Choosing the right database service is a critical decision when building or scaling applications on AWS. Among the options available, Amazon RDS and Amazon Aurora stand out as two powerful, fully managed relational database services, each designed to simplify database management while catering to different performance, scalability, and cost requirements. While RDS offers flexibility across multiple database engines and is ideal for standard workloads, Aurora is a cloud-native, high-performance option built for demanding, modern applications.
In this article, we will dive deep into the key differences between Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS, examining everything from architecture and availability to pricing and scalability, to help you determine which one best fits your application’s needs.
The main difference between Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS is the database engine they use. Amazon Aurora only supports MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible engines, as it is a cloud-optimized, AWS-developed database designed specifically for these two.
On the other hand, Amazon RDS supports a wider variety of database engines including MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server. This flexibility makes it ideal for organizations looking to migrate traditional or proprietary databases to the cloud.
Amazon RDS uses a more traditional architecture where compute and storage are tightly coupled, typically running on EC2 instances with EBS volumes. Aurora, on the other hand, separates compute and storage layers and uses a distributed, fault-tolerant storage system that replicates data across six storage nodes and three AWS Availability Zones (AZs). This design enables greater resilience, faster recovery, and simplified scaling.
When it comes to performance, Amazon Aurora has a clear advantage over Amazon RDS as it is significantly faster than RDS for MySQL and PostgreSQL workloads. It is designed to deliver up to 5x the performance of standard MySQL databases and up to 3x the performance of standard PostgreSQL databases. This is achieved due to optimizations in its storage subsystem, connection management, and query processing, allowing for faster and more efficient processing of data.
Amazon RDS offers good performance for standard applications but doesn’t include the same level of engine optimization or distributed processing as Aurora. If your application requires high performance and low latency, then Amazon Aurora is the way to go.
Aurora automatically scales its storage from 10 GB up to 128 TB in 10 GB increments without downtime or intervention. It is designed to automatically scale up or down based on the workload, which means that you don't have to worry about managing the resources. It also supports Aurora Serverless, which automatically adjusts compute capacity based on application demand.
In contrast, Amazon RDS requires manual scaling, which means that you have to monitor the workload and adjust the resources accordingly. Compute scaling in RDS usually involves changing instance types and restarting the instance, which can sometimes cause downtime.
Both Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS offer multi-AZ replication for high availability with an SLA of up to 99.9%, but they differ in the way they handle it. Failover times are typically under 30 seconds for Amazon Aurora and continuously backs up data and maintains multiple copies across AZs, ensuring durability and a very low recovery point objective (RPO). It also allows you to add up to 15 read replicas with minimal replication lag, making it ideal for read-intensive and mission-critical workloads.
When it comes to Amazon RDS, failover times may take longer due to replication lag, especially under heavy write loads. It supports vertical scaling (up to 32 vCPUs and 244 GiB memory) and up to 5 read replicas, but replication is asynchronous and involves copying data to each replica, which can introduce lag and reduce throughput.
Amazon RDS supports automated backups, snapshots, and point-in-time recovery. Aurora also offers continuous backup to Amazon S3, with point-in-time restore capabilities. However, Aurora’s architecture allows for more seamless recovery with less overhead, making it a better fit for scenarios where rapid data restoration is important.
When it comes to cost, Amazon RDS is more affordable than Amazon Aurora for smaller workloads or development environments. RDS generally has a lower upfront cost and is more cost-effective for smaller or less demanding workloads. You pay for the instance size and provisioned storage, making it suitable for budget-sensitive applications or those with predictable workloads.
Aurora tends to be more expensive initially due to its advanced architecture and high availability features. However, it can be more cost-efficient for high-performance, scalable workloads because of its pay-as-you-go storage model, better throughput per dollar, and reduced need for over-provisioning.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective, reliable, and easy-to-manage solution for standard workloads—or if you require support for commercial database engines like Oracle or SQL Server—Amazon RDS is likely the better fit. On the other hand, if your application demands high performance, seamless scalability, fast failover, and advanced cloud-native features, Amazon Aurora is the clear choice. While it comes at a slightly higher cost, Aurora’s architecture and capabilities make it ideal for mission-critical, modern applications that need to scale quickly and operate with minimal downtime.
Regardless of whether you choose Amazon RDS for its versatility and ease of use or Amazon Aurora for its superior performance and scalability, effective monitoring is essential to keep your database environment healthy and efficient. That’s where ManageEngine Applications Manager comes in. It provides deep visibility into key metrics like query performance, replication lag, CPU and memory usage, slow queries, and storage trends for both Amazon RDS as well as Aurora. With intelligent alerts, customizable dashboards, and real-time insights, Applications Manager empowers your team to detect issues early, optimize performance, and ensure high availability across your database infrastructure. Apart from robust cloud monitoring, you can gain deep insights into application performance, infrastructure health, and digital experience, all in one place.
So as you decide between RDS and Aurora, make sure you are also equipped with Applications Manager to maximize reliability and performance from day one. Request a personalized demo or try our complimentary 30-day free trial to unleash the full potential of our cloud monitoring solution.
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