Distributed SQL databases offer a consistent developer experience, improved performance, and scalability compared to traditional approaches such as sharding middleware and NoSQL. They provide the benefits of ANSI SQL, ease of application connectivity, and ACID-compliant transactions without compromising on data consistency. Unlike shared-everything database architectures like MySQL and PostgreSQL, distributed SQL architecture is made up of three layers: a SQL API, distributed query execution, and distributed storage. The primary characteristic of a distributed SQL database is the ability to shard automatically based on a declared key, reducing the overhead of sharding middleware previously discussed. Distributed databases are horizontally scalable and elastic, with managed service offerings enabling one-click scaling, offering high availability and data resilience without complexity. Cloud-native distributed SQL databases also provide unlimited storage and replication by default, ensuring data persistence in object storage.