My process is: 1) Run same db locally as production (postgresql for me) 2) Use migrations 3) Use seeds/fixtures It's really that simple. Usually I just use

My process is: 1) Run same db locally as production (postgresql for me) 2) Use migrations 3) Use seeds/fixtures It's really that simple. Usually I just use fake, example data on my local, but sometimes, if required, I dump the remote and import it in my local. I've never really had any major issues with this problem. Setting up your environment the first time can take a while, but subsequently you're better at it and you cut that time down to a small amount, especially if you've maintained the migrations and seeds well.