Greenmask is a free, open-source utility for logical database dumps, anonymization, synthetic data generation, and restoration. PostgreSQL 11 and later are fully supported; MySQL support is still in beta and in progress. Its subsetting features can create smaller development databases while maintaining referential integrity, including cyclic and polymorphic references. Data transformations can be deterministic or random, with dynamic parameters, conditional rules, and inheritance for partitions and foreign-key references. Users can make custom transformers that communicate through standard input and output, or use predefined templates. Storage options include local directories, S3-compatible storage, Azure Blob Storage, and SSH/SFTP. Greenmask uses PostgreSQL's pg_dump and pg_restore utilities for schema dumping and restoration, and its dumps can be restored with pg_restore. It is designed for automated anonymization and restoration in CI/CD workflows. Its stateless, in-flight approach can transform data before persistence without requiring persistent storage of unmasked datasets in its normal workflow. Installation scripts support Linux and macOS; Windows is not supported yet.
Who it is for
Greenmask suits teams that need to anonymize or subset PostgreSQL databases for development or automated CI/CD workflows. It may also fit users who need synthetic data and restoration, provided they use a supported platform.
What is good
- Free, open-source utility
- PostgreSQL 11 and later supported
- Subsetting preserves referential integrity
- Supports local, S3-compatible, Azure, and SSH/SFTP storage
- Transformations can run before data is persisted
What to know first
- MySQL support remains beta and in progress
- Installation scripts do not support Windows
- Older releases are unsupported
Verdict
Greenmask offers database dumping, masking, subsetting, synthetic data generation, and restoration at no cost. PostgreSQL is its fully supported database; Windows installation and MySQL support are limited.
Greenmask plans and pricing
All plansCompared on data masking software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Masking methods
- static
- Synthetic data
- Yes
- Referential integrity
- Yes
- Deployment options
- on-premises
- Data subsetting
- Yes
