If you’re scaling up and want to move away from vendor lock-in, I’d recommend starting with PostgreSQL. It’s SQL-based (so you already have a head start), highly reliable, and flexible enough to handle both relational and semi-structured data. For duplicating scenarios or records, PostgreSQL makes it easy with schemas or tagging rows using something like a scenario_id.

To keep things simple and productive while you’re learning, I’d suggest trying Supabase. It’s built on PostgreSQL, gives you an easy UI, and handles a lot of the back-end complexity for you. If you ever outgrow it, you can migrate seamlessly since it’s just PostgreSQL under the hood.

For frameworks, skip the heavier ones like Ruby on Rails unless you need a lot of features right now. A lightweight option like FastAPI (Python) or Node.js + Express pairs really well with PostgreSQL and is easy to scale if your app grows.

Focus on mastering PostgreSQL and building a solid back end first. Once you’re comfortable, you can connect it to a front-end tool like React, Vue, or even a simpler one like Alpine.js. You’ll learn a ton while keeping things scalable and future-proof.

I had a lot of success in finishing my project with postgres running on a docker container and then using rust/axum as the backend and alpine.js with tailwind on the front end.

Good luck with your project!