Database technologies matched to how your data is used

For most business applications a relational SQL database is the safer default because it enforces structure and consistency. Document or key-value stores make sense for specific workloads, often alongside a relational database rather than instead of one.

Not always. If you already run PostgreSQL, the pgvector extension handles many retrieval workloads well. A dedicated vector service becomes worthwhile at very large scale or when you want it fully managed.

Yes. We map the old structure to the new one, write repeatable migration scripts, test them on copies of real data and reconcile the results before switching over.

We set up automated backups with point-in-time recovery where the database supports it, keep copies in a separate location and test restores. A backup is only useful if it has been shown to restore.

Both are reliable choices. We usually recommend PostgreSQL for new projects because of its richer features, such as JSON support and pgvector, and use MySQL or MariaDB where your existing systems or hosting already depend on them.

Redis is an in-memory store we use for caching, queues, sessions and rate limiting. It speeds up an application considerably but is not normally the primary home for important data.

Not always. PostgreSQL's built-in full-text search is enough for many applications. Elasticsearch is worth adding when you need fast search across large volumes, typo tolerance, faceted filters or detailed relevance tuning.

Every change is written as a versioned migration that is reviewed, tested and applied automatically during deployment. Larger changes are split into safe steps so the application keeps running throughout.

They can be, because they provide a database, authentication and file storage with little setup. Supabase is built on PostgreSQL, which makes it easier to move to a standard setup later; with Firebase we plan the data model carefully to avoid lock-in.

We encrypt data at rest and in transit, encrypt particularly sensitive fields in the application, restrict who and what can access each database, and log access where required.