Postgresus vs pgBackRest

Postgresus and pgBackRest are both powerful PostgreSQL backup tools, but they serve fundamentally different purposes and audiences. While Postgresus provides an intuitive web interface for individuals, teams and enterprises of all sizes, pgBackRest is a specialized command-line tool designed primarily for DBAs managing very large databases (500GB+).

Quick comparison

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

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.

pgBackRest audience

pgBackRest is specifically designed for Database Administrators (DBAs) managing very large databases:

• Large enterprises with 500GB+ databases: Block-level incremental backups and parallel processing become essential at this scale.
• Professional DBAs: Requires deep PostgreSQL knowledge, WAL archiving expertise and command-line proficiency.
• Mission-critical systems: Where second-precise Point-in-Time Recovery is a strict requirement.

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.
• Selective restore: Restore specific tables or schemas without restoring the entire database.
• 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.

pgBackRest: Physical backups

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

• Block-level incremental: Only changed blocks are backed up, reducing backup time and storage for very large databases.
• WAL archiving: Continuous archiving of Write-Ahead Logs enables precise Point-in-Time Recovery.
• Full, differential, incremental: Multiple backup strategies for different recovery scenarios.
• Optimized for scale: Designed for databases where logical backups would take too long.

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.

pgBackRest recovery

• Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR): Restore to any specific second using WAL replay.
• Parallel restore: Multi-threaded restoration for faster recovery of large databases.
• Delta restore: Only restore changed files, reducing recovery time.
• Standby creation: Create PostgreSQL replicas from backups.

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.

pgBackRest user experience

• Command-line interface: All operations performed via terminal commands.
• Configuration files: Requires manual editing of INI-style configuration files.
• WAL archiving setup: Must configure PostgreSQL's archive_command and related settings.
• Steep learning curve: Requires understanding of PostgreSQL internals, WAL mechanics and backup strategies.
• DBA expertise expected: Documentation assumes familiarity with database administration concepts.

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.

pgBackRest team capabilities

pgBackRest 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 on configuration files

Learn more about Postgresus access management →

Security

Both tools provide robust security features:

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.

pgBackRest security

• Repository encryption: Backup repositories can be encrypted with AES-256.
• TLS/SSH transport: Secure communication for remote operations.
• Checksum verification: Validates backup integrity during creation and restore.

Learn more about Postgresus security →

Storage options

Both tools support multiple storage destinations, with Postgresus offering more consumer-friendly options:

Postgresus storage

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

pgBackRest storage

• Local storage (POSIX)
• Amazon S3
• Azure Blob Storage
• Google Cloud Storage
• SFTP

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

pgBackRest notifications

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

• Custom scripting around backup commands
• External monitoring tools integration
• Manual log parsing and alerting setup

View all Postgresus notification channels →

Conclusion

Postgresus and pgBackRest serve different needs in the PostgreSQL backup ecosystem. The right choice depends on your database size, team structure and technical requirements.

For most use cases, from individual projects to enterprise deployments, Postgresus provides the right balance of power and usability. pgBackRest remains the specialized choice for DBAs managing very large databases where its advanced features become necessary - it's the best tool for such cases.