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dbferry vs SimpleBackups
SimpleBackups is a well-established, broad backup service that covers servers, files, apps and databases. dbferry does one thing: per-database logical backups for managed Postgres and MySQL, into your own bucket. Here's an honest look at where each one fits.
The short version
If you need to back up many kinds of things — droplets, files over SSH, a MongoDB here, a website there — from one dashboard, SimpleBackups is a mature, general tool built for exactly that breadth.
If your problem is specifically managed Postgres/MySQL clusters that hold many databases, and you want each database backed up and restorable on its own, dbferry is purpose-built for that and priced for a smaller entry point.
| SimpleBackups | dbferry | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Broad: servers, files, apps, several databases | Focused: managed Postgres & MySQL |
| Per-database backup & restore | Database-level; granularity varies by source | Every database separately, restore one |
| Bring your own storage | Yes (S3 and compatible) | Yes — required, it's your bucket |
| Client-side encryption | Available | Default (age, AEAD), key stays yours |
| Zero data retention | Offers an option to route through your storage | Core design — data never touches our disk |
| Entry price | Lite tier around $49/mo | Lower entry (small-cluster plan) |
| Open-source core | No | Yes — the CLI + pipeline |
Where dbferry is different
Per-database, not just per-cluster
Managed providers restore the whole cluster. Broad tools often mirror that granularity. dbferry dumps each database as its own object, so recovering one tenant is a single command and never disturbs the others. That's the entire reason it exists — see restoring one database from a cluster.
Encryption and zero-retention by default
dbferry streams dump → zstd → age → your bucket and never stores your data. Encryption is on by default with a key you hold; we couldn't read your backups if we wanted to. With a broad aggregator, client-side encryption and routing straight to your storage are options you configure rather than the default posture.
Priced for a smaller starting point
SimpleBackups' entry tier sits around $49/mo, reflecting its breadth. dbferry starts lower because it does less on purpose — one job, done well.
When SimpleBackups is the better pick
We'd genuinely point you to a broad tool if you need to back up many different resource types — servers, volumes, files, websites, assorted databases — under one roof. dbferry deliberately doesn't do those; it backs up databases on managed Postgres/MySQL clusters and nothing else.
If your problem is managed databases, try dbferry
Per-database backups into your own S3 bucket, client-side encrypted, with single-database restore. Free open-source CLI to run yourself, or the hosted service on a schedule.