What is dbsnapshot?

xb1jaa/dbsnapshot — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

★ 18ShellAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((dbsnapshot))
    What it does
      Capture schema snapshots
      Compare two snapshots
      Export migration SQL
    Databases
      PostgreSQL
      MySQL
      SQLite
    Diff output
      Added columns
      Modified columns
      Removed columns
    Watch mode
      Interval checks
      Change alerts

mindmap root((dbsnapshot)) What it does Capture schema snapshots Compare two snapshots Export migration SQL Databases PostgreSQL MySQL SQLite Diff output Added columns Modified columns Removed columns Watch mode Interval checks Change alerts

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Track database schema changes during a sprint where multiple people are modifying table structures.

USE CASE 2

Generate a SQL migration script from the diff between two saved schema snapshots.

USE CASE 3

Set up watch mode during active development to get alerted the moment someone alters a table.

What is it built with?

ShellPostgreSQLMySQLSQLiteJSON

How does it compare?

	xb1jaa/dbsnapshot	collindjohnson/agent-notify	xb1jaa/code-wizard
Stars	18	18	18
Language	Shell	Shell	Shell
Setup difficulty	easy	easy	moderate
Complexity	2/5	1/5	2/5
Audience	developer	vibe coder	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Use freely for any purpose including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

So what is it?

dbsnapshot is a command-line tool that takes point-in-time snapshots of a database's structure and lets you compare any two snapshots to see what changed. The idea is similar to how version control tracks changes in code files, but applied to the shape of a database rather than its contents. The tool supports three database systems: PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. Running the capture command saves the current schema as a JSON file with a timestamp and a name you choose. You can then list saved snapshots, compare any two of them to get a diff showing added, modified, and removed columns or tables, or export the differences as SQL statements that could be applied as a migration script. A watch mode is also included, which checks the schema at a regular interval and alerts when something changes. This could be useful during active development when multiple people are touching the database structure. The diff output is formatted to show additions with a plus sign, modifications with a tilde, and removals with a minus sign, along with a summary count at the bottom. The README shows an example where one column was added, one was changed from a shorter to a longer text type, and one legacy column was removed. The repository is a shell script project licensed under MIT. The README is brief and does not include installation instructions or detail how the tool connects to databases. It is marked as ready for GitHub Codespaces, which suggests the intent is for it to work in a browser-based development environment without requiring local setup.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I am using dbsnapshot to track my PostgreSQL schema. Walk me through capturing a baseline snapshot, making a schema change, capturing a second snapshot, and running the diff command to see what changed.

Prompt 2

I want to use dbsnapshot to automatically generate a migration script between two SQLite snapshots named before and after. Show me the exact commands to capture, diff, and export SQL.

Prompt 3

Set up a dbsnapshot watch command for a MySQL database that checks every 60 seconds and logs any schema changes to a file.

Frequently asked questions