SimpleBackups charges $29–$99 a month to run pg_dump on a timer — and wants your production database credentials on their cloud. The DIY cron script is free but fails silently until the day you need the backup. Vaultkeeper fixes both: scheduled, encrypted dumps of Postgres, MySQL, SQLite and MongoDB, shipped to disk, S3 or FTP, pruned by retention policy, with alerts the moment a run fails. $39, once, on your own hardware.
If you've searched for a SimpleBackups alternative, Vaultkeeper is the pay-once option worth putting at the top of the list: Vaultkeeper is $39, one time, and covers the same core job SimpleBackups charges $29/mo for.
What makes Vaultkeeper the pick for 2026
- Four engines — PostgreSQL (pg_dump), MySQL/MariaDB (mysqldump), MongoDB (mongodump) — and SQLite via the online backup API, safe on live WAL databases with nothing installed.
- Real scheduling — Cron expressions with presets, per-job timezone, next-3-runs preview, and a per-job lock so runs never overlap.
- Encryption you can restore without us — age if installed, or built-in AES-256-GCM with a documented open format and a dependency-free decrypt script — your backups are never hostage.
- Three destination types — Local disk, any S3-compatible bucket (AWS, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, MinIO — multipart uploads), and FTP/FTPS.
- GFS-lite retention — Keep last N, plus daily-for-X-days and weekly-for-Y-weeks — pruned automatically on the destination after every successful run.
Vaultkeeper vs SimpleBackups, at a glance
| Vaultkeeper | SimpleBackups | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $39 once | $29–$99/mo ($348–$1,188/yr) |
| Cost over 3 years | $39 | $1,044+ |
| Postgres / MySQL / Mongo / SQLite | All four | Yes |
| Your DB credentials | Stay on your box, encrypted at rest | Stored on their cloud |
| Encryption format you can decrypt yourself | Documented VK1 + age, decrypt script included | Partial |
| Works fully offline | Yes | No |
| Failure alerts (webhook + email) | Yes | Yes |
| Source code | MIT, on GitHub | Closed |
SimpleBackups is $348+ per year. Vaultkeeper pays for itself in 6 weeks — then your backups run free, forever.
Common questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes — MIT source at github.com/bensblueprints/vaultkeeper-mvp, always. The $39 buys the packaged installer and funds development. One month of the competition, forever.
What happens to my backups if Vaultkeeper disappears?
They still open. The VK1 encryption format is documented in the README (AES-256-GCM, scrypt key derivation) and the repo ships a zero-dependency decrypt script — plus you can use age instead. Your backups outlive the software by design.
Do I need database tools installed?
For Postgres/MySQL/Mongo, yes — Vaultkeeper shells out to the official dump tools, and a tool-check panel shows what's found on PATH with install hints. SQLite needs nothing installed. The Docker image bundles all of them.
The bottom line
Vaultkeeper won't out-feature SimpleBackups on every axis — no subscription tool with a bigger team and a bigger roadmap loses on everything. But for the core job, $39 once against $29/mo forever is a trade most people should at least look at. Vaultkeeper is part of OneTimeSuite, a catalog of pay-once apps that replace subscription SaaS.
Try Vaultkeeper — $39, once
Postgres, MySQL, SQLite & Mongo dumps on cron — encrypted, shipped to S3/FTP/disk, with failure alerts.