Port 5432 — PostgreSQL

Port 5432 is PostgreSQL's IANA-assigned default. If something's bound to 5432, it's almost certainly Postgres — local install, Docker container, or a forgotten dev database.

beginner PostgreSQL

Find the process + connect / kill

lsof -i :5432
# COMMAND   PID   USER   ...
# postgres  1234  postgres  ...

# Connect:
psql -h localhost -p 5432 -U postgres

# Inside Docker:
docker exec -it <container> psql -U postgres

# Multiple Postgres versions? Usually 5432 (v17), 5433 (v16), 5434 (v15), etc.

Typical services on this port

PostgreSQL server (Homebrew, apt, official installer)
Postgres.app on macOS
Docker postgres image (with `-p 5432:5432`)
PgBouncer (connection pooler — sometimes on 5432, often 6432)

Alternatives

Common alternates: 5433, 5434, 5435 — used when running multiple Postgres versions side-by-side. PgBouncer often on 6432.

Common pitfalls

Input	Result
⚠ Killing port 5432 process = DROPS all open Postgres connections. Use `pg_ctl stop` (graceful) instead of `kill -9`.
⚠ If you can connect via `psql -h localhost` but not `psql -h 127.0.0.1`, your `pg_hba.conf` allows local socket but not TCP. Edit and reload.
⚠ Docker postgres + local postgres conflict: `docker run -p 5432:5432` fails if local postgres is already bound. Use `-p 5433:5432` and `psql -p 5433`.

Edge cases & caveats

Common use cases

Verify Postgres install
Diagnose 'connection refused' errors
Multi-version Postgres setup
Docker + native install conflicts

See what's bound to your local ports

portcheck shows pid, command, user, address — faster than netstat, simpler than ss. Linux + macOS, zero dependencies, MIT-licensed.

Open portcheck

SSH · Node.js dev server (default) · Alternate HTTP / proxies / Tomcat · Cheatsheet of common dev ports · ↗ DB down → upstream timeout codes