The first decision is ownership
Choose a hosted project when Polygres will be the database your application writes to. Choose a synchronized project when an existing Postgres database should remain the source of truth. This is an application boundary decision, not simply a preference for one provider logo.
An existing production application may already depend on its source’s authentication, transaction behavior, and operational practices. Keeping those responsibilities in place can make the retrieval integration easier to reason about.
Hosted projects keep the write path direct
In a hosted project, you can write rows and apply migrations to the project database. Retrieval configuration belongs to the same project. This can be a straightforward starting point for a new application or a contained prototype.
Before importing a large dataset, choose stable record identifiers and decide how source documents map to rows. These decisions make later updates and citations easier, regardless of which retrieval strategy you use.
Synchronized projects have a source boundary
A synchronized project copies selected source tables, starting with a snapshot and continuing with logical replication. Writes and schema changes belong at the source. Your retrieval application reads the context available in the Polygres project.
Include synchronization readiness in your operational workflow. A successful connection does not by itself mean every selected row and retrieval index is ready for the first production query.
Size the project for the selected data
Both starting points consume project capacity. A synchronized project needs room for its selected data and retrieval structures even though the original database is hosted elsewhere.
Start with the tables needed for one workflow rather than treating an integration as a reason to copy everything. Compare the free and paid capacity limits, then use the calculator to estimate the project you actually intend to build.
Explore the next step
Continue with the project capacity calculator. For the current setup and API contract, use the Polygres documentation.