Barman

C tier on Database Backup SoftwareScore 6.7 · #5 of 25

Android app: Not listed
Free plan: Yes
Runs on: Linux, self-hosted

pgbarman.org

Summary

Barman is a free, self-hosted tool for managing disaster recovery across PostgreSQL servers. It supports remote backups and local or remote recovery, including point-in-time recovery. Backup management includes catalogs, incremental and parallel operations, retention policies, and WAL archiving or streaming. Synchronous WAL streaming supports zero data loss (RPO=0). Remote transfers can use rsync over SSH or pg_basebackup, and recovery can run locally or over SSH. Barman integrates with PostgreSQL and archiving tools such as tar. It can compress WAL files with bzip2, gzip, or a custom method. Backup and WAL encryption with GPG depends on configuration; immutable storage is also available, with a required grace period in the current implementation. Barman runs on Linux or UNIX-like systems, uses an INI configuration file, and stores metadata locally. Its experimental cloud-streaming method is limited to S3-compatible destinations and does not support encryption or direct restores in Barman. The code is distributed under GPL-3.

Who it is for

Barman suits database administrators and organizations managing disaster recovery for business-critical PostgreSQL databases. It is intended for teams able to run and configure self-hosted software on Linux or UNIX-like systems.

What is good

Supports point-in-time recovery.
Provides incremental and parallel backup operations.
Manages retention for backups and WAL files.
Synchronous WAL streaming supports RPO=0.
Available free under GPL-3.

What to know first

Requires self-hosted Linux or UNIX-like systems.
GPG encryption depends on configuration.
Experimental cloud streaming lacks encryption and direct restores.
Immutable storage requires a grace period.

Verdict

Barman offers a broad set of PostgreSQL backup and recovery capabilities, including remote operations and point-in-time recovery. Its self-hosted setup and limits on experimental cloud streaming are important considerations.

Barman plans and pricing

All plans

Barman Free Open-source PostgreSQL disaster recovery tool pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on database backup software

Free plan: Yespgbarman.org
Point-in-time recovery: Yespgbarman.org
Backup frequency: continuouspgbarman.org
Restore verification: Yespgbarman.org
Deployment model: self_hostedpgbarman.org
Supported databases: PostgreSQLpgbarman.org

Facts

Purpose: Barman is an open-source Python administration tool for disaster recovery of PostgreSQL servers.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Remote backups: Barman supports remote backups of multiple PostgreSQL servers for business-critical environments.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Recovery: Barman supports point-in-time recovery and both local and remote recovery.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Backup features: Its features include backup catalogs, incremental and parallel backup and recovery, retention policies, and WAL archiving and streaming.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Backup transports: Remote backups can use rsync over SSH or pg_basebackup.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Integrations: Barman integrates with PostgreSQL and standard archiving tools such as tar.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Encryption: Barman supports encryption of backups and WAL files using GPG, subject to configuration requirements.docs.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Immutable storage: Barman can store backups on immutable storage to protect against malicious actors or accidental deletion, with a required grace period for its current implementation.docs.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Cloud backup limitation: The documented experimental streaming-to-cloud method supports only S3-compatible destinations and does not support encryption or direct restores in Barman.docs.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Operating system: Barman runs on Linux or UNIX-like systems, including FreeBSD and OpenBSD, according to the 3.20.0 installation requirements.docs.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Cloud providers: Optional libraries enable integrations for AWS S3 and EC2 snapshots, Azure Blob Storage and VM snapshots, and Google Cloud Storage and Compute snapshots.docs.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Support: Community support is available through a mailing list and GitHub bug tracker; EDB offers 24x7 production support, consulting, and training.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
License: Barman's code is distributed under GNU General Public License 3.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Intended users: Barman is designed for organizations and database administrators managing disaster recovery for business-critical PostgreSQL databases.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Retention: Barman manages retention policies for backups and WAL files.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Remote access: Remote backups can use rsync over SSH or pg_basebackup, and recovery can be local or over SSH.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
WAL support: Barman supports WAL archiving and streaming, including synchronous WAL streaming for zero data loss (RPO=0).pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Compression: It can compress WAL files using bzip2, gzip, or a custom method.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Configuration: Barman uses a simple INI configuration file and stores metadata locally.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Downloads: The project lists PGDG and EDB repositories, PyPI, and GitHub releases as download sources.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Community support: Community support is available through a mailing list and GitHub bug tracker.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Professional support: EnterpriseDB offers 24x7 production support, consulting, and training for Postgres and Barman.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026
Current release: The homepage lists version 3.20.1, dated 29 September 2026.pgbarman.org · 30 Sept 2026