Choosing a database for a small product
Teams often ask us which database they should start with. Our answer has not changed in years: start with PostgreSQL unless you have a concrete reason not to.
It handles relational data, JSON documents, full-text search and queues well enough for most products in their first years. Operational knowledge is easy to find, and managed offerings exist at every major provider.
When a product outgrows a single database, the reasons are usually specific and measurable. That is the moment to add a specialised system, not before.