# Creating a Database

> Step-by-step guide to creating a managed MySQL or PostgreSQL database.

Creating a Database
-------------------

This guide walks you through creating a new managed database instance.

### Prerequisites

- An active Ploi Cloud account
- A team with billing configured (or an active trial)

### Creating a Database

1. Navigate to **Databases** in the sidebar
2. Click **Create database**
3. Fill in the following fields:

**Name** - A friendly name for your database (e.g., `production-db`, `staging-mysql`). A random name is suggested for you, but you can change it to anything you like.

**Engine** - Choose between MySQL and PostgreSQL.

**Plan** - Select a plan based on your needs. Plans determine the CPU, RAM, and storage allocated to your database. You can resize later without downtime.

**Region** - Choose a region close to your applications for the best performance. Available regions include Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, New York, and more.

**Node count** - Choose how many nodes to deploy:
- **1 node** - Best for development and staging environments
- **2 nodes** - Production with automatic failover
- **3 nodes** - Maximum redundancy for critical workloads

4. Click **Create**

### Provisioning

After clicking create, your database will begin provisioning. This typically takes 2-5 minutes depending on the plan and region. You can monitor the progress on the databases overview page.

The status will change through these stages:
- **Pending** - The database is being created
- **Running** - The database is ready to use

### Choosing the Right Plan

Consider these factors when selecting a plan:

- **Development/staging:** A 1-node plan with 1 GB RAM is sufficient for most development workloads
- **Small production apps:** A 2-node plan with 4 GB RAM provides good performance with failover
- **High-traffic applications:** A 2 or 3-node plan with 8+ GB RAM for demanding workloads
- **Enterprise:** 3-node plans with 32+ GB RAM for maximum performance and redundancy

All plans can be upgraded later, so start with what you need and scale as you grow.

### Choosing a Region

Pick a region close to where your application runs. If your Ploi Cloud applications are deployed in the EU, choose a European region like Amsterdam or Frankfurt. This minimizes latency between your application and database.

Available regions include:

- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Helsinki, Finland
- London, UK
- Madrid, Spain
- Warsaw, Poland
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Singapore
- Sydney, Australia
- Chicago, US
- San Jose, US
- New York, US

### Next Steps

- [Connection details](/documentation/managed-databases/connection-details) - Connect your application to the database
- [Database users](/documentation/managed-databases/database-users) - Create users for your applications
- [Logical databases](/documentation/managed-databases/logical-databases) - Create multiple databases in one instance