What is the difference between EXPLAIN and EXPLAIN ANALYZE commands?

EXPLAIN shows the planned execution of a query without actually executing it. It analyzes the query and suggests the optimal execution plan using table and index statistics. It displays the order of operations (scans, joins), the indexes used, and the estimated number of rows and costs.

EXPLAIN ANALYZE actually executes the query and shows the real execution time of each operation, the number of rows processed, and the actual resource usage. This allows you to see how the planned execution compares to the actual and identify performance bottlenecks related to planning inaccuracies or other factors.

Thus, EXPLAIN is a prediction, while EXPLAIN ANALYZE is an actual execution with performance metrics.