Learn databases by doing.
Real servers. Real problems. AI-guided labs that teach you PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, and more - hands-on.
Your own cloud servers, ready in minutes.
How it works
From zero to production-ready DBA skills.
Build
Step-by-step setup
Follow guided instructions to install, configure, and deploy real database clusters on live servers. No simulators - everything runs on actual EC2 instances.
Use
Practice with real workloads
Run queries, manage replication, configure backups, and handle real-world scenarios. Every exercise mirrors what you'll face on the job.
Survive
Chaos engineering built in
We break your servers on purpose. Fix replication lag, recover from data loss, and debug production outages under pressure.
AI Tutor
Sage guides every step
An AI tutor that knows your lab, your progress, and your mistakes. Ask questions, get hints, or request a full walkthrough.
Global
Any engine, any cloud
PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis, Aurora - labs available for every major database engine on AWS infrastructure.
Popular stacks
Start with what matters most.
Database Administrator
PostgreSQL DBA
The complete PostgreSQL DBA path. Go from installation to managing production clusters with replication, backups, monitoring, and performance tuning.
$0
AWS Cloud Database Engineer
AWS Cloud Database Engineer
Master PostgreSQL on AWS from novice to expert. RDS and Aurora side by side - provisioning, security, HA, performance, scaling, and production operations. 9 tiers, 63 BUILD guides, 37 chaos scenarios.
$349
MongoDB Database Administrator
MongoDB DBA
Master MongoDB from fundamentals through replica sets to sharded clusters. CRUD, indexes, aggregation, replication, and distributed data at scale.
$199
MySQL Database Administrator
MySQL DBA
Complete MySQL DBA path. InnoDB internals, replication, backup, security, performance tuning, and production troubleshooting.
$249
For teams
Train your entire engineering team.
Custom labs
Labs built for your stack
Tell us your database engine, cloud provider, and skill level. We build custom labs tailored to your team's exact needs.
Progress
Track team readiness
See who completed which labs, where they struggled, and who's ready for on-call. Real metrics, not multiple choice scores.
Coaching
Expert DBA support
Every lab comes with access to experienced DBAs who've managed 15,000+ databases across 20+ companies.
Enterprise
On-prem or your cloud
Need labs running in your own AWS account? We provision in your environment with your security policies. Full isolation guaranteed.
What our students say
Trusted by engineers worldwide.
I went from zero Linux experience to setting up streaming replication in two weeks. The step-by-step approach made everything click.
Kayci M.
Junior DBA, Financial Services
The chaos engineering scenarios are incredible. When our prod database crashed last month, I knew exactly what to do because I had practiced it.
Esah N.
Database Engineer, Healthcare
The AWS Aurora labs bridged the gap between textbook knowledge and real cloud operations. I got promoted within three months.
Tah Eric
Cloud DBA, Tech Startup
Most courses give you a sandbox. GritLabs gives you actual servers that break in actual ways. That difference matters when you are on-call.
Francis N.
SRE, E-Commerce
I needed PostgreSQL skills for a new role. The CBUSI methodology - build, use, survive, interview - prepared me for everything they threw at me.
Ibrahim Y.
Backend Developer
The AI tutor Sage felt like having a senior DBA sitting next to me. It caught my mistakes before they became problems.
Clementine T.
Junior DevOps Engineer
Join hundreds of engineers building real database skills with hands-on labs.
Ready to level up?
Pick a database, get live servers, and start building real skills in minutes.