Database scaling: 5 best practices to grow your website

Businesses generate vast amounts of data requiring scalable databases to manage increasing demands without sacrificing performance or reliability. Database scaling is essential for maintaining smooth user experiences as enterprises expand, and can be achieved through vertical scaling, which enhances a server's capacity by adding more resources, or horizontal scaling, which distributes workloads across multiple servers. Vertical scaling offers a simple solution for smaller databases but can be costly, whereas horizontal scaling provides greater flexibility for large databases and high-speed processing needs. A scalable database supports multiple data sources, improves collaboration by allowing secure access to data across teams, and enables hybrid environments by integrating on-premises and cloud-based solutions. However, challenges such as data consistency, uneven data partitioning, poor query performance, and increased infrastructure costs must be addressed when implementing scaling strategies. The choice between vertical and horizontal scaling depends on the specific needs, growth expectations, and performance requirements of an organization.