Neon has launched a Snapshots feature, now available in its Early Access Program. Snapshots let users capture point-in-time copies of a database's state and schema instantly with minimal performance impact. Unlike traditional backups (pg_dump), snapshots are lightweight and can be restored into a new branch for testing, debugging, or rollback without affecting the original branch. The post also compares Snapshots to Neon's existing Point-In-Time Restore (PITR): PITR is best for quickly reverting a branch with automatic connection switchover, while Snapshots are better suited for longer-term retention, compliance, archival, and pre-migration safety nets. Future improvements include scheduled snapshots, custom retention periods, and API/CLI support.
