Split Your App and Database onto Separate Servers
For apps that have outgrown one server: I move the database to its own server, or add a load balancer and a second app server, with a planned maintenance window and a written rollback plan. For Laravel, Go, Python and Node apps on VPS or cloud servers. From $1,300 ($1,000 founding), about 2–3 weeks.
See a sample report, proposal and weekly update- Price
- from $1,300
- Founding
- from $1,000
- Timeline
- 2–3 weeks
- Format
- Fixed scope, fixed price
- Hours
- US Eastern Time, async
Who this is for.
A good fit if
- Apps where the database and the web app fight over one server’s CPU and memory
- SaaS teams that need to add app capacity without a rewrite
- Agencies whose client app outgrew the original single server
Common triggers
- The server sits near 100% CPU or runs out of memory at peak
- Resizing the one server again is getting expensive
- You want the database on a private network, off the public internet
- A launch or seasonal peak is coming
Not a fit if
- You need automatic failover, clustering, high availability or Kubernetes (I don’t offer these)
- You need 24/7 on-call after the change
- The app is slow because of code, not capacity (start with a Performance Audit)
What I do, and what you get.
What I do
- Review your current server, app and data flow, and confirm the split fixes the actual bottleneck
- Write the target layout and a step-by-step cutover plan with a rollback plan
- Build the new servers: private network, firewall, database or app nodes, backups
- Make the app safe for more than one server: sessions, cache and uploads in shared places; scheduled tasks run once
- Rehearse the move on a copy, then cut over in an agreed maintenance window
- Verify, then keep the old server intact for a rollback period
What you get
- Target layout diagram and cutover plan with rollback steps
- The new servers, configured and documented
- App configuration changes as a pull request
- Backup job for the new database server, with one restore tested
- Runbook: how to deploy, restart, add an app node, restore
- Handover notes
Your part
- Cloud or VPS account access and approval for new server costs (you pay the provider)
- An agreed maintenance window and someone to test key flows afterward
- Warning your users about the window if needed
Included
- App/database split (Standard)
- Load balancer, 2 app nodes and a read replica (Plus)
- Private networking and firewall
- One rehearsal and one live cutover
- Backups with one tested restore
Not included
- Automatic failover, clustering, high availability
- Kubernetes
- 24/7 on-call or uptime guarantees
- Code changes beyond making the app multi-server safe
- Hosting costs
Fixed prices, agreed before work starts.
App server plus separate database server, private network, backups, one cutover
Load balancer, 2 app nodes, database server plus read replica, shared sessions and files. In 2 monthly milestones of $1,040 ($800 founding).
Build your scope
- Timeline
- 2–3 weeks
- Payment
- 50% to start ($650), 50% before handover
- Earliest start
- Oct 5
Founding price: 3 of 7 spots left, until Mar 31, 2027 — one-off work, in return for a testimonial. How it works
Prices are in USD, paid by bank transfer against an invoice. Work under $1,000 is paid upfront; larger work is 50% to start and 50% before handover, or monthly milestones. How working together works
Variations
- Laravel
- Sessions and cache to Redis/Valkey, files to object storage, scheduler with onOneServer.
- Go/Python APIs
- Stateless already in most cases; the work is mostly network, database and deploy.
- Managed database instead of a DB server
- I set up and move to your provider’s managed database.
- Read replica (Plus)
- Used for reporting and backups; your app reads from it only where you choose. It is not automatic failover.
How it runs.
- 01
Send your setup
You email your current setup, and I confirm fit and ask for metrics.
- 02
Plan and quote
You get a written plan and quote, then an invoice.
- 03
Build and rehearse
I build the new servers and rehearse the move on a copy.
- 04
Cut over
We cut over in the agreed window and you test key flows.
- 05
Rollback period and handover
After the rollback period, I decommission the old server on your OK and hand over.
Where I have done this before.
Questions buyers ask.
Will there be downtime?
Usually a short, planned window for the final data sync. I tell you the expected length after the rehearsal.
Does this make my app highly available?
No. It adds capacity and separation. If one server fails, that part is down until restored. I document how to restore it.
Can we go back if something breaks?
Yes. The old server stays untouched during the rollback period, and the plan says exactly how to switch back.
Will my hosting bill go up?
Usually yes, since you’ll run more servers. The plan lists the new servers and their prices before you approve.
Do you monitor it afterward?
Monitoring setup and Care Plans are available separately.
Ask about Scale-up: Split to Multi-node.
Tell me what you have and where it hurts. I reply within one US business day with either a fixed quote or the entry step that makes a fixed quote possible.
Helpful to include
- Provider and server size
- Stack and versions
- Database type and size
- Peak traffic and when
- What’s hitting limits (CPU, RAM, disk)
- Where file uploads are stored
- Possible maintenance windows
- Deadline
More in Optimization & Scaling
Performance Audit & Fix
A measured look at why your web app or API is slow, followed by fixes for the biggest causes. For small teams on Laravel, Go, Python or Vue/Nuxt with MySQL, MariaDB or Postgres. Audit from $650 ($500 founding), audit plus fixes from $1,300. Typical timeline 1–3 weeks. Email the slow pages and your stack.
Cloud Cost Review
A fixed-price, read-only review of your cloud bill for small teams on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure or DigitalOcean-style hosts. You get an itemized map of what you pay for, what looks oversized or unused, and what changing each item would involve. From $390 ($300 founding), about one week. Email your provider and monthly spend.