As an architect, I spend most of my time crafting new architectural proposals or assessing the quality of existing ones. The data layer stands out as the most pivotal and challenging among all the building blocks. As of 2025, db-engines.com lists an overwhelming 392 database options. Yet, this website offers no guidance on selecting the right one. This talk fills that gap.
We’ll explore modern database engine types and their most peculiar specimen, review their strengths and weaknesses, and establish clear selection criteria for each type and specific DB engine within a type. Along the way, we’ll examine quirky edge cases that push us to cross boundaries between database classes or leverage polyglot persistence — highlighting peculiar databases you might not have considered.
Finally, I’ll share the decision tree I’ve developed and refined — a cheat sheet that simplifies the database selection process for real-world projects. Whether you’re optimizing for scale, performance, or niche requirements, this session will deliver practical insights you can apply immediately.