Database Migration & Management

Database migration without the sleepless nights

Moving your data is the one project where “mostly worked” isn’t good enough. We move businesses off Airtable, Google Sheets and aging MySQL servers onto PostgreSQL or Supabase with dry runs, row-by-row checks and a rollback plan, then keep the new database fast and backed up.

Book a free 30-minute call What we build

Sound familiar?

Problems we fix

If your database is holding the business back, you’ll recognize these.

Outgrown spreadsheets or Airtable

Record limits, slow views and one broken formula away from a bad week.

Slow queries

Pages and reports get a little slower every month as the data grows.

A database nobody dares touch

It runs the business, nobody fully understands it, so it never gets better.

No backups or monitoring

If something went wrong tonight, you’d hear about it from a customer.

What we build

What you get

MySQL → PostgreSQL / Supabase

Phased moves with a full dry run, row-by-row checks and a tested way back.

Airtable & Sheets → database

Your scattered bases and sheets turned into one proper database, often with a Retool app on top.

Schema design & indexing

A structure designed around the questions your business actually asks of its data.

Performance tuning

We find the slow queries, fix them and keep them fixed as you grow.

Backups & monitoring

Automatic backups we actually test restoring, plus alerts before small problems become big ones.

Ongoing management

Upgrades, tuning and a team to call after go-live.

Real project · Hospitality & leisure

From Airtable to Supabase, without stopping the business

A hospitality and leisure business ran its operations in Airtable. The data had outgrown it, and the team wanted a proper database and better internal tools, without a risky overnight switch.

The migration was completed over five milestones, each approved by the client, and the new Retool apps are now in daily use.

AirtableSupabasePostgreSQLRetool

Read the verified review on Clutch →

What we built

A relational PostgreSQL schema in Supabase, designed from their Airtable bases
All records moved, along with around 1,300 file attachments
An incremental sync between Airtable and Supabase, so work carried on during the move
Internal apps in Retool on top of the new database
Written handover documentation for the team

For House Of Sylas, a gemstone manufacturer, we turned a backlog of Google Sheets into a normalized PostgreSQL database, with Retool apps for its hiring process.

How we migrate

Six steps, no surprises

The same method on every migration, whether it’s one Airtable base or a ten-year-old MySQL server. Nothing moves until you’ve seen the plan, and nothing goes live until your team has checked the result.

1
Assess
We go through every table, base, sheet and attachment: what it holds, who uses it and what breaks if it’s wrong. You get a written migration plan and a fixed-scope estimate before anything moves.
2
Design the new structure
We design the schema around the questions your business actually asks of its data: real relationships instead of linked records, consistent types instead of free-text columns, and indexes for your busiest screens.
3
Rehearse on a copy
We run the full migration against a copy of your data, as many times as it takes. Every script is versioned, so each run is repeatable and nothing depends on someone’s memory.
4
Check every row
Row counts and checksums for every table, plus spot checks on the records your team knows best. Files are counted and opened, not just copied. Your team signs off before the switch.
5
Switch over
A short, planned cut-over, usually outside business hours. Where work can’t stop, we keep the old and new systems in sync until you’re ready, then make the final switch.
6
Watch closely, then hand over
After go-live we keep a close eye on errors, slow queries and anything that looks off, and fix it fast. Then we hand over with documentation, or stay on to look after the database.

Cost & timeline

What affects the price

Every migration gets a fixed-scope estimate after a free 30-minute call. These are the things that move it.

How much data, and where it lives: One Airtable base is a different job from a dozen spreadsheets, an old MySQL server and a folder of attachments.
How messy it is: Duplicates, free-text dates and half-filled columns all need agreed rules. Cleaner data moves faster.
How much downtime you can accept: A planned weekend switch is simpler than a move with no interruption at all, which needs both systems in sync for a while.
What sits on top: Apps, reports and automations that read the old data need re-pointing or rebuilding, often as Retool screens.
Care after go-live: A one-off move, or ongoing monitoring, backups and tuning once you’re live.

Industries

Migrations by industry

All industries →

E-commerce & Retail SaaS & Startups Logistics & Supply Chain Professional Services Healthcare & Clinics

Proof

What clients say on Clutch

Read all reviews on Clutch →

★★★★★

Airtable → Supabase migration with Retool apps

Owner, hospitality & leisure company

Verified review on Clutch →★★★★★

Google Sheets → PostgreSQL database and Retool apps

Executive, House Of Sylas LLC

Verified review on Clutch →

Database Migration & Management FAQs

Will there be downtime?

Usually only a short, scheduled window outside business hours. If work can’t stop at all, we keep both systems in sync until the switch.

How do you make sure nothing is lost?

Dry runs, row counts and checksum comparisons before cut-over, plus a rollback plan.

Should we move off MySQL?

Not always. We assess cost, features and risk, and recommend staying when it makes sense.

Can you manage the database afterwards?

Yes: monitoring, backups, upgrades and tuning on an ongoing basis.

Can our team keep working during the migration?

Usually, yes. Most moves need only a short, scheduled cut-over window. Where work can’t stop at all, we keep the old system and the new database in sync during the transition.

We use Airtable. What happens to our views, automations and attachments?

Attachments move with their records. Views and automations don’t transfer one to one, so we agree a list of the ones you rely on and rebuild them, usually as Retool screens and database or n8n automations.

Supabase or plain PostgreSQL?

Supabase is PostgreSQL with sign-in, file storage and an API built in, which suits teams building apps on top. Plain PostgreSQL in your own cloud suits stricter hosting rules. We recommend one after the assessment, and both leave you on standard PostgreSQL.

Do you sign an NDA, and how do you handle access?

Yes, we sign an NDA before we see your data. We work through access you grant and can revoke at any time, with the least privilege each step needs.

Often paired with

Related services

All services →

Let’s plan a migration that loses nothing.

Tell us what you run today and where you want to be. On a free 30-minute call we’ll outline the migration plan, then follow up with a fixed-scope estimate.

Official Retool Agency Partner 5.0 on Clutch, 8 verified reviewsBuilding software since 2015Reply within one business day

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