Databases and storage

Recommended

• Use PostgreSQL for the main database

  Recommended Open source

  Keep the main business data of a web app in PostgreSQL, on a major version with more than 12 months of support left.

• Use SQLite for a small or embedded database

  Recommended Open source

  Use SQLite when one server process owns the data. Examples are a small site, a phone app, a test suite or a local tool.

• Use Redis 8 or Valkey for caches and queues

  Recommended Open source

  Run Redis 8 or later, or Valkey, for caches, rate limits and job queues. Never run Redis 7.4 to 7.8, whose licences are not open source.

• Use a mature ORM for database code

  Recommended Open source

  Write database code with Prisma in TypeScript and SQLAlchemy in Python, or with the Django ORM inside a Django project. Keep one ORM per codebase.

• Use the migration tool that comes with your ORM

  Recommended Open source

  Change the schema with the migration tool of the ORM you use, which is Prisma Migrate, Alembic for SQLAlchemy or Django migrations.

• Use PostgreSQL search first and OpenSearch when it falls short

  Recommended Open source

  Build search on PostgreSQL full-text search first. Add OpenSearch only when a measured need fails in PostgreSQL.

• Use the S3 API for files and SeaweedFS to host them

  Recommended Open source

  Keep uploads and other files in object storage reached through the S3 API, with the endpoint and bucket in settings. Host it yourself on SeaweedFS.

• Use BullMQ or RQ for background jobs

  Recommended Open source

  Run slow or retried work in background jobs with BullMQ in Node.js or RQ in Python, both on Redis or Valkey.

Avoid

• Avoid MongoDB as the default database

  Avoid Source available

  Do not pick MongoDB Community Server as the main database of a new web app.

• Avoid the MinIO community edition

  Avoid Open source

  Do not start new self-hosted object storage on the MinIO community edition, and plan a move off it.