Outgrew my database

Last week, I outgrew the dev-free database for my Heroku account. This is a fun problem to have because it means my customers are really getting a lot of use out of my app!

For context, Heroku allows you to run an instance of a Postgres database for free as long as it’s less than 10,000 rows of data (or like 5 or 10 GB). I recently got notified that I’m approaching that limit, and that I need to upgrade my database to the next level.

My app is a meal planner, so the more meals customers add, the more recipes and ingredients are being created. So for each meal a customer adds, they may be creating about 10-25 rows of data in my database. On average, customers are adding between 10-25 meals upon signing up for my app.

This is a good sign of engagement, and because my MRR is continuing to grow, I’m happy to pay the $9/mo for the next database tier. That will allow me another 10x growth before upgrading again. And beyond that, the next tier will allow me another 10x growth.

Things are looking up for the Meal Planner App! I’m excited to see where this goes!