pgstream vs TiCDC
pgstream
xata.ioTiCDC
docs.pingcap.comSide by side
| Figure | pgstream | TiCDC |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Change Data Capture Software | 7.9 (#11) | 8.1 (#8) |
| Deployment | pgstream can run as a standalone CLI or be embedded as a Go library, and requires PostgreSQL as a dependency. | TiCDC can be deployed with a new TiDB cluster or added to an existing cluster using TiUP. |
| Purpose | pgstream is an open-source CDC tool for replicating PostgreSQL data and DDL schema changes to targets. | TiCDC replicates incremental data from TiDB by capturing TiKV change logs, sorting the changes, and exporting row-based data to downstream systems. |
| Security | The product page describes built-in anonymization for masking production data as it is replicated to development or staging. | The deployment guide documents enabling TLS between TiDB components, including TiCDC. |
| Support | The project README directs users with questions or issues to open a GitHub issue for community assistance. | PingCAP directs paid-plan users to support tickets and all users to community Slack support. |
Plans
In their own words
pgstream
pgstream is a free, open-source tool for moving PostgreSQL data and schema changes to other systems. Run it as a command-line program or embed it as a Go library; it is self-hosted and requires PostgreSQL. Destinations include PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch or OpenSearch, Kafka, and webhooks. It can take an initial or on-demand snapshot for bulk loads and point-in-time copies, and tracks schema changes so receiving systems can reflect table updates. During replication, column values can be transformed with greenmask, neosync, go-masker, or custom transformers, including to mask production data headed for development or staging. Kafka support includes schema-based partitioning. Installation options include a Go binary, building from source, and Homebrew on macOS or Linux. The project uses the Apache License 2.0 and costs nothing. Its initial release has constraints: one Kafka topic, the wal2json PostgreSQL plugin, no row-level filtering, and a primary-key or unique non-null column requirement. Community questions and issues go through GitHub issues.
TiCDC
TiCDC is a free, open-source, self-hosted tool for replicating incremental data changes from TiDB. It captures TiKV change logs, sorts the changes, and exports row-based data to systems including TiDB, MySQL-compatible databases, Kafka, Amazon S3, GCS, Azure Blob Storage, and NFS. Recommended Kafka formats include Canal-JSON, Avro, and Debezium. Filters can select databases, tables, DMLs, and DDLs, while the Open API can check task status, change task configuration, and create or delete tasks. TiCDC supports replication between TiDB clusters for disaster recovery, with second-level RPO and minute-level RTO, as well as bidirectional replication for multi-active deployments. It can be deployed with a new cluster or added to an existing one; production guidance recommends at least two instances. The system has no single point of failure and allows nodes to be added or removed dynamically. Delivery is at least once, so failures can lead to repeated statements or Kafka messages.