While SQLite is a popular option for development and lightweight applications, it is not supported in Laravel Cloud production environments. This is because Laravel Cloud environments are ephemeral, meaning the filesystem resets across deployments, reboots, and infrastructure migrations. Since SQLite stores data in a local .sqlite file, any changes are lost whenever your application is redeployed, hibernates and wakes, or is moved between hosts.

If you’re looking into SQLite to keep infrastructure costs low, we recommend using Laravel Serverless Postgres instead. It offers:

  • Auto-hibernation when idle, resuming within milliseconds
  • Automatic scaling based on usage
  • Persistent storage that survives deployments and environment changes

It’s cost-effective like SQLite, but designed for production use on Laravel Cloud. Learn more about Laravel Serverless Postgres

Laravel Cloud also offers a Developer Preview of MySQL for users who prefer it. However, MySQL does not currently support hibernation, so Postgres may be the more cost-efficient choice if you’re looking to minimize idle-time spend. Explore the Laravel MySQL Developer Preview

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