Postgresus vs Barman

Postgresus and Barman are both PostgreSQL backup tools, but they take fundamentally different approaches. Postgresus provides an intuitive web interface for logical backups with team collaboration features, while Barman (Backup and Recovery Manager) is a command-line tool focused on physical backups and Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) for enterprise disaster recovery scenarios.

Quick comparison

Here's a quick overview of the key differences between Postgresus and Barman:

Target audience

The most significant difference between these tools is who they are designed for:

Postgresus audience

Postgresus is built for a broad audience, from individual developers to large enterprises:

• Individual developers: Simple setup and intuitive UI make it easy to protect personal projects without deep PostgreSQL expertise.
• Development teams: Workspaces, role-based access control and audit logs enable secure collaboration across team members.
• Enterprises: Scales to meet enterprise needs with comprehensive security, multiple storage destinations and notification channels.

Barman audience

Barman is specifically designed for Database Administrators (DBAs) managing enterprise PostgreSQL infrastructure:

• Enterprise DBAs: Professionals who need centralized backup management for multiple PostgreSQL servers from a single location.
• Disaster recovery specialists: Teams requiring second-precise Point-in-Time Recovery for mission-critical systems.
• Organizations with strict RPO/RTO requirements: Where Recovery Point Objective demands minimal data loss and WAL-based recovery is essential.

Backup approach

The tools use fundamentally different backup strategies, each with distinct advantages:

Postgresus: Logical backups

Postgresus uses pg_dump for logical backups, creating SQL representations of your data:

• Portable: Backups can be restored to different PostgreSQL versions or even different servers.
• Efficient compression: Uses zstd (level 5) compression, reducing backup sizes by 4-8x with only ~20% runtime overhead.
• Read-only access: Only requires SELECT permissions, minimizing security risks.

Barman: Physical backups

Barman performs file-level (physical) backups of the PostgreSQL data directory:

• Full cluster backup: Captures the entire database cluster at the file system level using rsync or pg_basebackup.
• WAL archiving: Continuously archives Write-Ahead Logs for Point-in-Time Recovery.
• Incremental with rsync: Uses rsync to transfer only changed files, reducing backup time and network usage.
• Streaming replication integration: Can receive WAL files via streaming replication protocol for real-time archiving.

Recovery options

Both tools offer flexible recovery options, but with different granularity:

Postgresus recovery

• Restore to any hour or day: With hourly, daily, weekly or monthly backup schedules, you can restore to any backup point you've configured.
• One-click restore: Download and restore backups directly from the web interface.
• Parallel restores: Utilize multiple CPU cores to speed up restoration of large backups.
• Cross-version compatibility: Restore backups to different PostgreSQL versions when needed.

Barman recovery

• Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR): Restore to any specific second using WAL replay, minimizing data loss.
• Full cluster restore: Restore the entire database cluster to a specific point in time.
• Remote recovery: Recover databases to remote servers over SSH.
• Standby creation: Create PostgreSQL replicas from backups for high availability setups.

Ease of use

The tools differ dramatically in their approach to user experience:

Postgresus user experience

• Web interface: Point-and-click configuration for all backup settings. No command-line required.
• 2-minute installation: One-line cURL script or simple Docker command gets you running immediately.
• Visual monitoring: Dashboard shows backup status, health checks and history at a glance.
• Built-in notifications: Configure Slack, Teams, Telegram, Email or webhook alerts directly in the UI.
• No PostgreSQL expertise required: Designed for developers who want reliable backups without becoming database experts.

Barman user experience

• Command-line interface: All operations performed via terminal commands like barman backup, barman recover.
• Configuration files: Requires manual editing of INI-style configuration files for each server.
• WAL archiving setup: Must configure PostgreSQL's archive_command or streaming replication settings.
• SSH key management: Requires setting up SSH keys between Barman server and PostgreSQL servers.
• DBA expertise expected: Documentation assumes familiarity with PostgreSQL internals and WAL mechanics.

View Postgresus installation guide →

Team features

For organizations with multiple team members managing backups:

Postgresus team capabilities

• Workspaces: Organize databases, notifiers and storages by project or team. Users only see workspaces they're invited to.
• Role-based access control: Assign viewer, editor or admin permissions to control what each team member can do.
• Audit logs: Track all system activities and changes. Essential for security compliance and accountability.
• Shared notifications: Team channels receive backup status updates automatically.

Barman team capabilities

Barman is a command-line tool without built-in team features:

• No user management or access control
• No audit logging of operations
• Team coordination requires external tools and processes
• Access controlled via OS-level permissions and SSH keys

Learn more about Postgresus access management →

Security

Both tools provide security features, but with different approaches:

Postgresus security

• AES-256-GCM encryption: All passwords, tokens and credentials are encrypted. The encryption key is stored separately from the database.
• Unique backup encryption: Each backup file is encrypted with a unique key derived from master key, backup ID and random salt.
• Read-only database access: Enforces SELECT permissions only, preventing data corruption even if compromised.
• TLS/SSL support: Secure connections to PostgreSQL databases.

Barman security

• SSH-based communication: Uses SSH for secure communication between Barman server and PostgreSQL servers.
• No built-in encryption: Barman does not provide built-in backup encryption. External tools or encrypted storage must be used.
• OS-level security: Relies on file system permissions and SSH key management for access control.
• Checksum verification: Validates backup integrity using checksums.

Learn more about Postgresus security →

Storage options

The tools support different storage destinations:

Postgresus storage

Consumer-friendly options for various use cases:

• Local storage
• Amazon S3 and S3-compatible services
• Google Drive
• Cloudflare R2
• Azure Blob Storage
• NAS (Network-attached storage)
• Dropbox

Barman storage

Enterprise-focused storage options:

• Local storage (POSIX file systems)
• Amazon S3 and S3-compatible object storage
• Geographical redundancy via Barman-to-Barman replication

View all Postgresus storage options →

Notifications

Staying informed about backup status:

Postgresus notifications

Built-in support for multiple notification channels:

• Slack
• Discord
• Telegram
• Microsoft Teams
• Email
• Webhooks

Barman notifications

Barman does not have built-in notification support. Notifications require:

• Custom scripting around backup commands
• External monitoring tools integration
• Manual log parsing and alerting setup
• Integration with tools like Nagios, Zabbix or custom solutions

View all Postgresus notification channels →

Multi-server management

Both tools can manage backups for multiple PostgreSQL servers, but with different approaches:

Postgresus approach

• Per-database scheduling: Each database can have its own backup schedule and storage destination.
• Workspace organization: Group related databases into workspaces for easier management.
• Unified dashboard: View all database backups and their status in a single web interface.

Barman approach

• Centralized backup server: A dedicated Barman server manages backups for multiple PostgreSQL instances.
• Configuration per server: Each PostgreSQL server requires its own configuration file on the Barman server.
• Geo-redundancy: Barman servers can replicate to other Barman servers for geographical redundancy.

Conclusion

Postgresus and Barman serve different needs in the PostgreSQL backup ecosystem. The right choice depends on your recovery requirements, team structure and technical expertise.

For most use cases, from individual projects to enterprise deployments, Postgresus provides the right balance of power and usability. Barman remains the specialized choice for organizations with strict PITR requirements and dedicated DBA teams — it excels in enterprise disaster recovery scenarios where second-precise recovery is non-negotiable.