pgclone 4.0.0 released
Posted on 2026-04-27 by Valeh Agayev
Related Open Source
pgclone v4.0.0: Native SQL-Based Database Cloning and Data Masking
Baku, Azerbaijan — April 22, 2026
I am pleased to announce the release of pgclone version 4.0.0, a
PostgreSQL extension that clones databases, schemas, and objects directly via
SQL. It features built-in data masking, parallel background workers, and
full DDL support — with no dependency on pg_dump, pg_restore, or external
shell scripts. pgclone is released as open source under the PostgreSQL
Licence.
Description
pgclone provides a seamless way to clone PostgreSQL objects across
instances using nothing but SQL commands. By leveraging the PostgreSQL COPY
protocol and custom Background Workers (BGW), it offers a high-performance,
integrated alternative to traditional dump/restore workflows.
Key Capabilities
- Native SQL Interface: Clone databases, schemas, and tables without
leaving
psql or managing shell scripts.
- Integrated Data Masking: Anonymize sensitive data (emails, names,
phone numbers, hashes) during the cloning process using built-in masking
functions.
- Auto-Discovery: Automatically scan source schemas to identify
sensitive columns and receive suggested masking rules.
- High Performance: Parallel background workers handle concurrent table
cloning, with real-time progress tracking via
pgclone.jobs_view.
- Full DDL Support: Preserves indexes, constraints (PK, UNIQUE, CHECK,
FK, EXCLUDE), triggers, views, and sequences.
- Flexible Conflict Resolution: Choose between
error, skip,
replace, or rename strategies when objects already exist.
- Cross-Version Compatibility: Tested on PostgreSQL 14, 15, 16, 17,
and 18.
- Open Source: Distributed under the PostgreSQL Licence — the same
permissive licence used by PostgreSQL itself.
Links & Resources
We welcome contributions and feedback from the community to help make pgclone
even better.
- GitHub: https://github.com/valehdba/pgclone
- Release v4.0.0: https://github.com/valehdba/pgclone/releases/tag/v4.0.0
- PGXN: https://pgxn.org/dist/pgclone/4.0.0/
- Usage Guide: https://github.com/valehdba/pgclone/blob/main/docs/USAGE.md
- Async Operations: https://github.com/valehdba/pgclone/blob/main/docs/ASYNC.md
- Architecture: https://github.com/valehdba/pgclone/blob/main/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
- Manual Testing: https://github.com/valehdba/pgclone/blob/main/docs/TESTING_MANUAL.md