Copy-on-write branching
Create instant database branches without copying data. Writes go to new storage chunks while reads share the parent. Branch a 200GB database in seconds.
The open source
Postgres branching engine
Instant copy-on-write branches, zero-downtime migrations, scale-to-zero, and the full Xata developer workflow. Self-host on your own Kubernetes cluster.
Everything you need for Postgres branching
Xata Core bundles copy-on-write storage, schema migrations, CDC replication, and connection routing into a single deployable platform.
Scale to zero
Idle branches automatically scale down to zero compute cost. The sidecar detects inactivity and hibernates clusters, waking them on the next connection.
Zero-downtime migrations
Integrated pgroll applies schema changes without locking tables. Old and new schema versions run simultaneously, with instant rollback if anything goes wrong.
CDC replication
Built-in pgstream syncs your production database to Xata with DDL tracking and column-level anonymization. Keep staging realistic without exposing sensitive data.
Built on CloudNativePG
Runs unmodified PostgreSQL in containers orchestrated by Kubernetes via CloudNativePG. No proprietary forks — your data stays in standard Postgres.
Full CLI experience
The Xata CLI provides the same workflow for self-hosted and cloud. Create branches, apply migrations, manage connections — all from the terminal.
Under the hood
Architecture
Xata runs on Kubernetes and uses standard PostgreSQL. No proprietary forks, no vendor lock-in.
Control plane
API layer for managing projects, branches, and connections. Single org, single region in the OSS version — no multi-tenancy complexity.
Branch operator
Kubernetes operator that wires features together on top of CloudNativePG. Orchestrates cluster lifecycle, scale-to-zero, backups, and branch management.
Gateway
Connection routing, branch wake-up, and serverless access. Routes Postgres connections to the right branch and handles scale-from-zero transparently.
Storage layer
Copy-on-write block storage for instant branching. Uses OpenEBS in the open source version — no data is copied when branching, only on write.
pgroll for migrations pgstream for replication Xata Agent for monitoring
Getting started
From zero to branches in four steps
01
Deploy with Helm
Xata ships as Helm charts for Kubernetes. Deploy the control plane, branch operator, gateway, and storage layer to any cluster.
02
Connect your production database
Point Xata at your existing PostgreSQL instance — AWS RDS, Aurora, GCP Cloud SQL, Azure Database, or self-hosted. Your data stays where it is.
03
Create your first branch
Use the Xata CLI to create a copy-on-write branch. It shares storage with the parent and is ready in seconds, regardless of database size.
04
Develop, test, merge
Make schema changes on branches, run tests against realistic data, and merge back with zero-downtime migrations via pgroll.
Open source vs cloud
Choose how you run Xata
Self-host with OSS, let us run it with SaaS, or deploy on your own cloud with BYOC.
| Feature | OSS | SaaS | BYOC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy-on-write branching | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| pgroll schema migrations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| pgstream CDC replication | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Xata Agent monitoring | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scale-to-zero | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Xata CLI | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RBAC & fine-grained access | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Multi-region & multi-cloud | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hyper-scale branching | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Multi-tenancy | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Managed infrastructure | ✓ | ||
| Runs on your cloud | ✓ |