OpenAI's Database Triumph: Scaling PostgreSQL to Power Millions of Users
infrastructure#database📝 Blog|Analyzed: Feb 16, 2026 16:33•
Published: Feb 16, 2026 16:30
•1 min read
•ByteByteGoAnalysis
OpenAI's success in scaling PostgreSQL to support 800 million users is an impressive feat, demonstrating the power of optimizing existing technologies. Their approach challenges conventional database scaling wisdom, highlighting the potential for maximizing the capabilities of a single database instance through clever engineering. This innovative approach could inspire other companies facing similar scaling challenges.
Key Takeaways
- •OpenAI scaled their PostgreSQL database to support an astonishing 800 million ChatGPT users.
- •They achieved this impressive scalability with just a single primary writer and read replicas.
- •This achievement challenges traditional database sharding approaches.
Reference / Citation
View Original"OpenAI scaled PostgreSQL to handle millions of queries per second for 800 million ChatGPT users."