dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL 18 and Cloud Databases for Existing Delphi dbExpress Code, No Client Needed
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL is a Devart driver that lets Delphi and C++Builder applications built on Embarcadero's dbExpress framework connect to PostgreSQL 8.0 through 18.x and to hosted PostgreSQL on Azure, Amazon RDS and Aurora, Google Cloud and AlloyDB, directly over TCP/IP with no PostgreSQL client installed. It costs $199.95 at checkout for one developer with a year of updates (Standard edition), and builds for Windows, macOS and Linux.
It exists for code you already have. RAD Studio doesn't ship a dbExpress driver for PostgreSQL at all, so if your application is written against TSQLConnection and has to talk to PostgreSQL, a third-party driver like this one is how you get there without moving the data layer to another framework.
Quick facts
- Version: 5.9.0, released October 9, 2026
- Developer: Devart
- Servers: PostgreSQL 8.0 to 18.x; Azure Database for PostgreSQL; Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and Amazon Aurora; Google Cloud for PostgreSQL; AlloyDB
- Connection: direct over TCP/IP, no PostgreSQL client library
- IDEs: Delphi and C++Builder 6 to 13 Florence, every edition including Community
- Target platforms: Windows 32-bit and 64-bit, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Linux 64-bit
- Price: Standard $199.95, Standard with Source Code $299.95, each with one year of updates and support
- Trial: 30 days, for evaluation only; the download needs a free Devart account
- Guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee
- What we checked: on November 13, 2026, the order page priced the default order (Standard, single developer, 1 year of updates) at $199.95, with the yearly renewal listed at $99.95 before tax; the download page listed version 5.9.0 with a 15.53 MB installer. We didn't connect it to a PostgreSQL server.
Before you buy: the dbExpress layer sets the limits
This is a dbExpress driver, not a component library, so you get what the dbExpress interface allows. Server errors reach your code as message text without a separate PostgreSQL error code, which matters if your error handling branches on codes. Features such as PostgreSQL notifications or a dedicated large-object API live in Devart's PgDAC library instead. If you're writing new code, look at PgDAC, UniDAC or the FireDAC library that comes with RAD Studio first.
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Overview
dbExpress is Embarcadero's thin, database-independent data access layer: your code works with TSQLConnection and the standard datasets, and a driver library does the server-specific work. Devart's driver implements that interface for PostgreSQL, and you use it the same way you'd use one of Embarcadero's own drivers. Because it speaks the PostgreSQL protocol itself, deployment is just your application and the driver DLL.
Devart releases it about twice a year, usually alongside new RAD Studio updates. Version 5.8.0 in April 2026 added PostgreSQL 18, protocol 3.2 and virtual generated columns; 5.9.0 in October 2026 added RAD Studio 13 Florence Release 2, better Arm64EC support and a fix for functions with FetchAll off. Before that came PostgreSQL 17 (5.5.0, October 2024), PREPARE/EXECUTE support and PostgreSQL 16 (5.4.0, November 2023), and SCRAM-SHA-256-PLUS authentication (5.2.0, September 2022).
Features
Direct connection with no PostgreSQL client
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL connects to the server directly over TCP/IP, without libpq or any other PostgreSQL client software on the user's machine. Deploying an application means copying the driver library next to your executable; nothing else to install or version-match.
From PostgreSQL 8 to 18 and the main cloud services
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL supports server versions 8.0 through 18.x, plus Microsoft Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, Amazon Aurora, Google Cloud for PostgreSQL and AlloyDB. Recent versions handle protocol 3.2, virtual generated columns, OUT parameters in stored procedures and SCRAM-SHA-256-PLUS authentication, and a MultipleConnections parameter controls how connections are opened.
Drop-in for dbExpress code, from Delphi 6 to 13
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL works with the standard dbExpress components in Delphi and C++Builder 6 through 13 Florence, including Community Edition and the RAD Studio 64-bit IDE. It builds VCL applications for Windows and FireMonkey applications for Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Linux 64-bit. Since version 4.1.3 the trial is fully functional on macOS and Linux too.
SQL tracing with dbMonitor
Devart's free dbMonitor tool shows the SQL statements, commits and rollbacks your application sends through the driver, so you can see what a slow form is really asking the server.
Benefits
- PostgreSQL for dbExpress applications. Embarcadero doesn't include a PostgreSQL dbExpress driver, so this fills a real gap.
- Simple deployment. No client library means one less thing to install and support on every user's PC.
- Cloud-ready. The same code can point at a local server or a managed PostgreSQL service on Azure, AWS or Google Cloud.
- Kept current. New PostgreSQL and RAD Studio versions are usually supported within months of release.
Real-World Uses
- Moving off another database. A team migrating a dbExpress application from Oracle or InterBase to PostgreSQL keeps its TSQLConnection code and swaps the driver.
- A managed database. An on-premises PostgreSQL moves to Amazon RDS or Azure, and the Delphi client only needs new connection parameters.
- Thin client installs. A desktop application deployed to hundreds of PCs connects to PostgreSQL without a client install on each one.
- A Linux back end. A dbExpress-based Delphi service is recompiled for Linux 64-bit and runs next to the database server.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL is for Delphi and C++Builder developers whose applications use dbExpress and need PostgreSQL, whether local or in the cloud, especially when installing a client library on every machine is a burden.
Skip it if:
- You're starting a new project. PgDAC (PostgreSQL only) or UniDAC give you richer components with PostgreSQL-specific features, and FireDAC comes with RAD Studio.
- Your error handling depends on PostgreSQL error codes. The driver passes on the message text, not a separate SQLSTATE code.
- You need LISTEN/NOTIFY or other server-specific APIs. Those are outside what a dbExpress driver exposes.
Usage Guide
- Sign in to (or create) a free Devart account and download the 15.53 MB installer from the driver's download page.
- Close the IDE and run the installer, choosing your IDE versions.
- Add the DbxDevartPostgreSQL unit to your uses clause; without it you'll get an "unknown driver: DevartPostgreSQL" error at run time.
- On your TSQLConnection, set DriverName to DevartPostgreSQL and fill in HostName (with the port), Database, SchemaName, User_Name and Password.
- Connect, then run the Query demo that comes with the driver if anything doesn't work as expected.
- Deploy by copying the driver DLL to your application's folder; the installer is for developers, not end users.
Where it falls short
- No error codes in messages. Devart has confirmed the driver doesn't add the PostgreSQL error code to error messages, so you'd have to parse message text.
- Memory use with very large values. dbExpress itself can make the client allocate two to three times the size of the data it transfers, which shows with 100 MB+ bytea values. Devart suggests storing big files as large objects (OID) instead.
- Setup gotchas. The missing-unit "unknown driver" error and connection parameters are the most common forum questions from trial users.
- Short trial and guarantee. 30 days each, half the trial window Devart gives its DAC libraries.
What Users Say
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL has no ratings on mainstream review sites. Its public record is Devart's forum and support community, which show long-term users and what they run into.
Migrating to PostgreSQL
A developer moving a dbExpress application from Oracle wrote in April 2022: "Currently we are migrating Oracle to PostgreSQL DBExpress. With Oracle, we were able to categorize DBExpress errors based on the message "ORA-XXXXX" and perform appropriate error handling." With PostgreSQL, "we only get the error message. So we would have to parse all error messages individually."
Devart's reply: "Unfortunately, at the moment dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL lacks functionality that would additionally process errors sent by the PostgreSQL server and add an error code to the message."
Error messages and support
In an older thread on connection errors, a user asked in 2014: "Is there any progress on getting more descriptive error messages? The standard ones are not much helpful". Devart answered: "We have already modified the behavior. From now, when an error occurs, a correct message with error description will be displayed." The user's response: "Thanks, can't wait for the next version".
A trial user on Delphi XE2 who got "unknow driver: DevartPostgreSQL" was told the next day: "To solve the issue, add the DbxDevartPostgreSQL unit to the uses clause."
Open questions
On Devart's support community, a user wrote: "I've read that you can't use multi transaction with Devart drivers for PostgreSQL. But I also read that PostgreSQL seemed to support it." If you rely on several simultaneous transactions on one connection, test that in the trial.
The pattern: Devart's staff answer quickly and sometimes ship changes users ask for, while the recurring complaints are about what the dbExpress layer itself can't do, such as error codes and very large values.
Comparisons
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL vs PgDAC
PgDAC is Devart's full PostgreSQL component library for Delphi, with its own datasets and PostgreSQL-specific features that the dbExpress interface can't expose. It's the better buy for new code. The dbExpress driver is for keeping an existing dbExpress application and adding PostgreSQL underneath it.
Devart's driver vs FireDAC and ODBC
FireDAC, included with RAD Studio, connects to PostgreSQL through libpq, so it needs the client library deployed. Going through an ODBC driver from dbExpress adds another layer to install. Devart's driver is the direct route if you want to stay on dbExpress with nothing extra on the client.
Editions and Pricing
Both editions use the one Buy Now button on this page: you choose the edition, the license type (Single, Team or Site), 1, 2 or 3 years of updates, and optional Priority Support on the order page. Prices are for one developer with one year of updates.
| Edition |
Price |
What you get |
| Standard (default order) |
$199.95 |
The driver with direct connection, Windows, macOS and Linux targets, full data type support and dbMonitor tracing |
| Standard with Source Code |
$299.95 |
Everything in Standard plus the driver's source code |
A Team or Site license, more years of updates and Priority Support raise the price on the order page. The license itself stays valid after the year ends.
FAQs
Does Devart's dbExpress driver support PostgreSQL 18?
Yes. dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL added PostgreSQL 18 in version 5.8.0 (April 2026) and supports every version back to 8.0.
Can it connect to Amazon RDS, Aurora or Azure PostgreSQL?
Yes. dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL supports Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, Amazon Aurora, Google Cloud for PostgreSQL and AlloyDB.
Does Delphi include a dbExpress driver for PostgreSQL?
No. RAD Studio's own PostgreSQL support is in FireDAC. Devart's dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL is the way to use PostgreSQL from dbExpress code.
Does the driver work with Delphi Community Edition?
Yes. dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL supports every Delphi and C++Builder edition, including Community, from version 6 to 13 Florence.
What happens when my year of updates ends?
You keep a perpetual license for the last version released during your subscription. Renewal (listed at $99.95 a year before tax on November 13, 2026) brings new versions and support.
Can I use the trial in a production application?
No. The 30-day trial of dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL is for evaluation only, and applications built with it can't be used commercially. The 30-day money-back guarantee covers the paid license.
System Requirements
- IDE: RAD Studio, Delphi or C++Builder 6 through 13 Florence (13 needs Release 2)
- Targets: Windows 32-bit and 64-bit; macOS Intel and Apple Silicon; Linux 64-bit
- Server: PostgreSQL 8.0 to 18.x, or a supported cloud PostgreSQL service
- Client: none; the driver connects over TCP/IP
- Installer: 15.53 MB
Conclusion
dbExpress Driver for PostgreSQL is worth $199.95 if you have a dbExpress application that needs PostgreSQL, on your own server or in the cloud, and you'd rather not deploy a client library or rewrite the data layer. Since RAD Studio has no dbExpress driver for PostgreSQL of its own, it's the straightforward choice for that job. The main reason not to buy it: for new code, PgDAC or FireDAC expose more of PostgreSQL than dbExpress ever will. Use the 30-day trial to check your error handling and large-value use before you commit.
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