I’m a new developer on the journey to understand the best database solutions for various projects. Could you share what key factors guide your decision when choosing between a SQL and a NoSQL system? Additionally, are there specific scenarios or project requirements that usually tilt the balance in favor of one option over the other?
When deciding between SQL and NoSQL, the primary factors I consider relate to project structure and long-term scalability. I evaluate the need for structured relationships and ACID compliance versus flexibility and horizontal scaling for unstructured data. My experience shows that applications with defined schema and complex joins generally favor SQL systems. On the other hand, projects with rapidly changing requirements or massive amounts of unstructured data are better served by NoSQL solutions, allowing for agility in development and easier handling of distributed data storage.