database connection pooling, is it always worth the hassle

hey everyone, ive been thinking a lot about database connection pooling lately. on one hand, it seems like a no-brainer for performance, avoiding the cost of establishing a new connection for every request. but on the other hand, managing the pool itself adds complexity and overhead. when have you found that the benefits of connection pooling outweigh its drawbacks? are there specific scenarios or application types where youd advise against it, or perhaps a lighter-weight alternative?