The Digital Press

Using SQLite with Rails offers a simpler way to deploy apps without separate database or cache services, but it introduces unique challenges around scaling, backups, and outages. André Arko shares his experience building a Rails app on SQLite, highlighting how to avoid common pitfalls and leverage SQLite’s strengths effectively.

Why it matters: SQLite simplifies deployment by embedding the database in the app process, reducing infrastructure complexity and cost.

The big picture: Scaling apps on SQLite requires vertical scaling and careful file management, as multiple processes cannot share the same database file concurrently.

The stakes: Improper setup can cause data loss, downtime during deploys, and contention from simultaneous writes to the single database file.

Commenters say: Many appreciate SQLite’s ease for small apps but warn it’s not suited for high-scale, horizontally distributed production systems. Some advocate self-hosting Postgres for better scalability, while others praise SQLite’s simplicity for modest workloads.