Postgresus vs WAL-G

Postgresus and WAL-G are both capable backup tools that support PostgreSQL, but they take fundamentally different approaches. Postgresus is designed exclusively for PostgreSQL with an intuitive web interface, while WAL-G is a command-line tool that supports multiple database systems including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MS SQL, MongoDB and others. If your infrastructure runs PostgreSQL only, Postgresus offers a more focused and streamlined experience.

Quick comparison

Here's a quick overview of the key differences between Postgresus and WAL-G:

Database focus

One of the most significant differences between these tools is their database scope:

Postgresus: PostgreSQL-exclusive

Postgresus is built exclusively for PostgreSQL, which means every feature is designed specifically for PostgreSQL users:

• Tailored experience: The interface, workflows and features are optimized for PostgreSQL backup scenarios.
• Version support: Supports PostgreSQL versions 12 through 18, with version-specific optimizations.
• No complexity from other databases: You won't encounter configuration options or documentation for databases you don't use.
• Focused development: All development effort goes into improving the PostgreSQL experience.

WAL-G: Multi-database support

WAL-G started as a PostgreSQL backup tool but has expanded to support multiple database systems:

• PostgreSQL: The original and most mature implementation.
• MySQL/MariaDB: Supports binlog-based backups.
• MS SQL Server: Windows-based SQL Server backups.
• MongoDB: Document database backup support.
• FoundationDB: Distributed database support.
• Greenplum: Data warehouse backup support.

Target audience

The tools serve different user profiles based on their design philosophy:

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.
• PostgreSQL-only environments: Organizations that have standardized on PostgreSQL benefit from the focused feature set.

WAL-G audience

WAL-G is designed for users comfortable with command-line tools:

• DevOps engineers: Those who prefer infrastructure-as-code and CLI-based workflows.
• Multi-database environments: Organizations running PostgreSQL alongside MySQL, MongoDB or other supported databases.
• Cloud-native deployments: Teams using Kubernetes or containerized environments where CLI tools integrate well.
• Users needing PITR: Those requiring second-precise Point-in-Time Recovery for mission-critical systems.

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.

WAL-G: Physical backups with WAL archiving

WAL-G performs file-level (physical) backups with continuous WAL archiving:

• Base backups: Full file-level copies of the PostgreSQL data directory.
• Delta backups: Only changed pages are backed up, reducing storage and transfer time.
• WAL archiving: Continuous archiving of Write-Ahead Logs enables Point-in-Time Recovery.
• Copy-on-write optimization: Efficient handling of unchanged data blocks.

Recovery options

Both tools offer recovery capabilities, 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.

WAL-G 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.
• Delta restore: Faster recovery by only fetching changed pages.
• Standby creation: Create PostgreSQL replicas from backups for high availability setups.

Ease of use

The tools differ significantly 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.

WAL-G user experience

• Command-line interface: All operations performed via terminal commands like wal-g backup-push, wal-g backup-fetch.
• Environment variables: Configuration primarily through environment variables rather than config files.
• External scheduling: Requires cron jobs or external orchestration for automated backups.
• WAL archiving setup: Must configure PostgreSQL's archive_command to integrate with WAL-G.
• CLI proficiency expected: Documentation assumes familiarity with command-line tools and shell scripting.

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.

WAL-G team capabilities

WAL-G 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 cloud IAM policies

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.

WAL-G security

• GPG encryption: Supports GPG-based encryption for backup files.
• libsodium encryption: Alternative encryption using the libsodium library.
• Cloud IAM integration: Leverages cloud provider IAM for access control to storage.
• No built-in credential management: Relies on environment variables or external secret management.

Learn more about Postgresus security →

Storage options

Both tools support cloud storage, with different focus areas:

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

WAL-G storage

Cloud-native storage options:

• Amazon S3
• Google Cloud Storage (GCS)
• Azure Blob Storage
• Swift (OpenStack)
• Local file system
• SSH/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

WAL-G notifications

WAL-G 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 Prometheus, Grafana or custom solutions

View all Postgresus notification channels →

Compression

Both tools offer compression to reduce backup sizes:

Postgresus compression

• zstd compression: Uses zstd at level 5 for balanced speed and compression ratio.
• 4-8x size reduction: Typical compression ratios with only ~20% runtime overhead.
• Automatic: Compression is enabled by default with no configuration needed.

WAL-G compression

• Multiple algorithms: Supports LZ4, LZMA, Brotli and zstd.
• Configurable levels: Fine-tune compression ratio vs. speed tradeoffs.
• Per-file compression: WAL files and base backups can use different settings.

Conclusion

Postgresus and WAL-G serve different needs in the PostgreSQL backup ecosystem. The right choice depends on your database environment, team structure and operational preferences.

For PostgreSQL-only environments, Postgresus offers a more streamlined experience with its dedicated focus, intuitive interface and built-in features. WAL-G remains an excellent choice for organizations managing diverse database systems or those who prefer CLI-based workflows and need advanced features like delta backups and precise PITR.