Less Database, More Files

Short summary

Moving immutable data from PostgreSQL to object storage (S3/Parquet/DuckDB) dramatically reduces operational overhead and cost. Databases optimize for managing concurrent changes; read-only, append-only data belongs in cheap, serverless buckets. This pattern saves orders of magnitude on storage, backup, and infrastructure costs when scaling large datasets.

• •Databases waste complexity on immutable data that never changes
• •Object storage + Parquet + DuckDB provides cheaper, simpler scaling for append-only data
• •Real cost: ~$0.02/GB/month storage vs. database operational overhead that compounds yearly

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.