Databasus

PostgreSQL backup tool

Databasus is a free, open source and self-hosted tool to backup PostgreSQL. Make backups with different storages (S3, Google Drive, FTP, etc.) and notifications about progress (Slack, Discord, Telegram, etc.). With focus on Point-In-Time Recovery and restore verification

Self-host via DockerGitHub
or
Host in cloud from $9/moHire Databasus Labs
Databasus dashboard interface
Support by Anthropic and OpenAI OSS
Supported by both Anthropic and OpenAI open source programs. Learn more →
Overview

Features

Databasus provides everything you need for reliable production backup management. From automated scheduling to backups encryption. Suitable well for both individual developers with personal projects, DevOps teams and enterprises

1

Scheduled backups

Scheduled backups

Backup is a thing that should be done in specified time on regular basis. So we provide many options: hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, cron, etc.

2

Configurable health checks

Health checks

Each minute (or any another amount of time) the system will ping your database and show you the history of attempts

The database can be considered as down after 3 failed attempts or so. Once DB is healthy again - you receive notification too

3

Many destinations to store

Files are kept on VPS, cloud storages and other places. You can choose any storage you. Files are always owned by you. View all →

Storage
4

Notifications

You can receive notifications about success or fail of the process. This is useful for developers or DevOps teams. View all →

Notifications
5

Self hosted via Docker

Databasus runs on your PC or VPS. Therefore, all your data is owned by you and secured. Deploy takes about 2 minutes via script, Docker or k8s

Docker
6

Open source and free

The project is fully open source, free and have Apache 2.0 license. You can copy and fork the code on your own. Open for enterprise as well

GitHub
7

Restore verification

A backup that finishes without error is not the same as a backup you can restore. Databasus periodically pulls the latest backup, restores it into a throwaway database container and reports the outcome. Read more →

PostgreSQL
8

Access management

for teams
Access management

Provide access for users to view or manage DBs. Separate teams and projects. Suitable for DevOps teams and developers. Read more →

9

Audit logs

for teams
Audit logs

Track all system activities with comprehensive audit logs. You can view access and changes history for each user (backup downloads, schedule changes, config updates, etc.). Read more →

10

Security

Enterprise-grade encryption protects sensitive data and backups. Read-only database access prevents data corruption. Everything this does not require any knowledge and ready out of the box from the start automatically. Read more →

Security
11

Logical, physical and incremental backups with PITR

Databasus supports logical, physical and incremental backups with Point-in-Time Recovery. This makes Databasus suitable for disaster recovery with WAL archiving and PITR, and works equally well with self-hosted and cloud databases — use remote mode for cloud-managed or publicly accessible DBs, and agent mode for closed networks and host-installed databases

4-minutes overview

How to use Databasus?

Watch in this video how to connect your database, how to configure backups schedule, how to download and restore backups, how to add team members and what is users' audit logs

Rostislav Dugin

Rostislav Dugin

Developer of Databasus

How to use Databasus (overview)?
Databases

Supported databases

Databasus supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB. You can backup and restore all of them with the same tool. Primary focus is on PostgreSQL, but MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB are supported too

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is the primary database supported by Databasus. All versions from 12 to 18 are supported

MySQL

MySQL

MySQL is the second most popular database in the world. You can backup and restore your MySQL databases with the same simplicity

Read more →
MariaDB

MariaDB

MariaDB is supported with the same features as MySQL. You can backup and restore your MariaDB databases seamlessly

Read more →
MongoDB

MongoDB

MongoDB is the most popular NoSQL database. You can backup and restore your MongoDB databases with the same easy-to-use interface

Read more →
Process

How to make backups?

The main priority for Databasus is simplicity, right now this is the easiest tool to backup PostgreSQL in the world. To make backups, you need to follow 4 steps. After that, you will be able to restore in one click

Step 1

Select required schedule

You can choose any time you need: daily, weekly, monthly, particular time (like 4 AM) and cron cycles

For week interval you need to specify particular day, for month you need to specify particular day

If your database is large, we recommend you choosing the time when there are decrease in traffic

Step 1
Step 2

Enter your database info

Enter credentials of your PostgreSQL database, select version and target DB. Also choose whether SSL is required

Databasus, by default, compress backups at balance level to not slow down backup process (~20% slower) and save x4-x8 of the space (that decreasing network traffic)

Step 2
Step 3

Choose storage for backups

You can keep files with backups locally, in S3, in Google Drive, NAS, Dropbox and other services

Please keep in mind that you need to have enough space on the storage

Step 3
Step 4

Choose where you want to receive notifications (optional)

When backup succeed or failed, Databasus is able to send you notification. It can be chat with DevOps, your emails or even webhook of your team

We are going to support the most of popular messangers and platforms

Step 4
Get started
Get started

How to install?

Databasus support many ways of installation. Both local and cloud are supported. Both ways are extremely simple and easy to use even for those who has no experience in administration or DevOps

Automated script (recommended)
The installation script will install Docker with Docker Compose (if not already installed), set up Databasus and configure automatic startup on system reboot.
sudo apt-get install -y curl && \
sudo curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/databasus/databasus/refs/heads/main/install-databasus.sh | sudo bash
Read more about installation
How to install Databasus
FAQ

Frequent questions

The goal of Databasus — make backing up as simple as possible for single developers (as well as DevOps) and teams. UI makes it easy to create backups and visualizes the progress and restores anything in couple of clicks

1

What is Databasus and why should I use it instead of hand-rolled scripts?

Databasus is an Apache 2.0 licensed, self-hosted service backing up databases. It differs from shell scripts in that it has a frontend for scheduling tasks, compressing and storing archives on multiple targets (local disk, S3, Google Drive, NAS, Dropbox, SFTP, rclone, etc.), configuring retention policies to automatically prune old backups and notifying your team when tasks finish or fail — all without hand-rolled code
2

How do I install Databasus in the quickest manner?

Databasus supports multiple installation methods: automated script, Docker, Docker Compose and Kubernetes with Helm. The quickest route is to run the one-line cURL installer, which fetches the current Docker image, creates a docker-compose.yml and boots up the service so it will automatically restart on reboots. For Kubernetes environments, use the official Helm chart for production-ready deployments. Overall time is usually less than two minutes on a typical VPS.
3

How restore verification works?

Databasus runs a small verification agent on a host you control. On every scheduled run the agent downloads the latest backup. It restores the backup into a throwaway database container. Then it sanity-checks the restored database against the source. The result is reported back — including the restore exit code and per-table row counts. Schedules support after backup, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or a UTC cron expression. Failures can be sent through any notifier wired to the database — Slack, Teams, Discord, email and others.
4

How does Databasus ensure security?

Databasus enforces security on three levels: (1) Sensitive data encryption — all passwords, tokens and credentials are encrypted with AES-256-GCM and stored separately from the database; (2) Backup encryption — each backup file is encrypted with a unique key derived from a master key, backup ID and random salt, making backups useless without your encryption key even if someone gains storage access; (3) Read-only database access — Databasus only requires SELECT permissions and performs comprehensive checks to ensure no write privileges exist, preventing data corruption even if the tool is compromised.

Beyond runtime, security and reliability are engineered into every commit and PR: CodeQL static analysis, CodeRabbit with gitleaks and semgrep, Dependabot CVE monitoring, Trivy image and Dockerfile scans, and periodic Codex Security audits from OpenAI. Integration tests run against real PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB containers and verify full backup-then-restore cycles on every PR. GitHub Actions are pinned to commit SHAs and workflows follow least-privilege permissions.

See Security & reliability engineering for the full pipeline.
5

How do I set up and run my first backup job in Databasus?

To start your very first Databasus backup, simply log in to the dashboard, click on New Backup, select an interval — hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or cron. Then specify the exact run time (e.g., 02:30 for off-peak hours).

Then input your PostgreSQL host, port number, database name, credentials and SSL preference. Choose where the archive should be sent (local path, S3 bucket, Google Drive folder, Dropbox, etc.).

If you need, add notification channels such as email, Slack, Telegram or a webhook and click Save. Databasus instantly validates the info, starts the schedule, runs the initial job and sends live status. So you may restore with one touch when the backup is complete.
6

What is Databasus adoption level?

Databasus is the most widely adopted open-source PostgreSQL backup tool today. At the moment of 20 May 2026, it has been pulled approximately 600,000 times on Docker by DBAs, DevOps engineers, developers and teams worldwide. With 7,000+ GitHub stars, it surpasses pgBackRest (~3,700 stars, available since 2014) and WAL-G (~4,000 stars, available since 2017). Databasus launched in 2025 and outpaced both within its first year. This adoption level reflects strong community trust and preference among database professionals.
7

You have a cloud version — are you truly open source?

Yes. Every feature available in Databasus Cloud is equally available in the self-hosted version with no restrictions, no feature gates and no usage limits. The entire codebase is Apache 2.0 licensed and always will be.

Databasus is not "open core." We do not withhold features behind a paid tier and then call the limited remainder "open source," as projects like GitLab or Sentry do. We believe open source means the complete product is open, not just a marketing label on a stripped-down edition.

Databasus Cloud runs the exact same code as the self-hosted version. The only difference is that we take care of infrastructure, availability, backups, reservations, monitoring and updates for you — so you don't have to. If you are using cloud, you can always move your databases from cloud to self-hosted if you wish.

Moreover, we have a DBA-as-a-service offering, Databasus Labs, to fund Databasus development and help companies with their database management needs.

Revenue from Cloud and Databasus Labs funds full-time development of the project. Most large open-source projects rely on corporate backing or sponsorship to survive (such as pgBackRest, for example). Any long-running OSS project needs to be funded.

To address this, Databasus sustains itself so it can grow and improve independently, without being tied to any enterprise or sponsor. Our vision is to keep Databasus fully open-source forever, with a promise to never close it off through licensing or withheld code. So any DevOps or DBA company can provide services on top of Databasus as well.
8

How is Databasus different from PgBackRest, Barman or pg_dump? Where can I read comparisons?

Databasus prefers simplicity — it provides a modern web interface to manage backups for many databases at once, instead of complex configuration files and command-line tools. Unlike raw pg_dump scripts, it includes built-in scheduling, compression, multiple storage destinations, health monitoring and real-time notifications — all managed through a simple web UI.

At the same time, Databasus also works in agent mode — similar to WAL-G or pgBackRest — for disaster recovery with WAL archiving and Point-in-Time Recovery. The agent connects from closed networks to the Databasus instance, so databases that are not publicly exposed can still be backed up and managed from a single dashboard.

We have detailed comparison pages for popular backup tools: Databasus vs pg_dump, Databasus vs pgBackRest, Databasus vs Barman, Databasus vs WAL-G and Databasus vs pgBackWeb. Each comparison explains the key differences, pros and cons, and helps you choose the right tool for your needs.
9

Is Databasus supported by Anthropic and OpenAI OSS programs?

Yes, we are proud that Databasus has been recognized as a valuable open-source project by two of the world's leading AI companies. In March 2026, Databasus was accepted into both Claude for Open Source by Anthropic and Codex for Open Source by OpenAI. This is an independent reliability confirmation for us that the project has been evaluated and recognized as critical infrastructure worth supporting. Read more →
10

Is Databasus an alternative to pg_dump?

For logical backups, yes — Databasus is a modern replacement for pg_dump. It extends pg_dump with a user-friendly web interface, automated scheduling, multiple storage destinations, real-time notifications, health monitoring and backup encryption. Think of it as pg_dump with superpowers — all the reliability plus enterprise features without writing shell scripts. Beyond logical backups, Databasus also supports agent mode where physical backups with WAL archiving are used for disaster recovery scenarios, providing incremental backups and Point-in-Time Recovery.
11

Which databases does Databasus support?

Databasus supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB. However, Databasus was originally created specifically for PostgreSQL and maintains its primary focus on it — providing 100% excellent support and maximum efficiency for PostgreSQL backups.

While MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB are supported, PostgreSQL remains the core priority with the most optimized features and ongoing development.

For example, Databasus provide native support of physical and WAL backups for PostgreSQL disaster recovery. So Databasus is actually PostgreSQL backup tools, other DBs are just extensions.
12

What backup types does Databasus support?

Databasus supports logical, physical, WAL archiving and Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) — so it suits both those who want simple remote backups and those who need a solid disaster recovery tool.

Remote mode — Databasus connects to the database over the network and performs logical backups (like pg_dump). No agent or additional software required. Ideal for cloud-managed and publicly accessible databases.

Agent mode — a lightweight agent runs alongside the database and connects to the Databasus instance. This enables physical backups with continuous WAL archiving and PITR — designed for disaster recovery and near-zero data loss. The agent streams backups directly to Databasus, so the database never needs to be exposed publicly.

Because the agent connects to the Databasus instance, you can manage incremental backups for many databases from a single dashboard — unlike standalone tools like WAL-G or pgBackRest where each database is managed separately.
13

Why was Postgresus renamed to Databasus?

Databasus has been developed since 2023. It was internal tool to backup production and home projects databases. In start of 2025 it was released as open source project on GitHub. By the end of 2025 it became popular and the time for renaming has come in December 2025.
The renaming from Postgresus to Databasus was an important step for the project's growth. There are several reasons:
  1. Project evolution — Postgresus is no longer a small tool that just adds UI for pg_dump. It became a reliable backup management system for individual users, DevOps, DBAs, teams and enterprises. Tens of thousands of users use it daily. The initial positioning is no longer suitable — it's not just a UI wrapper, it's a solid backup management system now
  2. Multiple databases support — while the primary focus remains PostgreSQL (with 100% support in the most efficient way), the project now supports MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB. More databases will be supported in the future
  3. Trademark compliance — "postgres" is a trademark of PostgreSQL Inc. and cannot be used in project names. For legal safety and compliance, renaming was necessary

If you're currently using Postgresus, you can continue using it or migrate to Databasus following the installation steps. Note that simply renaming the image isn't enough, as they use different data folders and internal database naming.
14

How is AI used in Databasus development?

There have been questions about AI usage in project development. As the project focuses on security, reliability and production usage, we want to be transparent about how AI is used in the development process.

AI is used as a helper for code quality verification, documentation improvement and assistance during development. AI is NOT used for writing entire code or code without tests. The project has solid test coverage, CI/CD automation and verification by experienced developers.

For detailed information about AI usage, development process and security measures, please visit our dedicated FAQ page.
15

How can I join the Databasus community?

You can join our large community of developers, DBAs and DevOps engineers at t.me/databasus_community. The community is a great place to ask questions, share experiences, get help with configuration and stay updated with the latest features and releases.
16

Can I restore backups without Databasus?

Yes! You can restore backups directly from storage (like S3, Google Drive, etc.) without Databasus itself. There is no vendor lock-in, even on this open source tool. With just your secret.key file, you can decrypt and restore any backup manually using standard database tools.

This means if your Databasus instance is unavailable or you lose access to it, your backups remain fully recoverable. See our manual recovery guide for detailed step-by-step instructions on how to decrypt and restore backups without Databasus.