Why would a notes database, that’s mostly (or all text) even take up a lot of space and make syncing the entire database slow? If someone is using just a few MB

Why would a notes database, that’s mostly (or all text) even take up a lot of space and make syncing the entire database slow? If someone is using just a few MBs of data, the speed of syncing that is immaterial. Your servers not being able to account for smaller storage sizes is a technical limitation that you have built. You can take a look at tarsnap for inspiration on how to account for very small amounts of data. I’m not saying you should account for bytes, but even taking it at a fraction of what you’re currently doing would be better and fairer to paying customers. You would also discourage hoarders who thrive on utilizing a lot more and get subsidized by those who barely store much.