DATABASE DECISIONS

SQLite vs PostgreSQL

SQLite makes local persistence straightforward. PostgreSQL provides a database service with a broad type system and server-side capabilities.

Try SQLite locally New to SQLite?

Compare the work you need to do

Decision	SQLite	PostgreSQL
Connection model	The application accesses its local database through a library.	Applications connect to a separately managed server.
Data model	Start with SQLite storage classes and deliberate constraints.	Choose explicit types and evaluate extensions for specialized needs.
Shared workloads	Useful for local apps, prototypes and many modest websites.	A candidate for shared services with concurrent writers and centralized access.
Migration	INTEGER PRIMARY KEY has specific rowid behavior.	Review identity columns, sequences, casts and SQL dialect differences.

A practical scenario

An offline field notebook can save observations in SQLite without requiring a network connection. A central service that combines observations from many teams may use PostgreSQL. Both can be parts of the same system, but synchronization needs its own design.

Find a starting point

This short chooser suggests what to evaluate. It does not replace a benchmark or architecture review.

Before you choose

Separate offline storage needs from the central service.
Test every use of implicit casts and date functions.
Reset identity sequences after importing existing IDs.
Benchmark representative queries and add indexes from measured needs.

Test the query, then the whole application

Start with a familiar aggregation. Add representative indexes and realistic row counts. A fast single query does not measure concurrent writes, backups, deployment cost or operational recovery.

SELECT customer_id, COUNT(*) AS order_count
FROM orders
GROUP BY customer_id
ORDER BY order_count DESC;

The SQLite Lab workspace runs SQLite only. To compare engines, execute equivalent workloads in their native environments.

Generate a PostgreSQL migration draft and review the unsupported-feature report before testing it.

Further reading: SQLite appropriate uses and PostgreSQL official documentation.