Custom database development that scales with your business
SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Azure SQL, AWS RDS — schema design, performance tuning, stored procedures, cloud deployment, ETL pipelines, REST & GraphQL APIs over your data. Fixed-price, founder-built, code & schema are yours.
- Schema reviewed & signed off before any tables created
- Load-tested against realistic data — not "fine in dev"
- You own the schema & code — not subscribed to it
- Lowest prices Fixed cost · no monthly SaaS bills · founder-led overhead
- High quality Sandbox-first · weekly demos · reconciled pre-launch
- Fast delivery Quote in 48 hours · live in weeks, not months
- Latest tech Latest APIs · v2 REST native · you own the code
- Xero
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- Stripe
- Square
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Power BI
- Deputy
- ServiceM8
- Simpro
Real benefits, by solving real database problems.
- Built To ScaleSingle-user Access / SQLite that buckles at 50 concurrent users
- Indexed For SpeedSlow queries · 30-second reports · timeouts under any real load
- Designed For Your DataGeneric ORM schemas that don't match your domain or queries
- Cloud-ReadyOn-prem only · no remote access · no disaster-recovery plan
- Documented & OwnedDatabase where only one person knows how it actually works
Six database engineering capabilities
From the first ERD whiteboard through the cutover with parallel-run safety net, to the disaster-recovery runbook on the wall — built by engineers who treat the database as the foundation, not an afterthought.
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Database Design & Architecture
Schema design built around how you actually query the data — normalised where it matters, denormalised where read speed matters more. ERDs, naming conventions, data dictionary documentation that future devs and DBAs can actually use.
- Schema design & ERDs
- Normalisation vs read-path trade-offs
- Data dictionary documentation
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SQL Server · PostgreSQL · MySQL
Microsoft SQL Server (on-prem & Azure SQL), PostgreSQL (the modern default), MySQL/MariaDB, plus SQLite for embedded use cases. We pick the engine that fits your stack and licensing — not the engine we want to bill for.
- SQL Server · Azure SQL · Managed
- PostgreSQL · Aurora · Supabase
- MySQL · MariaDB · SQLite
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Cloud Database Development
Azure SQL Managed Instance, AWS RDS, Aurora, Supabase, GCP Cloud SQL — production-grade cloud deployments with automated backups, point-in-time recovery, replicas, and the right cost/perf trade-off for your scale.
- Azure SQL · AWS RDS · Aurora
- Automated backup & PITR
- Read replicas & HA
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Performance & Optimization
Diagnose then fix slow queries — execution plans, missing indexes, parameter sniffing, locking, deadlocks. Plus query refactoring, partitioning and caching strategy. Reports that took 30 seconds run in under 1.
- Query & execution plan tuning
- Index strategy & partitioning
- Caching · materialised views
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Stored Procedures · Functions · Jobs
Server-side logic in T-SQL or PL/pgSQL — stored procedures, functions, triggers, scheduled jobs (SQL Agent, pg_cron). The right code in the right place — neither everything in the app nor everything in the database.
- T-SQL · PL/pgSQL procedures
- Triggers · scheduled jobs
- Server-side validation & ETL
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APIs, ETL & Integration
REST or GraphQL APIs exposing your database safely (with auth + RBAC). ETL/ELT pipelines pulling from CSV, Excel, Xero/MYOB, HubSpot, ServiceM8 into your warehouse. Real-time replication where you need it.
- REST / GraphQL APIs
- ETL · ELT · data pipelines
- Real-time replication & CDC
A database project, end to end
Three stages. ERD signed off before any DDL is written. Load-tested before cutover. Delivered personally by the founder.
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Week 0
Data & Requirements Audit
15-minute scoping call. We map the data you hold today (existing DBs, spreadsheets, third-party sources), the queries you actually run, the read/write load, the integrations and the compliance posture. Fixed-price quote inside 48 hours.
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Weeks 1–N
Design · Build · Load-Test
Schema design reviewed in week one — you sign off the ERD before any tables are created. Then build in two-week sprints with weekly demos. Load-tested against realistic data volumes before sign-off — not "looks fine in dev."
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Launch
Cutover, Backup & DR
Live cutover with parallel-run safety net. Backup strategy, point-in-time recovery, disaster-recovery runbook, monitoring & alerting. 30 days of post-launch support included. Code & schema live in your GitHub from day one.
Before you book the scoping call
How much does custom database development cost?
Fixed-price after a 15-minute scoping call and a short discovery session. A focused single-domain database build (10–30 tables, basic ETL, REST API) takes 4–8 weeks. A full multi-domain enterprise database with stored-procedure logic, replication, performance tuning and integrations takes 8–20 weeks. You know the price before any DDL is written.
SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL — which should we use?
Honest answer: depends on your stack. SQL Server is right if you're already in the Microsoft ecosystem (Power BI, .NET, Azure AD) or have an existing SQL Agent footprint. PostgreSQL is our default for greenfield work — open source, modern features (JSON, full-text search, vector search), no per-core licensing. MySQL/MariaDB is fine for read-heavy web workloads. We pick the engine that fits your team and licensing, and tell you why.
Cloud or on-premise?
Default cloud (Azure SQL, AWS RDS, Aurora) — it ends up cheaper and more reliable once you account for backup, DR, patching and on-call. We deploy to your AWS / Azure account; the cloud bill is yours. On-prem still makes sense for some sovereignty / latency / cost cases and we build for it when it's the right answer.
Can you optimise or rebuild an existing slow database?
Yes — that's a big chunk of what we do. Discovery includes a performance audit: execution plans on the slow queries, index usage, lock/wait stats, table growth, missing FKs. Fixes range from cheap (the right index, an updated stats job, a query rewrite) to deep (partitioning, denormalisation, splitting OLTP and reporting). We share the diagnosis before committing to a rebuild — sometimes a targeted tune saves a full rebuild.
Can you migrate data from MS Access, Excel or another database?
Yes. Common migrations: MS Access (.accdb) → SQL Server or PostgreSQL, Excel/CSV → relational schema, legacy MySQL → PostgreSQL, on-prem SQL Server → Azure SQL. Data validated row-by-row, parallel-run before cutover. For dedicated Access migration enquiries see also our /lp/access-database-replacement page.
What about backup, disaster recovery and security?
Standard. Automated backups with point-in-time recovery, geo-replicated read replicas for HA, documented DR runbook, role-based access at the DB level, encryption at rest and in transit, audit-log of schema changes and sensitive-data access. We aim for RPO < 5 min and RTO < 1 hour for most builds — tighter if your business needs it.
Can the database feed our app, CRM, accounting or BI tools?
Yes. We expose data via REST or GraphQL APIs (with auth + RBAC), build ETL/ELT pipelines into your warehouse, and integrate directly with Power BI, Xero, MYOB, HubSpot, Salesforce, ServiceM8, Simpro and any internal API. The database is the foundation — the integrations are how you actually get value from it.
Do we own the schema and the code?
Yes. The schema (DDL, migrations), the stored procedures, the ETL code, the API code — all yours, in your GitHub or Azure DevOps from day one. No per-user database SaaS subscription to us. You can take it to another developer or DBA at any time. Hosting is yours.
Best value · quote in 48 hours · code is yours · zero obligation
