psycopg2-binary

psycopg2-binary is the go-to PostgreSQL adapter for Python, and for good reason—it's stable, performant, and handles the core database operations reliably. The API is straightforward: connection.cursor(), execute(), fetchone()/fetchall() works exactly as you'd expect. Binary distribution means no compilation hassles during pip install, which saves significant setup time.

The experience falters when things go wrong. Error messages often surface raw PostgreSQL errors without much context about what triggered them in your Python code. Type hinting is essentially absent, so you lose IDE autocomplete benefits and need to constantly reference docs. The cursor context manager works well, but connection pooling requires external libraries like psycopg2.pool or SQLAlchemy.

Documentation is comprehensive but dated in presentation. You'll find what you need, but examples lean heavily on old-style string formatting (%s placeholders) rather than modern Python patterns. Day-to-day usage is smooth once you've internalized the patterns, but expect to write helper functions for common operations like bulk inserts or handling NULL values.

Psycopg2 is the de facto standard for PostgreSQL connectivity in Python, and for good reason. The API is straightforward and predictable—connection pooling, cursor management, and query execution work exactly as you'd expect from DB-API 2.0. The library handles parameter binding safely and performs well under production loads. I've shipped dozens of projects with it without major issues.

The type hint situation is its biggest pain point. You'll need to install psycopg2-stubs separately for proper IDE support, and even then, the typing isn't comprehensive. Error messages are generally clear when queries fail, but connection errors can be cryptic (especially SSL/auth issues). The documentation is thorough but feels dated—lots of reading required to understand nuances like connection string formats and transaction isolation levels.

Day-to-day usage is smooth once you get past initial setup. The binary package eliminates compilation headaches, though you'll want to understand the implications for production deployments. Context managers work well for connections and cursors, and the execute/executemany pattern becomes second nature quickly.

Psycopg2 is the de facto standard for PostgreSQL connectivity in Python, and for good reason. The API is straightforward—connection/cursor pattern that feels familiar to anyone who's used DB-API 2.0. You get what you expect: `cursor.execute()`, `fetchone()`, `fetchall()`, with minimal magic. The library handles parameter escaping properly out of the box, and the connection pooling utilities work reliably in production.

Type support is basically non-existent from a static analysis perspective. You're working with `Any` types everywhere, and IDE autocompletion won't help you much beyond the basic method signatures. Error messages are generally clear when things go wrong—PostgreSQL's native errors come through cleanly—but you'll need to memorize exception class names like `psycopg2.IntegrityError` since discovery isn't great.

Documentation is comprehensive but dense. The advanced usage section covers everything from custom type adapters to async operations, though examples can feel academic rather than practical. The `-binary` variant sidesteps compilation headaches, making local development and Docker deployments trivial.