Postgresus vs PgBackWeb

Both Postgresus and PgBackWeb are open-source tools designed to simplify PostgreSQL backup management through web interfaces. While they share the common goal of making backups more accessible, they differ significantly in features, security, team support and ease of use.

Quick comparison

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

Backup features

Both tools support scheduled backups with flexible timing:

• Postgresus: Supports hourly, daily, weekly and monthly schedules with precise timing (e.g. 4 AM). Implements balanced compression using zstd (level 5), reducing backup sizes by 4-8x with only ~20% runtime overhead. This is significantly more efficient than gzip.
• PgBackWeb: Supports cron-based scheduling for backup execution. Uses gzip compression for backups which is slower and less efficient than zstd.

Storage options

Storage flexibility is crucial for backup strategies. Here's how the two tools compare:

• Postgresus: Supports a wide range of storage destinations:
  • Local storage
  • Amazon S3 and S3-compatible services
  • Google Drive
  • Cloudflare R2
  • Azure Blob Storage
  • NAS (Network-attached storage)
• PgBackWeb: Limited to local storage and S3-compatible storage only.

View all Postgresus storage options →

Security

Security is a critical aspect of backup management. Postgresus implements enterprise-grade security on three levels:

Postgresus security model

1. Sensitive data encryption: All passwords, tokens and credentials are encrypted with AES-256-GCM. The encryption key is stored separately from the database, so even if the database is compromised, sensitive data remains protected.
2. Backup encryption: Each backup file is encrypted with a unique key derived from the master key, backup ID and random salt. Even if someone gains access to your cloud storage, they cannot read the backups without your encryption key.
3. Read-only database access: Postgresus enforces read-only access by checking role-level, database-level and table-level permissions. It only requires SELECT permissions and will warn you if write privileges are detected. This prevents data corruption even if Postgresus is compromised.

PgBackWeb security model

• PGP encryption: PgBackWeb offers PGP encryption for backup files.
• No read-only enforcement: PgBackWeb does not enforce or verify read-only database access which means backups may be created with users that have write permissions.

Learn more about Postgresus security →

Notifications

Staying informed about backup status is essential for reliable operations:

• Postgresus: Provides real-time notifications through multiple channels:
  • Slack
  • Discord
  • Telegram
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Email
  • Webhooks
• PgBackWeb: Supports webhooks only for notifications. To receive alerts via Slack, Telegram or other platforms you need to set up additional middleware or services.

View all Postgresus notification channels →

Team features

For organizations and DevOps teams, collaboration features are essential. This is where Postgresus significantly outshines PgBackWeb:

Postgresus team capabilities

• Workspaces: Group databases, notifiers and storages for different projects or teams. Users only see workspaces they're invited to.
• Role-based access control: Permission levels to control what each team member can do within workspaces.
• Audit logs: Track all system activities and changes made by users. Essential for security compliance and team accountability.

PgBackWeb team capabilities

PgBackWeb does not have built-in user management, workspaces or audit logs. It's designed primarily for single-user scenarios.

Learn more about Postgresus access management →

Ease of use

Postgresus is designed to be significantly easier to use than PgBackWeb, with a focus on intuitive UX and minimal setup time:

Postgresus user experience

• Easy installation: Use Docker directly or run a one-line script that installs Docker (if needed), sets up Postgresus and configures automatic startup. Total time: ~2 minutes.
• Intuitive web interface: Designer-polished UI that guides you through backup configuration step by step. No PostgreSQL expertise required.
• Dark and light themes: Choose the look that suits your workflow.
• Mobile adaptive: Check your backups from anywhere on any device.
• Built-in health monitoring: Configurable health checks with visual availability charts.
• One-click restore: Download and restore from any backup with a single click.

PgBackWeb user experience

• Manual Docker setup: Requires configuring environment variables and setting up an external PostgreSQL database for configuration storage.
• Basic web interface: Functional but less polished UI compared to Postgresus. Dark theme available.
• No health monitoring: Database availability monitoring must be set up separately.

Installation and deployment

Installing Postgresus

Postgresus offers three installation methods, with the automated script being the quickest:

• Automated script (recommended): One-line cURL command that installs Docker, sets up Postgresus and configures automatic startup.
• Docker run: Single command to start Postgresus with embedded PostgreSQL.
• Docker Compose: For more control over the deployment.

View Postgresus installation guide →

Installing PgBackWeb

PgBackWeb requires Docker and manual configuration of environment variables. You also need to set up an external PostgreSQL database for storing PgBackWeb's configuration.

Licensing

The licensing model can significantly impact how you can use and modify the software:

• Postgresus (Apache 2.0): Permissive license that allows unrestricted commercial use, modification and distribution. You can use Postgresus in proprietary projects without any licensing concerns.
• PgBackWeb (AGPL-3.0): Copyleft license that requires any derivative works or modifications to also be open-source under AGPL-3.0. If you modify PgBackWeb and provide it as a service you must release your modifications.

Conclusion

Both Postgresus and PgBackWeb are capable PostgreSQL backup tools, but they serve different needs:

For most users, especially teams and organizations requiring robust security, multiple storage options and comprehensive notification channels, Postgresus is the recommended choice.