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Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026

pgroll

Ch 087.1of 32 Database Migration Tools
  1. 1Runs onLinux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Rollback supportYes
  4. 4Self-hosted optionYes
  5. 5Migration formatmixed
5 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: pgroll.com, github.com
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The pgroll homepage

Overview

pgroll is ranked #8 of 32 in database migration tools on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Windows. There is a free plan.

pgroll plans and pricing

All plans
Open-source Free PostgreSQL 14.0 or later · single cross-platform binary github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on database migration tools

Rollback support
Yespgroll.com
Self-hosted option
Yespgroll.com
Migration format
mixedpgroll.com

Facts

Purpose
pgroll is an open-source command-line tool for safe, reversible PostgreSQL schema migrations that keep multiple schema versions available simultaneously.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Downtime
The project describes migrations as zero-downtime and says changes are applied without locking the database.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Backfills
pgroll automatically backfills columns when needed.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Rollbacks
An active migration can be rolled back to the previous schema version.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Migration workflow
pgroll uses an expand/contract workflow, keeping old and new schema versions accessible during client application rollout.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
How it works
It creates virtual schemas using views over physical tables and uses triggers to propagate writes between old and new columns during breaking changes.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Database compatibility
pgroll supports PostgreSQL versions 14 and later and says it works with any PostgreSQL service, including RDS and Aurora.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
PostgreSQL 14 limitation
On PostgreSQL 14, row-level security policies are not respected by pgroll's versioned views, so the documentation says pgroll is likely a poor choice when using RLS on that version.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Platforms
Prebuilt binaries are available for Linux, macOS, and Windows; installation is also documented through Homebrew and from source.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
ORM integration
pgroll can convert SQL migration statements generated by ORMs; its guide includes examples for Alembic, Django, and Drizzle.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
ORM limitation
The ORM guide says generated migrations need manual up and down data migrations, and SQL statements may need manual consolidation into fewer pgroll operations.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Client configuration
Client applications select a schema version by setting PostgreSQL's search_path when connecting.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Support
The project directs users to GitHub Issues, GitHub Discussions, and its Discord server for questions, issues, and feedback.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
License
The repository identifies the project as licensed under Apache License 2.0.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

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