GoToSocial stores statuses, accounts, etc, in a database. This can be either [SQLite](https://sqlite.org/index.html) or [Postgres](https://www.postgresql.org/).
By default, GoToSocial will use Postgres, but this is easy to change.
## SQLite
SQLite, as the name implies, is the lightest database type that GoToSocial can use. It stores entries in a simple file format, usually in the same directory as the GoToSocial binary itself. SQLite is great for small instances and lower-powered machines like Raspberry Pi, where a dedicated database would be overkill.
To configure GoToSocial to use SQLite, change `db-type` to `sqlite`. The `address` setting will then be a filename instead of an address, so you will want to change it to `sqlite.db` or something similar.
Note that the `:memory:` setting will use an *in-memory database* which will be wiped when your GoToSocial instance stops running. This is for testing only and is absolutely not suitable for running a proper instance, so *don't do this*.
## Postgres
Postgres is a heavier database format, which is useful for larger instances where you need to scale performance, or where you need to run your database on a dedicated machine separate from your GoToSocial instance (or do funky stuff like run a database cluster).
You can connect to Postgres using either a Unix socket connection, or via TCP, depending on what you've set as your `db-address` value.
GoToSocial also supports connecting to Postgres using SSL/TLS over TCP. If you're running Postgres on a different machine from GoToSocial, and connecting to it via an IP address or hostname (as opposed to just running on localhost), then SSL/TLS is **CRUCIAL** to avoid leaking data all over the place!
When you're using Postgres, GoToSocial expects whatever you've set for `db-user` to already be created in the database, and to have ownership of whatever you've set for `db-database`.
