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Databaseintermediate
Choosing a Database in 2026
A decision framework for picking your primary database - covering Postgres, MongoDB, DynamoDB, and modern options like Turso and Neon.
60 min7 steps
Technologies Used
PostgreSQLMongoDBDynamoDBTursoNeon
Implementation
Step by Step Guide
Follow these steps to implement this pattern in your project
1
Define the Workload
Read/write ratio, data shape, query complexity, latency targets.
2
Pick a Default
Most projects should start with Postgres - see Postgres vs MongoDB.
3
Evaluate Hosted Options
Compare Neon, Supabase, RDS, and Turso. Reference Supabase vs Firebase.
4
Plan for Scale
Design indexes, partitioning, and read replicas early.
5
Prototype the Critical Query
Run your hardest query against realistic data.
6
Pick the ORM
See Prisma vs Drizzle for ORM tradeoffs.
7
Document the Decision
Capture rationale in an ADR for future engineers.
Results
What You'll Achieve
Expected outcomes from implementing this playbook
A defensible database choice
A migration plan if needed later
Confidence in scaling profile
Clear ORM selection
Need an architecture session? Start a project.
Need help implementing this?
I can help you implement this pattern in your project or customize it for your specific needs.
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