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Amazon Aurora
Amazon Aurora · Seattle, Washington, United States · founded 2006
What it is
Amazon Aurora is a fully managed relational database service with PostgreSQL, MySQL, and DSQL engines. Aurora PostgreSQL and Aurora MySQL offer open-source compatibility intended to let existing applications and tools run without modification. AWS says Aurora offers up to 6x the throughput of PostgreSQL and MySQL and is designed for up to 99.99% single-Region and 99.999% multi-Region availability. Teams manage provisioning, patching, backup, and recovery through the Amazon RDS console, CLI commands, and API operations. Aurora Serverless starts, stops, and scales capacity according to application needs, charging for capacity consumed. Standard tools can migrate MySQL and PostgreSQL databases to and from Aurora, while Babelfish supports legacy SQL Server applications on Aurora PostgreSQL with minimal code change. Aurora MySQL can invoke AWS Lambda functions and exchange data with Amazon S3. Security features include encryption at rest using AWS KMS keys and SSL (AES-256) for data in transit. The free plan provides Aurora PostgreSQL Serverless with up to 4 ACUs and 1 GiB of storage per cluster. Paid configurations use usage-based pricing, with database instances, storage, and optional features billed separately.
For and against
For
- Managed provisioning, patching, backup, and recovery
- Serverless capacity adjusts to application needs
- Supports encryption at rest and in transit
- Free plan includes up to 4 ACUs per cluster
Against
- Paid pricing varies by engine and configuration
- Free storage is limited to 1 GiB per cluster
- Optional features are billed separately
The verdict
Aurora brings managed database operations and several engine options together, with free and usage-based configurations. Check the free cluster limits and the pricing factors for your selected setup.
Who it suits
AWS identifies enterprise applications, multi-tenant SaaS, and globally distributed applications as Aurora workloads. It may suit teams seeking managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, or DSQL database options through AWS tools.
Plans and prices
Free plan
4 ACUs · 1 GiB storage per cluster
Read 22 Sep 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Paid plan
Usage-based pricing · Charges for database instances and storage · Optional features are billed separately · Provisioned and serverless configurations
Read 22 Sep 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Aurora PostgreSQL Serverless Free plan
Up to 4 ACUs · 1 GiB storage per cluster
Read 11 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Aurora PostgreSQL and Aurora MySQL On-Demand
Price varies by engine, AWS Region, instance or capacity, storage, I/O, and selected configuration
Read 11 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
On the record
- Availability
- AWS says Aurora is designed for up to 99.99% single-Region and 99.999% multi-Region availability.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Compatibility
- Aurora PostgreSQL and Aurora MySQL offer open source compatibility so existing applications and tools can run without modification.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- AWS lists Aurora in compliance programs that include SOC, PCI, FedRAMP, and HIPAA.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Aurora MySQL can invoke AWS Lambda functions and load data from or save data to Amazon S3.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Intended workloads
- AWS identifies enterprise applications, multi-tenant SaaS, and globally distributed applications as Aurora use cases.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Migration
- AWS says MySQL and PostgreSQL databases can be migrated to and from Aurora using standard tools; Babelfish supports legacy SQL Server applications on Aurora PostgreSQL with minimal code change.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Notable limit
- The free plan provides Aurora PostgreSQL Serverless instances with up to 4 ACUs and 1 GiB of storage per cluster.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Operations
- Aurora uses the Amazon RDS console, CLI commands, and API operations for tasks such as provisioning, patching, backup, and recovery.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Performance
- AWS says Aurora offers up to 6x the throughput of PostgreSQL and MySQL.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- Amazon Aurora is a fully managed relational database service with PostgreSQL, MySQL, and DSQL engines.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Scaling
- Aurora Serverless automatically starts, stops, and scales capacity based on application needs, and charges for capacity consumed.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- Aurora supports encryption at rest using AWS KMS keys and uses SSL (AES-256) to secure data in transit.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- Customers with an active AWS Premium Support plan can contact AWS for Aurora-specific troubleshooting and guidance.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Threat detection
- Amazon GuardDuty RDS Protection profiles and monitors Aurora database login activity for suspicious behavior.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 11 Oct 2026
