JOIN vs Subquery Performance in PostgreSQL

Are JOINs Faster Than Subqueries?

In many cases, JOINs perform better because PostgreSQL can optimize them efficiently.

JOIN Example

SELECT u.name, o.total
FROM users u
JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id;

Subquery Example

SELECT name,
(SELECT total FROM orders WHERE user_id = users.id)
FROM users;

Recommendation

Use JOINs for better readability and performance unless the subquery simplifies logic significantly.