# pgBackRest Compression: How Much CPU Is a Smaller Backup Worth?

DevFeed: [pgBackRest Compression: How Much CPU Is a Smaller Backup Worth?](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/pgbackrest-compression-how-much-cpu-is-a-smaller-backup-worth-35042.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.percona.com/blog/pgbackrest-compression-how-much-cpu-is-a-smaller-backup-worth/>)

Author: Agustín Gallego

Published: 2026-09-16T21:43:06Z

Content type: comparison

Language: en

Sources: [Blog - Percona](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/blog-percona.md>)

Topics: [Compression](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/compression.md>), [Algorithms](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/algorithms.md>), [PostgreSQL](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/postgresql.md>), [postgresql 18](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/postgresql-18.md>), [backups](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/backups.md>), [Percona](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/percona.md>)

Tags: [algorithms](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/algorithms.md>), [backup](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/backup.md>), [compare](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/compare.md>), [compression](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/compression.md>), [cpu](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cpu.md>), [percona](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/percona.md>), [postgresql](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/postgresql.md>), [postgresql-18](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/postgresql-18.md>), [uncategorized](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/uncategorized.md>)

## AI overview

This comparison measures pgBackRest compression algorithms and levels on Percona Distribution for PostgreSQL 18.4. It finds that low-level Zstandard offers a favorable balance between CPU use and backup size, with zst(3) near the efficiency curve's shoulder.

## Source excerpt

In this blog post, we'll compare pgBackRest's compression algorithms and levels to find where spending more CPU stops buying a meaningfully smaller backup. The short version of the answer, which we'll build up to with real numbers, is that Zstandard at a low level is the sweet spot, and its default (zst(3)) already sits right ... Continued The post pgBackRest Compression: How Much CPU Is a Smaller Backup Worth? appeared first on Percona.