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pgagroal

pgagroal.github.io

Free plan macOSLinuxSelf-hosted
Visit pgagroal.github.io
Spec score 7.6 #14 of 31 in Database Proxy Software

What it is

pgagroal is a free, self-hosted PostgreSQL connection pool for Linux and macOS. It supports per-user and per-database connection limits, pool prefill, idle connection removal, and connection validation. Administrators can enable or disable database access and choose graceful or fast shutdown. Remote management and command-line tools handle runtime administration and user management. Monitoring exports Prometheus metrics and includes a Grafana 12 dashboard. Authentication can use database-backed queries or a user vault for credentials. If a PostgreSQL server can no longer accept writes, pgagroal can trigger an external failover workflow. The project lists TLS v1.2+ and describes both server-only and mutual certificate authentication. It works with PostgreSQL-compliant drivers including pgjdbc, Npgsql, and pq. Tested systems listed include Fedora 38+, RHEL 9.x, Rocky Linux 9.x, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD; releases list packages through Fedora 42/43, RHEL 10, and Rocky Linux 10. The repository identifies a BSD-3-Clause license. GitHub is used for questions, issues, feature requests, and code contributions.

Spec sheet

Purpose
pgagroal is a high-performance connection pool for PostgreSQL.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Support
The project directs users to ask questions, raise issues, submit feature requests, and contribute code through GitHub.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
License
The project repository identifies its license as BSD-3-Clause.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Administration
It supports remote management and includes command-line tools for runtime administration and user management.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Authentication
It supports database-backed authentication queries and a user vault for credential management.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Connection controls
It supports per-user and per-database connection limits, pool prefill, idle connection removal, and connection validation.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Current package availability
The releases page lists packages through Fedora 42/43, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, and Rocky Linux 10.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Drivers
It works with PostgreSQL-compliant drivers, including pgjdbc, Npgsql, and pq.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Failover
It can trigger external failover workflows when a PostgreSQL server can no longer accept writes.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Monitoring
It exports Prometheus metrics and provides a Grafana 12 dashboard.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Operations
It can enable or disable database access and supports graceful or fast shutdown.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io
Supported systems
The repository lists Fedora 38+, RHEL 9.x, Rocky Linux 9.x, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD as tested platforms.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Transport security
The project lists TLS v1.2+ support, and its TLS guide describes server-only and mutual client/server certificate authentication.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pgagroal.github.io

Plans and prices

pgagroal Free BSD-3-Clause · self-hosted PostgreSQL connection pool Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com

Every pgagroal plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free BSD-3-Clause software
  • Supports per-user and per-database limits
  • Exports Prometheus metrics with Grafana dashboard
  • Offers TLS and mutual certificate authentication
  • Provides remote and command-line administration

Limits

  • Self-hosted deployment requires administration
  • Supports PostgreSQL rather than multiple databases
  • Platform support is tied to listed systems

Who it suits

pgagroal suits administrators running self-hosted PostgreSQL who need connection limits, monitoring, credential controls, and failover hooks. It requires a supported operating system and PostgreSQL-compatible drivers.

Verdict

pgagroal provides a focused PostgreSQL pool with operational controls, monitoring, security, and failover integration at no software cost. Review its supported systems and self-hosted administration model before deployment.

Where Specifiction places it

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