What is a database (and do you need one)?
A database is where a website stores information it needs to look up, update, and search — things that don’t fit neatly in flat files: user accounts, blog posts, products, orders, comments. The site reads and writes the database on every relevant request.
Do you even need one?
- Static site (plain HTML, a marketing page, a docs site) → no database. The files are the site. → static vs dynamic
- Dynamic site/app (WordPress, a store, anything with logins or user content) → yes. The database holds the content and state.
If your site has a login, a dashboard, or content you edit through an admin area, there’s a database behind it.
SQL vs NoSQL (the short version)
- SQL / relational (MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL) — data in tables with defined columns and relationships, queried with SQL. The default for most web apps, and what WordPress, Laravel, Django, and Rails use.
- NoSQL (document/key-value stores) — more flexible, schema-light; used for specific needs like caching or very large/unstructured data.
For most sites, a relational database is the answer. OrbixPanel ships both MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL — see which to choose.
How your app talks to it
Your app connects with four details: host, port, database name, user/password.
On OrbixPanel the database runs on the same server, so apps connect over
localhost — fast and private (never exposed to the internet). See
connect your app to a database.
What you’ll do with it
- Create a database + user.
- Import/export (e.g. migrating a site in).
- Back it up — it’s the irreplaceable half of your site.
- Speed it up with indexes as it grows.
Running OrbixPanel? MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL are pre-installed and managed in the panel. OrbixPanel.com → — the free, self-hosted, AI-powered hosting control panel.