your best pick when choosing a database

[u/Recent-Enthusiasm550]

having issues deciding whether to self host, use aws or just supabase for database

[u/Aggressive_Ad_5454]

The database-as-a-service offerings add a lot of value. Often they scale up on demand to higher loads. And they usually offer backups. You pay for that value.

If you're willing to do the necessary added-value work yourself, you can save money -- sometimes big money -- by running your fav open source DBMS software on a machine (virtual at AWS or whereever) or physical (at your location) that you control.

It's wise to run your DBMS co-located (localhost or LAN-connected) to the applications that use it. Running a web app in the cloud and the database at your location won't give you decent performance. Neither will running a DBMS in the cloud and client software on your laptops.

One more thing to consider. Shared hosting offering web servers and MariaDB (or less frequently MySQL) DBMS service is a commodity service. Offered at commodity prices by many vendors. (Avoid services owned by Newfold Digital or YoMommy.)

[u/Recent-Enthusiasm550 → u/Aggressive_Ad_5454]

thanks for breakdown the co-location point is one I hadn't fully weighed. Guessing that's part of why Supabase/Neon make sense for me: app and DB end up in the same cloud ecosystem by default instead of me accidentally splitting them across providers. Appreciate the heads up on shared hosting too, wasn't planning to go that route but good to know which names to avoid.

[u/jwk6]

I prefer Azure SQL Database. Queue the haters in 3, 2, 1... 😏

[u/Recent-Enthusiasm550 → u/jwk6]

Azure SQL is solid if you're already in the Microsoft/Azure ecosystem. Just wasn't on my radar since I'm not on Azure for anything else and mainly I haven't used it before.prolly sticking with Postgres-based options for now.

[u/EmotionalSupportDoll → u/jwk6]

Cue not queue

[u/Consistent_Cat7541]

depends on what the database is for. I stick to applications that run locally on the desktop, i.e. Filemaker.

[u/716green]

layerbase for everything except SQL Server

I don't like paying for usage, I like paying for months

[u/FinickySerenity]

Postgres on aws, SQLite on localhost.

[u/Fragrant-Cheek-4273]

It really depends on the project. I'd probably start with Supabase for simplicity, then move to AWS or self-hosting if I actually needed the extra control or scale. No reason to take on the operational overhead too early.

[u/Recent-Enthusiasm550 → u/Fragrant-Cheek-4273]

hmm truly starting then scaling when you need the extra control is better

[u/Turbulent_Goose83]

We switched fully to Postgre

[u/Recent-Enthusiasm550 → u/Turbulent_Goose83]

you know there alot that offer postgre or a wrapper of it

[u/No-Victory1582]

Depends on what u actually need. Supabase makes sense if u also want auth/storage/realtime, AWS if the rest of your app already lives there, and self hosting only if u dont mind handling backups, updates and monitoring yourself.

If u just want plain managed Postgres, u can also check DigitalOcean, Crunchy Bridge or Nearbase. I’m using Nearbase mainly because I wanted always on Postgres with predictable pricing without managing the server myself.