# Schedules and retention (/docs/databases/schedules-and-retention)

Every database has its own schedule and retention. You set both when you add the database and can change them later in the database's **Settings** tab, under **Schedule & retention**.

## Schedules [#schedules]

| Schedule             | Starter | Pro |
| -------------------- | ------- | --- |
| **Every hour**       | No      | Yes |
| **Every 6 hours**    | No      | Yes |
| **Every 12 hours**   | Yes     | Yes |
| **Daily at 03:00**   | Yes     | Yes |
| **Weekly on Sunday** | Yes     | Yes |

Picking a schedule your plan doesn't allow shows _The Starter plan backs up at most every 12 hours. Upgrade for more frequent backups._

### Timezone [#timezone]

Schedules run in the database's timezone, which is your browser's timezone when you add the database. **Daily at 03:00** means 03:00 there, and daylight saving time is handled.

### Start times are spread out [#start-times-are-spread-out]

Each database gets a small fixed offset from its slot: up to 10% of the interval, and never more than 15 minutes. If many databases are scheduled for 03:00, they don't all start at the same instant. A given database always starts at the same offset.

### After downtime [#after-downtime]

If backupd was unavailable when runs were due, each database gets **one** catch-up run, not one run per missed slot.

### Plan changes [#plan-changes]

A backup never runs more often than your plan allows. After a downgrade from Pro to Starter, an hourly database is backed up at most every 12 hours until you change its schedule.

## Retention [#retention]

Choose how long to keep backups with **Keep backups for**: 7 days, 30 days, 90 days or 1 year.

| Plan    | Longest retention                 |
| ------- | --------------------------------- |
| Starter | 30 days                           |
| Pro     | 90 days                           |
| Custom  | Longer than 90 days, by agreement |

Backups older than the retention are deleted from backupd Storage. Two backups of each database are always kept, however old they are:

- the newest successful backup, and
- the newest backup that passed its restore test.

Backups that are being restored are also kept until the restore finishes.

Retention is capped by your plan. If you downgrade, backups older than the new plan's limit are deleted on the next retention run.

Retention doesn't apply to copies in [your own bucket](/docs/storage/destinations). Manage those with your bucket's lifecycle rules.

<Callout type="info">
  A workspace without a plan in good standing deletes nothing. Its backups stay
  available to download and restore. See [Trial, changes and
  cancelling](/docs/billing/subscription).
</Callout>