Percona Backup for MongoDB

Percona Backup for MongoDB (PBM) is an open-source tool for backing up and restoring MongoDB replica sets and sharded clusters. It suits teams operating MongoDB themselves, especially those using Percona Server for MongoDB and needing control over backup storage and recovery. Its strongest case is flexible, point-in-time recovery; its main caveat is that backup types depend on the MongoDB product, version, and storage engine.

Overview

PBM is a distributed backup tool with continuous backup frequency. It can save oplog slices between backups to support recovery to a specific point in time, which is useful when restoring to a moment between scheduled backup operations. You manage it from the command line, or through Percona Monitoring and Management (PMM), which integrates with PBM workflows for creating and managing backups.

PBM uses MongoDB authentication and authorization. Each replica set needs a PBM user in its admin database, so setup includes database-level access configuration rather than just choosing a storage destination.

Key features

Backup choice and recovery

PBM supports logical, physical, and incremental physical backups, subject to product and version requirements. It can also target selected databases or collections; when backing up whole databases, users and roles can be included. That flexibility helps teams tailor backup scope, but it does not make every backup type available on every MongoDB deployment.

MongoDB Community and Enterprise Edition support logical backups only. Percona Server for MongoDB supports all PBM backup types, subject to version and storage-engine requirements. Physical backups specifically require Percona Server for MongoDB 7.0 or newer with the WiredTiger storage engine. Teams running MongoDB Community or Enterprise that need physical backups should look elsewhere or reassess their database platform.

Storage and security

Supported destinations include Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, MinIO and other S3-compatible storage, filesystem servers, Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage, and Alibaba Cloud OSS. OCI Object Storage authentication can use a user principal, instance principal, or OKE workload identity. PBM also documents S3 server-side encryption options, including AWS KMS and customer-provided keys.

Percona recommends systemd credentials for encrypted, runtime-only access, rather than keeping MongoDB connection credentials in plaintext environment variables or service files. This is a meaningful deployment consideration for teams responsible for protecting backup infrastructure as well as the backups themselves.

Recent releases

PBM 2.16.0, identified as the latest release on the release notes page, added backup retention policies, experimental parallel uploads to Google Cloud Storage, and support for Debian 13 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. Parallel uploads are experimental, so teams should not treat them as a settled production capability. PBM 2.15.0 release notes say releases include Software Bills of Materials in CycloneDX 1.6 format; version 2.16.0 also introduced those bills of materials.

Pricing

PBM's Community plan is free. It is an open-source backup tool, making it a fit for teams comfortable operating and maintaining their own backup setup. There is no cheaper tier that trades away capabilities: the main qualification is compatibility, since the MongoDB edition and storage-engine requirements determine which backup types are usable. The plan facts do not establish seat or storage quotas, so this review does not assume any.

Platforms

PBM is available for Linux and self-hosted deployments, with a web interface through PBM with Percona Monitoring and Management. Its command-line interface is central to managing backup and restore operations, so it is better suited to database teams comfortable working with operational tooling than to users seeking a standalone graphical backup app.

Who it's for

PBM is a strong fit for organizations running MongoDB replica sets or sharded clusters that want an open-source, self-hosted backup workflow, multiple storage destinations, and point-in-time recovery. Percona Server for MongoDB users who meet the version and WiredTiger requirements can use the broadest set of backup types. MongoDB Community and Enterprise users still get logical backups, but should not choose PBM expecting physical or incremental physical backups.

Percona is a remote-only company building open-source database software and support, and says it has operated since 2006. That database focus aligns with PBM's role as infrastructure software rather than a general-purpose backup utility.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Point-in-time recovery support: Oplog slices between backups help teams recover to a specific point in time.
• Broad destination choice: Support for major cloud object stores, S3-compatible storage, and filesystem servers gives self-hosted teams flexibility in where backups reside.
• Selectable backup scope: Database and collection selection can avoid unnecessary full-scope backups, with users and roles available when backing up whole databases.
• Open-source and free: The Community plan costs nothing, making PBM accessible to teams prepared to manage it themselves.

Cons

• Backup types are edition-dependent: MongoDB Community and Enterprise are limited to logical backups, narrowing PBM's appeal for teams that require physical backups.
• Physical backups have strict prerequisites: They require Percona Server for MongoDB 7.0 or newer and WiredTiger.
• Operational setup is part of the deal: Teams must configure a PBM user in each replica set's admin database and manage credentials securely.
• One recent upload feature remains experimental: Parallel uploads to Google Cloud Storage should not be treated as a mature guarantee.

Alternatives

For other database backup tools, browse Database Backup Software. Pick an alternative when its database focus, interface, or plan better matches your deployment:

• MySQL is a better fit for SQL and NoSQL application environments that need replication, high availability components, and connectors across Linux, macOS, Windows, API, or self-hosted deployments.
• SqlBak may suit teams wanting a broader cross-platform service with a free tier covering one server, two databases, one-month backup history, and server-down alerts every 60 minutes; its Standard plan is $6 a month.
• DBAegis is oriented toward PostgreSQL, with a Community plan covering one admin, three connections, three schedules, and local logical PostgreSQL backups.
• Barman is a free, open-source PostgreSQL disaster recovery tool for Linux and self-hosted environments.
• Databasus is a free, Apache 2.0-licensed option for Linux, self-hosted, and web deployments, with all described product features included.
• DT Database Backup Wizard offers a Windows demo for up to two manual backups per database, but limits scheduling, cloud destinations, and retention; encryption and compression are preview-only.
• pg_probackup is a free backup and recovery utility for PostgreSQL clusters across Linux, self-hosted, and Windows environments.
• Database Vault is a web-based alternative whose free plan includes weekly automated backups, seven-day retention, 1 GB total storage, a low-priority queue, and basic email notifications; Starter is $9 a month.

Verdict

Choose PBM if you run MongoDB yourself and want a free, open-source route to multi-destination backups with point-in-time recovery. Percona Server for MongoDB users get its widest backup options, provided they meet the version and storage-engine requirements. Look elsewhere if you need physical backups on MongoDB Community or Enterprise, or prefer a backup product that does not require database-level setup and operational ownership.