Bunny Database: SQLite-Compatible Edge DB That Just Works

Bunny.net has launched Bunny Database as a public preview, offering developers a SQLite-compatible managed database service that promises low latency, global replication, and usage-based pricing without the typical serverless tax.

The service addresses a growing pain point in the database-as-a-service market, where major providers have been moving upmarket with reduced free tiers and capacity-based pricing models that charge for unused resources.

What Makes Bunny Database Different

Unlike traditional DBaaS platforms that require capacity reservations or charge premium rates for serverless usage, Bunny Database operates on a pure pay-as-you-go model. The service only charges for actual usage: $0.30 per billion rows read, $0.30 per million rows written, and $0.10 per GB of storage per active region monthly.

When idle, databases incur only storage costs - one primary region is charged continuously while read replicas only add storage costs when serving traffic, metered by the hour.

Global Performance Without the Complexity

Bunny Database tackles the data locality problem that forces developers to implement complex caching layers. By offering 41 worldwide regions, the service allows applications to serve database reads close to users, potentially reducing latency by up to 99% compared to single-region setups.

The platform provides three deployment options:

• Automatic region selection: One-click deployment based on IP address
• Single-region deployment: Choose from 41 global regions
• Manual multi-region setup: Custom region selection for specific audience needs

Technical Foundation

Bunny Database is built on libSQL, an open-source fork of SQLite created by Turso. This foundation provides SQLite compatibility while allowing Bunny.net to integrate tightly with their platform and handle the infrastructure orchestration needed for a managed, multi-region service.

However, the company notes that compatibility is defined by the libSQL version they're built on, rather than automatic feature parity with every upstream SQLite or libSQL change. This intentional approach focuses on real-world use cases rather than chasing every upstream update.

Developer Experience

The service includes one-click deployment with no configuration required, language-specific SDKs for TypeScript/JavaScript, Go, Rust, and .NET, and works over HTTP for maximum flexibility. A built-in database editor allows for direct data manipulation and query execution.

Integration with Bunny's ecosystem is straightforward. Developers can connect databases to Edge Scripts or Magic Containers through the Access tab, generating tokens and environment variables for secure connections.

Roadmap and Preview Details

During the public preview phase, Bunny Database is free to use. Each user account gets 50 databases, each capped at 1 GB. The company has outlined several upcoming features:

• Automatic backups
• Database file import/export
• Auto-generated, schema-aware API with type-safe SDKs

The team emphasizes that they're actively seeking user feedback to shape future development, inviting developers to join their Discord community to discuss use cases and feature requests.

Bunny Database represents a middle ground between self-hosted SQLite and expensive enterprise DBaaS solutions, targeting developers who need simple, reliable database functionality without the complexity or cost of traditional cloud databases.

Available now through the bunny.net dashboard, the service aims to make database management as straightforward as the rest of modern web development.