Aiven has launched PostgreSQL 18, positioning itself as the first managed PostgreSQL provider to support this latest version, which brings significant performance and flexibility enhancements. Key features include an asynchronous I/O subsystem that improves throughput and reduces latency, notably benefiting read-heavy workloads, as well as optimizations in JOIN and GROUP BY operations for faster query execution. The version also introduces parallel GIN index creation for quicker index maintenance, unenforced constraints for greater schema evolution flexibility, and skip scans for B-tree indexes that enhance query performance. Additionally, PostgreSQL 18 improves concurrency with better locking mechanisms and makes virtual generated columns the default, offering a trade-off between storage and computation. Aiven encourages users to explore these innovations with a free 30-day trial and stay updated on further developments through their events page and social media channels.