Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SelfControl VS Postgresus

Compare SelfControl VS Postgresus and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

SelfControl logo SelfControl

V2 updates! - Custom time interval for distraction free mode - Ability to turn off ' always on' mode - Improved UI -- Self Control -- A simple app to keep you focused online by blocking sites that you spend way too much time on.

Postgresus logo Postgresus

PostgreSQL monitoring and backups (open source, free and self hosted)
  • SelfControl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19
  • Postgresus Dashboard
    Dashboard //
    2025-07-08

Postgresus is a free, open source and self-hosted tool to monitor PostgreSQL and make backups. With different storages and notifications about progress

Features: - Health checks each minute with availability chart - Save backups locally, to S3, Google Drive and more - Scheduled backups (daily, weekly, at 4 AM, etc.) - Notifications to email, Telegram, Slack, etc. - PostgreSQL from v13 to v17 supported

Postgresus

$ Details
free
Platforms
Cloud AWS
Release Date
2025 June
Startup details
Country
United States
State
New York
Founder(s)
Rostislav Dugin
Employees
1 - 9

SelfControl features and specs

  • Effective Website Blocking
    SelfControl blocks access to distracting websites based on a customizable blocklist, helping users stay focused.
  • Timer Functionality
    Users can set a timer for how long they want websites to remain blocked, ensuring focused work periods without distraction.
  • Free to Use
    SelfControl is open-source and free to download and use, making it accessible to anyone without financial barriers.
  • Easy to Use
    The interface is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing users to quickly set their preferences and get started.

Possible disadvantages of SelfControl

  • Mac-Only
    SelfControl is only available for macOS, excluding Windows and Linux users from using the application.
  • No Undo Option
    Once the block period is set and started, it cannot be undone even by restarting the computer, which could be an issue if access to blocked sites is needed unexpectedly.
  • Limited Feature Set
    The app primarily focuses on website blocking, lacking additional productivity tools or features like app blocking or usage analytics.
  • No Scheduled Blocking
    SelfControl does not offer the ability to schedule block sessions in advance, meaning users must manually start each session.

Postgresus features and specs

  • Monitoring
    Monitor your PostgreSQL database and it's metrics
  • Backups
    Backup your DB locally, to S3, Google Drive and other sources
  • Scheduled backups
    Backup the DB daily, weekly, at specific time (like 4 AM)

Analysis of SelfControl

Overall verdict

  • Overall, SelfControl is a highly recommended tool for individuals looking to enhance their productivity by minimizing digital distractions. Its open-source nature and no-nonsense approach make it a popular choice among students, freelancers, and professionals alike.

Why this product is good

  • SelfControl is considered a good application because it effectively blocks distracting websites, helping users focus on their tasks without getting sidetracked by online distractions. It's simple to use, efficient, and highly customizable, allowing users to specify which sites to block and for how long, ensuring a tailored productivity experience.

Recommended for

    SelfControl is ideal for students who need to concentrate on studying, remote workers who want to avoid procrastination, freelancers who require discipline in managing their time, and anyone who needs a simple solution to reduce digital distractions during focused work periods.

Analysis of Postgresus

Overall verdict

  • Postgresus is a solid, focused open-source backup solution for PostgreSQL that emphasizes simplicity, reliability, and automation, making it a good choice for teams that want straightforward, self-hosted database backup management without the complexity of larger enterprise tools.

Why this product is good

  • Open-source and self-hostable, giving full control over data and infrastructure
  • Simple setup and configuration tailored specifically for PostgreSQL backups
  • Supports automated, scheduled backups reducing manual intervention and human error
  • Lightweight tool focused on doing one job well rather than being a bloated all-in-one platform
  • Likely supports common storage backends (e.g., S3-compatible storage) for flexible backup destinations
  • Cost-effective alternative to paid managed backup services since it's free/open-source

Recommended for

  • Developers and DevOps teams managing PostgreSQL databases who want automated backups
  • Startups and small-to-medium businesses looking for a cost-effective, self-hosted backup solution
  • Organizations with strict data residency or compliance requirements needing self-hosted control
  • Teams already using PostgreSQL who want a lightweight, dedicated backup tool instead of a general-purpose solution
  • Users comfortable with self-hosting and maintaining open-source infrastructure tools

SelfControl videos

How to block websites that distract you ? Selfcontrol [Mac App review and tutorial]

More videos:

  • Review - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Postgresus videos

No Postgresus videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SelfControl and Postgresus)
Time Tracking
100 100%
0% 0
Databases
0 0%
100% 100
Time Management
100 100%
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing SelfControl and Postgresus.

What makes your product unique?

Postgresus's answer:

It is free and open source

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Postgresus's answer:

Backend developers, DBAs and DevOps

What's the story behind your product?

Postgresus's answer:

This was the tool I developed for my own projects. Then I decided to go open source and joined GitHub

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Postgresus's answer:

Golang, React, TypeScript and Docker

User comments

Share your experience with using SelfControl and Postgresus. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SelfControl should be more popular than Postgresus. It has been mentiond 79 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SelfControl mentions (79)

  • Oregon School Cell Phone Ban: 'Engaged Students, Joyful Teachers'
    A combination of https://selfcontrolapp.com/ and Hammerspoon automation and you can lock yourself out of pretty much everything. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Kiki โ€“ The accountability monster for people who are easily distracted
    Happy to see it still exists, and free https://selfcontrolapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • How do you fight YouTube addiction and procrastination? I'm struggling with it
    I have found that a useful method for getting distractions off my work laptop has been https://selfcontrolapp.com/ (if you're on mac). - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Using an $8 smart outlet to avoid brainrot
    Pro tip for macos/ios folks: - Macos: Install https://selfcontrolapp.com/, add every website and their alternatives you know, set it to 24 hours. Really hard to bypass this even if you know networking stuff - iOS: Enable downtime 24/7 ask someone else to set the password. I'm down to about 35 minutes a day of mobile usage, and laptop usage is only work related things. You really need two or three days to clear... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • My 30-Year Quitting Addiction
    There is a free and open source app called SelfControl for macOS. It allows one to block access to any site one adds to the list in the app for the amount of time the user chooses. Attempt to use multiple browsers, restarting one's machine, deleting the app, etc. won't get around the block either. It's been super helpful for me, so I thought I'd just throw it out there. https://selfcontrolapp.com. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

Postgresus mentions (14)

  • Why you don't need PITR and incremental backups for most PostgreSQL databases in 2026
    PostgreSQL backup tools like Postgresus make implementing this strategy straightforward. Postgresus automates backup scheduling. It handles encryption and compression. It supports multiple storage destinations and provides monitoring that ensures backups actually succeed. It delivers the protection most databases need without the complexity of WAL archiving (this is why it is suitable both for self-hosted and... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Top 7 pg_dump Backup Strategies for Production-Grade PostgreSQL
    Implementing these seven strategies manually requires significant scripting, scheduling and monitoring infrastructure. Postgresus is the most popular tool for PostgreSQL backup, providing all these strategies through a web interface that takes minutes to configure. It handles scheduling, rotation, multi-destination storage (S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, NAS), AES-256-GCM encryption and instant notifications โ€”... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Top 5 Backup Formats and When to Use Them for PostgreSQL
    For teams managing multiple PostgreSQL databases, manually choosing formats and managing backups across environments becomes tedious. Postgresus automates PostgreSQL backup by selecting optimal settings based on your database size, handling compression, encryption (AES-256-GCM) and multi-destination storage (S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, NAS) โ€” all through a web interface that takes minutes to configure. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Top 5 Ways to Combine pg_dump with Cloud Storage
    Managing pg_dump scripts, cron schedules, cloud credentials and retention policies across multiple databases quickly becomes a maintenance burden. Postgresus is the most popular tool for PostgreSQL backup, designed for both individuals and enterprise teams. It uses pg_dump internally but provides a web interface for configuring schedules, connecting multiple storage destinations (S3, Cloudflare R2, Google Drive,... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • How to Backup and Restore a Single PostgreSQL Table with pg_dump
    While pg_dump gives you complete control over single-table operations, managing backups across multiple databases and schedules requires scripting and maintenance. PostgreSQL backup tools like Postgresus โ€” the most popular backup solution for PostgreSQL โ€” handle scheduling, retention, encryption, and multi-destination storage through a clean web interface, suitable for individuals and enterprise teams alike. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SelfControl and Postgresus, you can also consider the following products

Cold Turkey - Cold Turkey is a free productivity program that you can use to temporarily block distractions so that you can get your work done!

Open PostgreSQL Monitoring - Oversee and Manage Your PostgreSQL Servers

Freedom.to - Freedom is a productivity hack that lets you block apps, websites or the entire Internet on iPhones, iPads, Windows and Mac computers.

Argus DBA - Monitor the availability of your PostgreSQL clusters with instant alerts. Lightweight agent, no open ports, free to start.

Focus App - New Tab page that gives you a moment of calm and inspires you to be more productive.

neon - Neon - Showreel 2016-17. Info. Shopping. Tap to unmute. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.