pgloader vs DBConvert
Two ways to migrate from MySQL to PostgreSQL - pgloader's COPY-based loader and DBConvert's GUI workflow. Where each one fits.
The naive path doesn't work
On paper, moving data from MySQL to PostgreSQL looks like three commands:
$ mysqldump --compatible=postgresql > data.sql $ some_script.sh data.sql data.psql $ psql -f data.psql
--compatible=postgresql is no longer supported. See MySQL 8 docs.
Output was never a drop-in PostgreSQL dump. The community scripts that bridged the gap are now unmaintained.
Verdict: dead end. Use a real tool.
Two tools that actually work
pgloader
Open source · CLI
Imports data from MySQL into PostgreSQL using the COPY command. Brings indexes and foreign keys along; handles type conversion.
Where it fits
- Sources: SQLite, MySQL, CSV → PostgreSQL
- Free, PostgreSQL License
- Cross-platform, Docker image available
- One-way only - can't sync back
Best for: Linux/terminal users running one-shot loads into PostgreSQL, especially from CI pipelines.
DBConvert
Commercial · GUI + CLI
DBConvert & DBSync for MySQL and PostgreSQL covers the same ground plus reverse direction, ongoing sync, and a GUI workflow.
Where it fits
- Both directions. Plus MariaDB, Percona, Heroku, AWS RDS / Aurora, Google Cloud SQL, Azure
- GUI workflow. No scripts. Source → target → customize → run
- Tree view. Rename objects, override types before the run starts
- Sync after migration. Insert / Update / Drop sync
- Bidirectional. Both databases stay in step
Best for: Cross-platform migrations needing either direction, GUI for non-DBAs, or ongoing sync.
Need log-based, real-time CDC instead?
DBConvert Streams is a separate product for continuous, log-based change data capture between MySQL and PostgreSQL. pgloader is one-way and one-shot; DBConvert / DBSync above do scheduled and trigger-based sync; Streams covers real-time replication.
Comparing other migration tools?
DBConvert vs MySQL Workbench → for SQL Server → MySQLWhich one should you pick?
pgloader for one-way Linux loads into PostgreSQL, especially in CI pipelines. DBConvert for cross-platform migrations that need either direction, a UI for non-DBAs, or ongoing synchronization after the initial cutover.