Best Postgres Database Migration Tools For 2024

Enterprises might need to move data while upgrading their databases, establishing a new data warehouse, etc. Whenever there is a requirement for migrating data, most developers, DBAs (database administrators), and enterprise owners seek an automated solution. There are several kinds of migrations.

You can migrate from one technology to another, to a new data center or cloud, or even to another computer in the exact location and technology. The ideal for a Postgres migration tool relies on the type of migration and needs, such as availability or downtime tolerance. Therefore it might be challenging to discover the appropriate PostgreSQL migration tool for the job.

This article outlines some of the most efficient and user-friendly Postgres database migration tools to explore before opting for one. 

Postgres Database Migration Tools

The following are the 9 significant Postgres Database Migration Tools:

1) Postgres Database Migration Tool: Hevo Data

Hevo is one of the popular database migration tools for PostgreSQL which is the only real-time ELT No-code Data Pipeline platform that cost-effectively automates data pipelines that are flexible to your needs. Connect any data source to PostgreSQL with a few clicks and watch your data load in real time. Experience a hassle-free, zero-maintenance data load with Hevo. 

 You can get started with Hevo’s 14-day free trial and instantly move data from 150+ pre-built integrations comprising a wide range of SaaS apps and databases. Moreover, our 24 X 7 customer support will help you unblock any pipeline issues in real time.

Get Started with Hevo for Free

Setting up data pipelines with Hevo is a simple 3-step process: selecting the data source, providing valid credentials, and choosing the destination.

With Hevo, fuel your analytics by not just loading data into Warehouse but also enriching it with in-built no-code transformations. Its fault-tolerant architecture ensures that the data is handled securely and consistently with zero data loss.

Check out what makes Hevo unique:

• Near Real-Time Replication: Get access to near real-time replication on All Plans. Near Real-time via pipeline prioritization for Database Sources. For SaaS Sources, near real-time replication depend on API call limits.
• In-built Transformations: Format your data on the fly with Hevo’s preload transformations using either the drag-and-drop interface or our nifty Python interface. Generate analysis-ready data in your warehouse using Hevo’s Postload Transformation. 
• Monitoring and Observability: Monitor pipeline health with intuitive dashboards that reveal every stat of the pipeline and data flow. Bring real-time visibility into your ETL with Alerts and Activity Logs.
• Reliability at Scale: With Hevo, you get a world-class fault-tolerant architecture that scales with zero data loss and low latency.

Hevo provides transparent pricing to bring complete visibility to your ETL spend.

2) Postgres Database Migration Tool: pg_chameleon

pg_chameleon is a MySQL to PostgreSQL replication mechanism written in Python 3. It can connect to the MySQL replication protocol and replicate data changes in PostgreSQL. Whether the user has to set up a permanent replica between MySQL and PostgreSQL or execute an engine migration, pg chameleon is an excellent tool for the job.

The primary characteristics of this PostgreSQL Database Migration tool are as follows:

• Read from several MySQL schemas and restore them into a PostgreSQL database of choice.
• Configure PostgreSQL to serve as a MySQL slave.
• Basic DDL (CREATE/DROP/ALTER TABLE, DROP PRIMARY KEY/TRUNCATE, RENAME) support
• Error-producing tables are immediately omitted from the replica.
• It is possible to refresh individual tables or schemas.
• Remove the MySQL replica for migration assistance.
• The init replica process was daemonized.
• Daemonized replica process with two distinct subprocesses, one for reading and one for replaying
• It is an open-source tool and retrieves data from a MySQL database, which generates ~ 2,000 commits per second. 

Limitations of using pg_chameleon:

• It doesn’t support real-time replicas.
• The data copy happens with the file method.
• copy_max_memory is not applicable.
• type override doesn’t apply.
• Only init_replica is supported.
• The connection string for the source requires a database name.

3) Postgres Database Migration Tool: pgloader

pgloader loads data into PostgreSQL and enables Continuous Migration from your existing database to PostgreSQL. Continuous Migration makes it simple to make incremental progress over time and halt and continue migration activities later if necessary.

There are two ways to use pgloader. It can load data from files like CSV or Fixed-File Format or convert an entire database to PostgreSQL.

As a migration source, pgloader supports numerous RDBMS systems and retrieves information from catalog tables via a connection to construct an equivalent schema in PostgreSQL. This means you can switch to PostgreSQL with a single command!

Pgloader is an open-source database migration tool.

Limitations of pg_loader

pgloader supports only tables, indexes, and constraints like – unique, not null, sequences, primary keys, and foreign keys. Adding new SQL objects to pgloader is possible, but the task’s difficulty is deciding how best to map those new objects to the PostgreSQL feature set.

4) Postgres Database Migration Tool: Ora2pg

Ora2pg is a data migration tool to migrate data from Oracle to PostgreSQL. It is an open-source tool that scans and extracts the data and database schema to generate PostgreSQL-compatible scripts to populate the latter. You do not require any Oracle database knowledge besides providing the parameters to connect. 

The tool comprises two main components, a Perl script (ora2pg) and a Perl module (Ora2pg.pm). Once you set up Oracle as the source database, you must set the export type (TABLE / MVIEW / GRANT / PROCEDURE / INDEXES / TRIGGER, etc.). Ora2pg can also provide cost estimates for migrating PL/SQL code from files, generating ktr files in XML format for Pentaho Data Integrator (Kettle), and processing multiple SQL commands concurrently. 

Ora2pg is one of the Postgres Migration tools that you can avail for free. 

Limitations of Ora2pg

• Even though a file feature is available, it only processes a single file, and it needs an Oracle database for conversion.
• SSL connection is not supported. 
• Some manual work is needed as the tool may not fully convert code to achieve PostgreSQL compatibility.

5) Postgres Database Migration Tool: IBM InfoSphere DataStage

IBM InfoSphere DataStage is a data integration tool designed to develop jobs that run and transform data. It is a component of the IBM InfoSphere Information Server that helps understand and deliver critical values for enterprises. The tool can be integrated with several databases like PostgreSQL, Oracle, and IBM DB2. 

The IBM InfoSphere DataStage supports various programming languages like VB (visual basic) and C (procedure-oriented). It is also compatible with processing large volumes of data (structured or unstructured). You can directly connect it to enterprise applications while reducing development times and improving performance via pre-built functions. The ETL tool minimizes project delivery time. 

You cannot utilize this GUI tool for PostgreSQL for free. Its pricing varies based on service provision via hosting, on-premises, etc. For instance, the hosted premium version costs around US$6,800 per month for a small cloud to about US$12,400 for a medium cloud platform, and US$19,300 for a larger platform.

For instance, the hosted premium version costs around US$6,800 per month for a small cloud, about US$12,400 for a medium cloud platform, and US$19,300 for a larger platform.

Limitations of IBM InfoSphere DataStage

• The infosphere datastage dataset doesn’t contain fields like- int 64, string, fixed or variable length, tagged aggregate, and vectors.
• The tool doesn’t support manipulation through cloud services
• Big data management can be more functional
• Stages to build and parse JSON and XML need improvement.

6) Postgres Database Migration Tool: Fivetran

Fivetran is a data pipeline service provider that extracts source data and connects it to a cloud data store or warehouses built with PostgreSQL. It pulls data from multiple sources and moves it with a low-impact change data capture (CDC). Using the CDC technique, Fivetran reads logs of changes rather than sending queries about your data. These changes are then channelized to your output warehouse. 

Fivetran improves the accuracy of data-driven decision-making by synchronizing data, automating the in-warehouse transitions, and managing read-to-query schemas. Fivetran data pipeline levies approximately 99.9% platform uptime to indicate its reliability. The ETL tool claims to sync 1,000+ terabytes of data monthly. It is a better alternative to getting a whole data engineering team to load your data into PostgreSQL.

Fivetran offers several packages like Starter (US$120), Standard Select (US$ 60), Standard (US$ 180), Enterprise (US$ 240), and Business Critical pack (on-demand).

Limitations of IBM InfoSphere DataStage

• The infosphere datastage dataset doesn’t contain fields like- int 64, string, fixed or variable length, tagged aggregate, and vectors.
• The tool doesn’t support manipulation through cloud services
• Big data management can be more functional
• Stages to build and parse JSON and XML need improvement.

7) Postgres Database Migration Tool: Blendo

Blendo is an ETL data integration tool that simplifies your connections between sources and databases. It is one of the best self-serve postgres database migration tool that extracts PostgreSQL data and transmits it to your desired data warehouse. It automatically syncs your source data once you set up the incoming end of the data pipeline. You can load the data into cloud storage like Panoply, Redshift, Google BigQuery, and more.

Blendo’s data extraction is not an automatic process. But you can still use the tool to pull and analyze your Postgres (PostgreSQL) data securely. It can integrate data sources within a few minutes without scripts or coding, work with analytics-ready data robustly, and keep your data fresh with its pipelines. 

Blendo offers a free trial, after which you can get a subscription to use its services. There are three models that you can subscribe to, Starter (US$ 150), Grow (US$ 300), and Scale (US$ 500). 

Limitations of Blendo

• Pipelines may require occasional maintenance.
• There is limited flexibility to modify integration parameters once the initial setup is complete.
• It provides fewer database connection options compared to certain competitors.
• The initial data import process can be time-consuming.

8) Postgres Database Migration Tool: Xplenty (Integrate.io)

Integrate.io (formerly Xplenty) is a cloud-based ETL data integration tool that unites multiple data sources. Integrate.io offers a large library of database connectors, making it one of the best postgres database migration tools because of its intuitive visual interface for low-code data pipelines between sources and targets like PostgreSQL. It also features an intuitive UI for analysts and engineers who deploy custom transformation jobs.

A sandbox version with free unlimited hours is available for you to try the tool. If you wish to continue utilizing Integrate.io services, you can request for on-demand quotation from the vendor. 

Limitations of Integrate.io

Deciphering and resolving issues in job error logs can be challenging at times. Moreover, there is insufficient documentation available for in-depth exploration of advanced functionalities.

9) Postgres Database Migration Tool: Stitch

Stitch data integration tool is an ETL replicating data into PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and data warehouses. The replication is done with “Stitch API,” and then the data is stored in PostgreSQL load-optimized warehouses where it can be accessed in minutes. With its transparent orchestration tool, you can also track the progress via pipeline and receive automated email alerts when ETL errors pop up. 

Stitch ensures data governance and security by centralizing into your data infrastructure. It supports SLAs plus security features, including SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance. It also offers advanced connectivity like SSH tunneling for data pipeline security. Stitch is compatible with 100+ SaaS apps and databases, including some leading cloud warehouses like Amazon Redshift and Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics. 

Stitch provides a 14-day free trial for all its versions. You will need to purchase the services to try different versions. The Standard version costs US$100/month for rows. The cost increases as you opt for more rows. You need to contact the vendor directly to get quotations for the Unlimited and Unlimited Plus versions. 

Limitations of Stitch

• Stitch primarily emphasizes data extraction and loading, offering fewer functionalities for data transformation. Its priority is speed and simplicity, making it suitable for straightforward tasks. However, exploring alternative solutions might be advisable if your requirements involve intricate custom logic.
• While Stitch’s free tier serves as an excellent entry point, expenses can rise swiftly for enterprises dealing with large data volumes. It appears to be a tool particularly tailored for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with lower data volumes. Therefore, for larger businesses, it’s essential to be aware that this may lead to increased costs.

Types of Migration

Migration Between Online and Offline

Either write scripts to be used later to recreate object definitions (offline migration) or migrate instantly and straight into a Postgres database (online migration).

Control of Granular Migration

Batch size control and specification, column data type changes, row-by-row commits, avoiding WAL logging for optimal migration, and filtering only rows that satisfy predetermined standards

Rich in Features

Give the Migration Toolkit a wide range of instructions to carry out the migration in accordance with the particular requirements of your project.

The Toolkit for Migration

Any large-scale migration endeavor revolves around the Migration Toolkit. It’s critical to experiment with and validate migration scenarios as your project becomes more complex. The repeatability and configurable nature of this process, from data to structure, helps ensure a seamless, error-free, and timely migration at go-live. That’s exactly what the Migration Toolkit enables you to accomplish.

Conclusion

In this blog post, you have learned about Postgres Database Migration Tools. The blog also offered an overview of PostgreSQL. Some of these tools are very efficient but costly, like the IBM InfoSphere DataStage tool. On the other hand, the Ora2pg tool is one of the best open-source Postgres Database Migration tools with several advanced features. Hevo data pipeline also does a great job of providing extensible features for PostgreSQL data migration.

Hopefully, you will try leveraging the Postgres Database Migration Tools for your future projects. Feel free to leave a comment below expressing your thoughts or recommendations.

If you are a PostgreSQL user, replicating data in a warehouse using ETL for Data Analysis can get demanding. This problem is exaggerated because they need extensive money and resources to hire data engineers and analysts to make sense of this data. 

Luckily, you can set up and start Data Replication from PostgreSQL to your favorite warehouse in a matter of minutes using Hevo. 

Visit our Website to Explore Hevo

Hevo lets you replicate your data from your PostgreSQL database to any Data Warehouse of your choice like Amazon Redshift, Snowflake, Google BigQuery, or Firebolt within minutes with just a few clicks.

Give Hevo a try. Sign Up here for a 14-day full feature access trial and experience the feature-rich Hevo suite firsthand. You can also check our unbeatable Hevo pricing and decide on your best-suited plan. 

Share your thoughts on learning about Postgres Database Migration Tools in the comments section below. If you have any questions, do let us know. We’d be happy to help.