Side by side

pg_probackup vs pgBackRest

Both stand on database backup software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

pg_probackup

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

pg_probackup offers several backup modes and recovery paths, along with validation and retention controls. Check the Windows SSH restriction and version-matching requirement before planning remote operations.

Visit pg_probackup

pgBackRest

Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

Choose pgBackRest for self-hosted PostgreSQL environments that need backup flexibility, remote operations, and object storage support. Its free MIT-licensed plan allows personal or commercial use. Look elsewhere if you need software for a platform other than Linux or a hosted deployment.

Visit pgBackRest

The facts

	pg_probackup	pgBackRest
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Self-hosted, Windows	Linux, Self-hosted
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	pgbackrest.org
On database backup software	#16 of 27	#20 of 27

pg_probackup: what it does well

Supports full and page-level incremental backups
Offers partial and point-in-time recovery
Retention can be based on time or backup count
Operations can run across multiple threads

What to know first

Remote backup over SSH is unsupported on Windows
SSH operations require matching local and remote versions

pgBackRest: what it does well

Supports full, differential, and incremental backups at file or block level.
Uses parallel processing and lz4 or zstd compression for backup and restore.
Supports remote operations over TLS or SSH.
Repositories can use S3, Azure, and GCS compatible object stores.
Checks backup file integrity during restore or verification.

What to know first

Runs on Linux and is self-hosted.
No free trial is offered.

Alternatives to pg_probackup Alternatives to pgBackRest The whole list