Why this exists

Typically when we say database we mean an OLTP database. Cloudflare's D1 is a managed serverless OLTP database with SQLite semantics. OLTP databases are great for the typical operations behind SaaS apps.

OLTP example

Create a quote. Add a line item. Mark it as paid later. Those are small reads and writes against individual records.

When you need to aggregate and store a large volume of data, reach for an OLAP database.

OLAP example

Group millions of pageviews by route, count daily active users, or sum revenue by region.

Cloudflare does not yet offer a first class service for this kind of analytical database. rubberduck seeks to provide a simple, easily understood OLAP database built on Cloudflare primitives with DuckDB.

When considering rubberduck, keep D1 for transactional CRUD data and add rubberduck for high-volume analytical data. They work together, not as replacements.