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
What backup schedules can I schedule?
You can choose from hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or cron cycles and even choose an exact run time (such as 04:00 when it's late night). Weekly schedules enable you to choose a particular weekday, while monthly schedules enable you to choose a particular calendar day, giving you very fine-grained control of maintenance windows. You can also configure retention policies to automatically clean up old backups — by time period, count, size limit or GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son), the latter being popular for enterprise compliance.
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.
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
How does PostgreSQL monitoring work?
Databasus monitors your databases instantly. This optional feature helps avoid extra costs for edge DBs. Health checks are performed once a specific period (minute, 5 minutes, etc.). To enable the feature, choose your DB and select 'enable' monitoring. Then configure health checks period and number of failed attempts to consider the DB as unavailable.
7
Who is Databasus suitable for?
Databasus is designed for single developers, DevOps teams, organizations, startups, system administrators and IT departments who need reliable databases backups. Whether you're managing personal projects or production databases, Databasus provides enterprise-grade backup capabilities with a simple, intuitive interface.
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 fully supported, PostgreSQL remains the core priority with the most optimized features and ongoing development.
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:
- 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
- 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
- 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.