Using triggers + history tables (aka audit tables) is the right answer 98% of the time. Just do it. If you're not already doing it, start today. It is a proven technique, in use for _over 30 years_.
It's great if you can store immutable data. Really, really great. But you _probably_ have a ton of mutable data in your database and you are _probably_ forgetting a ton of it every day. Stop forgetting things! Use history tables.
Do not use Papertrail or similar application-space history tracking libraries/techniques. They are slow, error-prone, and incapable of capturing any DB changes that bypass your app stack (which you probably have, and should). Worth remembering that _any_ attempt to capture an "updated" timestamp from your app is fundamentally incorrect, because each of your webheads has its own clock. Use the database clock! It's the only one that's correct!
Here's a quick rundown of how to do it generically https://gist.github.com/slotrans/353952c4f383596e6fe8777db5d... (trades off space efficiency for "being easy").
It's great if you can store immutable data. Really, really great. But you _probably_ have a ton of mutable data in your database and you are _probably_ forgetting a ton of it every day. Stop forgetting things! Use history tables.
cf. https://github.com/matthiasn/talk-transcripts/blob/master/Hi...
Do not use Papertrail or similar application-space history tracking libraries/techniques. They are slow, error-prone, and incapable of capturing any DB changes that bypass your app stack (which you probably have, and should). Worth remembering that _any_ attempt to capture an "updated" timestamp from your app is fundamentally incorrect, because each of your webheads has its own clock. Use the database clock! It's the only one that's correct!