What database should I use for my App?

Iam currently working on an App for Android where you can see all available shisha tobacco, rate them and see other user reviews. For this I want to use a database where I store all the tobacco with its information and also the user reviews.

I already searched in Google for sites who offers databases (Playfab, Firebase, own sql server, …). But Im so confused what to use and if its even the right move to do it with a database.

If you have any idea or expererience with things like this please let me know.

Thanks to all who help me.

Where do you plan to host the database, it needs to be on a public server. I might suggest a free tier on AWS or Azure to get you started. And you would not want to connect to a database directly, instead you’ll want a proper Web API/REST service.

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Thanks for the fast response. I will have a look into it.

Edit : Are there any documentations about this? Because I only learned C# yet.

One note, I would recommend to start writing your app now, and just hard-code some sample values and add the database feature later. Don’t wait for the db layer, in other words.

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Google! For example “free tier aws database”

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Some of your decision should come down to what kind of risk you’re willing to tolerate. If you used a 3rd party database as a service provider, for example, they take care of some of the work for you but there is some risk that the service will eventually shut down which would require you to change to another service. If you instead host your own SQL database you’ll eliminate the risk of a 3rd party service shutting down, but take on more risk regarding security or your own hardware failures. etc, etc

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Completely agree with that. I would love to do it on my own server but as you said the security is the biggest problem because im new to php sql and all that serversided things.

Just use Sqlite and use a service like AWS, Yelp, Walmart. AWS requires you to have sales to use them now so probably not a good solution. Walmart has a free offering. Yelp is free. You wouldn’t need to save local data that way.

If you’re reall strapped for cash, find a web site that has this info, pull up the web view. Execute javascript calls and on load manipulate the Json ( or JScript ) out of it. A load event will fire.

If not Sqlite is your best bet and it’s easy to export data or even the file.

AWS still has a free tier, as does Azure. Free Cloud Computing Services - AWS Free Tier

And Walmart has an online database product, as does Yelp? I have not heard of that. Sqlite is only a device local db, user is asking for “reviews” which is non-local.