Resources
Database insights, best practices, and technical deep-dives.
Free Tools
Run diagnostics on your database — no sign-up required
SQL Query Analyzer
Paste your slow SQL query and get an instant diagnosis. 100 rules covering full table scans, missing indexes, function abuse, bad joins, and more.
Use FreeEXPLAIN ANALYZE Explainer
Paste your PostgreSQL EXPLAIN ANALYZE output and get plain-English explanations. Identifies bottlenecks, bad row estimates, and disk spills instantly.
Use FreeDatabase Cost Calculator
Find out how much your slow database is costing you per month. Enter query times, server costs, and engineer hours to get the exact monthly waste.
Use FreeCloud DB Overspend Calculator
Enter your monthly cloud database bill and CPU utilization. Get an estimate of savings from right-sizing and Reserved Instance coverage.
Use FreeN+1 Query Impact Calculator
Quantify N+1 query overhead — extra DB load, slower p99 response times, and wasted monthly spend. Shows the ORM-specific fix for your stack.
Use FreeData Infrastructure Health Score
12 questions across 6 areas — cloud costs, caching, AI/vector, operations, cloud config, and API performance. Get scored and see your top 3 gaps.
Use Freepgvector vs Vector DB Advisor
Answer 6 questions about your AI workload. Get a concrete recommendation — pgvector, pgvector+pgvectorscale, or managed vector DB — with the reasoning.
Use FreeRedis Cache ROI Calculator
Model the impact of adding Redis. See projected latency reduction, database load drop, and monthly cost savings before you build anything.
Use FreeFree Downloads
Practical resources you can use today
Database Health Checklist
50+ items covering performance, security, reliability, and operations. Run through this quarterly or before any major release.
Read FreePostgreSQL Migration Guide
7-phase step-by-step process for migrating from Oracle or SQL Server to PostgreSQL — with zero-downtime cutover approach.
Read FreeQuery Optimization Workshop
6-module self-paced workshop on finding, diagnosing, and fixing slow database queries — with real SQL examples throughout.
Read FreeTechnical Articles
In-depth guides from our database performance team
February 18, 2026
· 18 min readPerformanceHow to Debug Slow SQL Queries: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to find, diagnose, and fix slow SQL queries using EXPLAIN ANALYZE, slow query logs, and proven debugging techniques. Covers missing indexes, N+1 patterns, full table scans, and query rewriting — with real SQL examples throughout.
February 25, 2026
· 14 min readComparisonPostgreSQL vs MySQL in 2026: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Database
A complete PostgreSQL vs MySQL comparison for 2026. Performance benchmarks, JSON support, replication models, licensing, migration complexity, and a practical decision framework for CTOs, architects, and developers.
March 3, 2026
· 16 min readOperationsDatabase Backup and Recovery: A Complete Best Practices Guide
Everything you need to build a complete database backup strategy: full vs incremental vs differential backups, PITR setup, RTO/RPO planning, tool comparison (pg_basebackup, WAL-G, Barman), recovery testing procedures, and compliance retention requirements.
March 5, 2026
· 15 min readCloudAWS RDS Performance Tuning: A Complete Optimization Guide
How to get maximum performance from AWS RDS: choosing the right instance class, tuning PostgreSQL parameter groups, configuring read replicas, optimising GP3 storage and IOPS, setting up CloudWatch and Performance Insights, cutting costs, and when to migrate to Aurora.
May 12, 2026
· 11 min readCloudAWS RDS Extended Support Is Doubling in 2026 — Here's What You Owe and How to Stop It
MySQL 5.7 and PostgreSQL 11 on RDS entered Extended Support Year 3 in 2026, and AWS doubled the rate on March 1. Most teams don't know what they're paying. This guide shows exactly what the charges are, how to find them in your bill, and the three upgrade paths that eliminate the cost.
May 16, 2026
· 12 min readPerformancePostgreSQL Connection Exhaustion: How to Fix 'Too Many Connections' with PgBouncer
When your application hits PostgreSQL's connection limit, every new connection fails. The database looks unhealthy, the app returns 500s, and engineers blame the database — but the database is usually fine. This guide covers why the problem occurs and how to deploy PgBouncer to eliminate it.
May 19, 2026
· 10 min readPerformanceYour API Is Slow. Your Database Probably Isn't the Problem.
80% of slow API latency problems trace to the application layer — N+1 queries, connection pool exhaustion, SELECT *, or serial calls that could be parallel. Learn how to isolate where the time actually goes and fix each cause. Includes a real case: p99 from 4.2 seconds to 180ms.
May 22, 2026
· 12 min readPerformancePostgreSQL 18: Every Performance Improvement You Need to Know
PostgreSQL 18 beta (2026) brings 20–30% short query throughput gains, major vacuum improvements, enhanced query planner statistics, reliable logical replication, and pgvector improvements for AI workloads. Here's what changed and how to test it before upgrading production.
May 26, 2026
· 11 min readOperationsManaged DBA vs. Hiring In-House: The Full Cost Breakdown for 2026
Most engineering leaders underestimate the true cost of an in-house DBA by 40–60% because they think salary, not total cost. This guide breaks down the full economics of both models, the scenarios where each wins, and a side-by-side comparison across four company sizes.