--- title: Philosophy behind pg_hardstorage | daily.dev description: CYBERTEC has open-sourced pg_hardstorage, a new PostgreSQL backup tool released under Apache 2.0 with no CLA or enterprise edition. After more than a year in... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/philosophy-behind-pg-hardstorage-cjpow1tkd twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Philosophy behind pg_hardstorage | daily.dev og:description: CYBERTEC has open-sourced pg_hardstorage, a new PostgreSQL backup tool released under Apache 2.0 with no CLA or enterprise edition. After more than a year in... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/philosophy-behind-pg-hardstorage-cjpow1tkd og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/CjPow1TkD.png og:image:alt: Philosophy behind pg_hardstorage og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Philosophy behind pg_hardstorage **[CYBERTEC PostgreSQL](https://daily.dev/sources/cybertec_postgresql)** · 3 min read · 6 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary CYBERTEC has open-sourced pg_hardstorage, a new PostgreSQL backup tool released under Apache 2.0 with no CLA or enterprise edition. After more than a year in real customer deployments, the tool aims to provide a credible alternative to pgBackRest, Barman, and WAL-G rather than replace them. Key design goals include eliminating the archive_command requirement, using backpressure via replication slots, supporting dual-stream WAL deduplication across primary and replica, and providing a migration shim for side-by-side cutover. The project follows a deliberately minimal philosophy, omitting a plugin system and built-in dashboards in favor of simplicity. Bug reports are encouraged as runnable testkit scenarios. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What is pg_hardstorage and how does it differ from pgBackRest, Barman, or WAL-G? pg_hardstorage is a PostgreSQL backup tool released as open-source under Apache 2.0 by CYBERTEC, with no enterprise edition and no CLA. It does not require archive_command, uses a replication slot owned by the agent for backpressure, and supports dual-stream WAL capture across a primary and its lowest-lag replica made nearly free through content-addressed deduplication. It is positioned as an alternative, not a replacement, for existing tools. _Comparing PostgreSQL backup tools before switching gets easier when new options like this surface on daily.dev._ ### How can I migrate to pg_hardstorage without breaking my existing PostgreSQL backup automation? pg_hardstorage provides an archive_command shim that lets teams run it side by side with their current backup tool during a cutover window, avoiding disruption to existing automation. This is meant to make switching low-risk if a team decides its dual-stream WAL and deduplication features fit their requirements better than their current setup. _Teams planning a PostgreSQL backup migration can track tool changes like this through daily.dev._ ### How mature is pg_hardstorage before its public open-source release? pg_hardstorage had been running in real customer deployments for over a year before its 1.0 open-source release, which the maintainers say let them validate the wire format and operational shape before asking others to depend on it. It ships with a testkit tool that lets bug reporters generate runnable reproduction scenarios. _Following the maturity signals behind new database tools like this is simpler with daily.dev on hand._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Introducing pg\_hardstorage: A New Community-Driven Approach to PostgreSQL Backup and Recovery](https://daily.dev/posts/introducing-pg-hardstorage-a-new-community-driven-approach-to-postgresql-backup-and-recovery-yyi4mjsuu) · CYBERTEC PostgreSQL · 11 upvotes · 0 comments - [Moving to pg\_hardstorage without changing your recovery strategy](https://daily.dev/posts/moving-to-pg-hardstorage-without-changing-your-recovery-strategy-czgj1pk5p) · Planet PostgreSQL · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Following a Backup from PostgreSQL to Recovery using pg\_hardstorage](https://daily.dev/posts/following-a-backup-from-postgresql-to-recovery-using-pg-hardstorage-lt9fustwu) · CYBERTEC PostgreSQL · 4 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#open-source](https://daily.dev/tags/open-source), [#postgresql](https://daily.dev/tags/postgresql) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/philosophy-behind-pg-hardstorage-cjpow1tkd) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Philosophy behind pg_hardstorage","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/philosophy-behind-pg-hardstorage-cjpow1tkd","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/philosophy-behind-pg-hardstorage-cjpow1tkd"},"datePublished":"2026-07-16T09:40:03.956Z","dateModified":"2026-09-13T19:40:34.084Z","description":"CYBERTEC has open-sourced pg_hardstorage, a new PostgreSQL backup tool released under Apache 2.0 with no CLA or enterprise edition. After more than a year in...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--foaA6JGU--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2004","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--foaA6JGU--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2004","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"CYBERTEC PostgreSQL","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"CYBERTEC PostgreSQL","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--T-0b7qSy--/f_auto/v1720886268/logos/cybertec_postgresql","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/cybertec_postgresql"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/philosophy-behind-pg-hardstorage-cjpow1tkd","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":6},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"open-source,postgresql","timeRequired":"PT3M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"CYBERTEC PostgreSQL","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/cybertec_postgresql"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Philosophy behind pg_hardstorage"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/philosophy-behind-pg-hardstorage-cjpow1tkd#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is pg_hardstorage and how does it differ from pgBackRest, Barman, or WAL-G?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"pg_hardstorage is a PostgreSQL backup tool released as open-source under Apache 2.0 by CYBERTEC, with no enterprise edition and no CLA. It does not require archive_command, uses a replication slot owned by the agent for backpressure, and supports dual-stream WAL capture across a primary and its lowest-lag replica made nearly free through content-addressed deduplication. It is positioned as an alternative, not a replacement, for existing tools. Comparing PostgreSQL backup tools before switching gets easier when new options like this surface on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How can I migrate to pg_hardstorage without breaking my existing PostgreSQL backup automation?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"pg_hardstorage provides an archive_command shim that lets teams run it side by side with their current backup tool during a cutover window, avoiding disruption to existing automation. This is meant to make switching low-risk if a team decides its dual-stream WAL and deduplication features fit their requirements better than their current setup. Teams planning a PostgreSQL backup migration can track tool changes like this through daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How mature is pg_hardstorage before its public open-source release?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"pg_hardstorage had been running in real customer deployments for over a year before its 1.0 open-source release, which the maintainers say let them validate the wire format and operational shape before asking others to depend on it. It ships with a testkit tool that lets bug reporters generate runnable reproduction scenarios. Following the maturity signals behind new database tools like this is simpler with daily.dev on hand."}}]} ```