When it comes to databases, most people are unaware of the underlying technology behind their favorite apps and services. Relational databases organize data into rows and columns that form tables, with each table showing the relationship between different data points. Columnar databases store data grouped by columns rather than by rows, optimizing performance for analytical queries. Data in columnar databases is written to disk by column, allowing for efficient compression and fast query processing times. In contrast, row-oriented databases organize data by rows, making them better suited for transactional workloads where entire records need to be retrieved or updated quickly. While both types of databases have their benefits and drawbacks, columnar databases excel in analytical queries due to their ability to read only the required columns, minimizing I/O overhead and improving query performance.