL provider covers most of what PgDAC does, including notifications. For PostgreSQL alone, PgDAC is $120 cheaper at Standard and $250 cheaper at Professional. For PostgreSQL plus MySQL in a Windows app, UniDAC Standard ($349.95) beats PgDAC Standard plus MyDAC Standard ($459.90).
PgDAC vs. FireDAC and free libraries
FireDAC ships with RAD Studio and connects to PostgreSQL through libpq. Free libraries such as ZeosLib also exist. PgDAC's case is its direct connection with no libpq.dll, managed-cloud coverage, PostgreSQL-specific components and Devart's support.
Editions and Pricing
| Edition | Price (1 developer) | Platforms | What it adds |
|---|
| Standard | $229.95 | Windows | Direct PostgreSQL connectivity (no libpq.dll), base components, scripts, SQL monitoring and design-time editors |
| Professional | $349.95 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Mobile and desktop cross-platform targets, TPgLoader, TPgAlerter notifications, TPgDump, TPgMetaData, encryption and DataSet Manager |
| Professional with Source Code | about $600 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Source code of the component classes, and the only edition that supports Lazarus and Free Pascal |
Every license covers one developer and includes a year of updates and premium support. PostgreSQL Data Access Components is also sold for teams and whole sites, and with multi-year subscriptions at a discount. When the subscription ends, you keep a perpetual license for the version you have. Renewing Professional costs $179.95 a year. You can distribute applications you build with PgDAC royalty-free.
FAQs
Does PgDAC support PostgreSQL 18?
Yes. PgDAC 10.1 supports PostgreSQL 8.0 through 18, plus Azure, Amazon RDS and Aurora (including Aurora DSQL), Google Cloud for PostgreSQL and AlloyDB.
Do I need libpq.dll with PgDAC?
No. PgDAC connects to PostgreSQL directly over TCP/IP in every edition, including the $229.95 Standard edition, so there's no libpq.dll to deploy.
Do my customers need a PgDAC license to run my application?
No. A PostgreSQL Data Access Components license covers you as the developer, and applications you build with PgDAC can be distributed royalty-free. You can't redistribute PgDAC itself, apart from the original trial package.
What happens when my year of PgDAC updates runs out?
You keep using the version you have under a perpetual license. Renewing PgDAC Professional costs $179.95 a year and brings new versions, premium support and nightly builds with fixes.
Does PgDAC work with Delphi Community Edition?
Yes. PostgreSQL Data Access Components supports every Delphi and C++Builder edition, including the free Community Edition, from Delphi 6 up to RAD Studio 13 Florence.
Can I use PgDAC in Lazarus?
Yes, but only with the PgDAC trial or the Professional with Source Code edition (about $600). The current PgDAC release supports Lazarus 4.8 with Free Pascal 3.2.2 on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Can I use the PgDAC trial to build a production application?
No. The PgDAC trial runs for 60 days and is for evaluation only. Applications built with it may not be used in production or commercially, so buy a license before you ship.
System Requirements
- IDE: Delphi 6 (Update Pack 2) or C++Builder 6 (Update Pack 4) up to RAD Studio 13 Florence (Release 2), in any edition including Community, Starter, Professional, Enterprise and Architect. Lazarus 4.8 with Free Pascal 3.2.2 in the Professional with Source Code edition
- Target platforms: Windows 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64EC, macOS 64-bit and Apple Silicon, Linux 64-bit (and 32-bit in Lazarus), iOS 64-bit, Android 32-bit and 64-bit. Standard edition: Windows only
- Database: PostgreSQL 8.0 to 18.x, Azure, Amazon RDS/Aurora (including Aurora DSQL), Google Cloud and AlloyDB. No libpq.dll needed in any edition
- Other Devart DACs: PgDAC installs alongside UniDAC, ODAC, SDAC, MyDAC and PgDAC in the same IDE when they share the same common engine version, which versions released on the same date always do
Conclusion
PgDAC does one thing well: it gets a Delphi application talking to PostgreSQL, including PostgreSQL 18 and the main cloud services, without libpq.dll. Standard is good value for Windows-only work, and Professional adds cross-platform targets, notifications and bulk loading. If PostgreSQL is one of several databases in your product, UniDAC will serve you better. The 60-day trial lets you check it against your own database.
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