Centralized databases bottleneck edge applications.
Edge compute gains are lost when every request round-trips to a single-region database
Managed database services (RDS, Cloud SQL) require capacity planning, patching and failover configuration
Serverless databases (Aurora Serverless, PlanetScale) still run in fixed regions with cold start penalties
Database connection pooling and management adds complexity to every serverless function
SQL at the edge, managed by Cloudflare.
D1 schema design
We design normalized schemas optimized for D1's SQLite engine. Indexing strategies, query patterns and data modeling for edge-first applications.
Migration from existing databases
Migrate from PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite or NoSQL to D1. Schema conversion, data migration scripts and application query adaptation included.
Read replica architecture
D1 automatically replicates reads to edge locations near your users. We architect your application to maximize read-replica hits for sub-millisecond query times.
Workers binding integration
Direct D1 access from Workers without connection strings or pooling. We implement type-safe query builders, migrations and seed scripts for your development workflow.
D1 in production.
Edge-native APIs
REST and GraphQL APIs with sub-10ms database queries. User profiles, product catalogs, configuration stores — all at the edge.
Auth & session storage
User authentication, session tokens and permission checks without round-tripping to a central database. GDPR data residency with location hints.
Analytics & logging
Write event data at the edge, query with standard SQL. Real-time dashboards without dedicated analytics infrastructure.
Multi-tenant SaaS
Database-per-tenant isolation using multiple D1 databases. Each tenant gets their own SQLite instance with independent scaling.
D1 database architecture.
D1 uses a single-writer primary with automatic read replicas distributed across Cloudflare's edge. Write queries go to the primary; read queries are served by the nearest replica — delivering sub-millisecond read latency globally.
D1 vs. serverless databases.
How Cloudflare D1 compares to PlanetScale, Neon, Turso and AWS Aurora Serverless for edge-native applications.
| Feature | Cloudflare D1 | PlanetScale | Neon Postgres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | SQLite | MySQL (Vitess) | PostgreSQL |
| Edge replicas | Automatic (global) | No (single region) | Read replicas (manual) |
| Cold start | 0ms (Worker binding) | ~100ms | ~500ms (suspend) |
| Free tier | 5M reads/day, 100K writes | 1B reads/month | 0.5GB storage |
| Max database size | 10GB | 5GB (Hobby) | 0.5GB (free) |
| Time travel | 30 days built-in | No | No (branching instead) |
| Branching | Not yet | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | $0.001/M reads | $0 → usage-based | $0 → usage-based |
Our D1 implementation process.
From schema design to production — how we build edge-native database applications on D1.
Data Modeling
Design normalized schemas optimized for SQLite. Define indexes, query patterns and migration strategy. If migrating from Postgres/MySQL, map schema differences.
Application Development
Implement type-safe D1 queries with Workers binding. Build migration scripts, seed data. Set up local development with Wrangler D1 emulation.
Performance Testing
Benchmark read/write patterns. Optimize queries for read-replica architecture. Test time travel recovery. Load test with realistic traffic.
Production Deployment
Deploy D1 database with production configuration. Set up monitoring, alerting and backup verification. Document schema and migration procedures.
Frequently asked questions.
Is D1 production-ready?
Yes. D1 is generally available (GA) as of 2024. It supports databases up to 10GB, handles millions of reads per second across edge replicas, and includes time travel (point-in-time recovery) for the last 30 days.
Can D1 replace PostgreSQL or MySQL?
For many workloads, yes. D1 uses SQLite — which supports most standard SQL. Complex features like stored procedures, triggers and advanced joins work. For workloads requiring PostgreSQL-specific features (JSONB operators, extensions), we use Hyperdrive to connect Workers to your existing database instead.
How does D1 handle writes across regions?
D1 uses a single-writer architecture — writes go to the primary location, reads are served from edge replicas. Write latency depends on distance to the primary. For write-heavy workloads, we architect with Durable Objects for regional write coordination.
Ready to get started with Cloudflare D1?
Book a free assessment call with our Cloudflare engineering team.