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Amazon Redshift
What it is
Amazon Redshift is a cloud data warehouse for SQL analytics across data warehouses and data lakes. It provides provisioned and serverless deployment options, with AWS describing scaling to petabytes of data and thousands of concurrent users. Redshift can run read-only SQL queries on Apache Iceberg, Apache Hudi, and Delta Lake tables, plus open file formats in Amazon S3. Zero-ETL integrations connect with Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, Amazon DynamoDB, and enterprise applications. Streaming ingestion connects with Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka. AWS lists compatibility with QuickSight, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Alteryx, Jupyter Notebook, Informatica, dbt, MicroStrategy, and Looker. Security controls include encryption in transit and at rest, row- and column-level access controls, dynamic data masking, IAM Identity Center single sign-on, and CloudTrail API auditing. AWS states that a Multi-AZ warehouse offers a 99.99% SLA. Pricing is paid, with no free plan and a free trial; listed starting rates are $0.54 a month for Provisioned and $1.50 a month for Serverless.
For and against
For
- Provisioned and serverless deployment options
- Queries multiple data lake table formats
- Zero-ETL and streaming integrations
- Encryption and granular access controls
- Supports listed BI and ETL tools
Against
- No free plan
- Storage and other usage may bill separately
- Serverless has a 60-second minimum charge
- Pricing depends on usage and configuration
The verdict
Amazon Redshift provides warehouse and data-lake analytics with multiple ingestion, integration, and security options. Its paid usage model and separate storage or usage charges require budgeting based on deployment choices.
Who it suits
Redshift suits teams running SQL analytics, dashboards, data sharing, application development, or ETL jobs. It supports cloud deployments using provisioned or serverless capacity.
Plans and prices
Provisioned
Provisioned cluster capacity · On-demand hourly billing · Managed storage billed separately for RG and RA3 nodes
Read 20 Sep 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Serverless
4-1024 RPUs
Read 20 Sep 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Provisioned on-demand
Starts at stated rate · storage and other usage may be billed separately
Read 29 Sep 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Redshift Serverless on-demand
Starts at stated rate · storage and other usage may be billed separately
Read 29 Sep 2026 · aws.amazon.com
On the record
- API
- The Redshift Data API supports programming languages and platforms supported by the AWS SDK, including Python, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, and C++.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Availability
- AWS states that a Multi-AZ Redshift data warehouse offers a 99.99% SLA.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- BI and ETL integrations
- AWS lists QuickSight, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Alteryx, Jupyter Notebook, Informatica, dbt, MicroStrategy, and Looker among compatible tools.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Data ingestion
- Zero-ETL integrations connect Redshift with Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, Amazon DynamoDB, and enterprise applications.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Data lake queries
- Redshift supports read-only SQL queries on Apache Iceberg, Apache Hudi, and Delta Lake tables and open file formats in Amazon S3.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Deployment
- It offers provisioned and serverless deployment options.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Free trial
- The pricing page says first-time Redshift Serverless users are eligible for a $300 credit that expires after 90 days; in regions without Serverless, provisioned clusters have a two-month trial, subject to stated usage limits.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Identity and auditing
- Redshift integrates with AWS IAM Identity Center for single sign-on and AWS CloudTrail for auditing API calls.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Intended workloads
- AWS describes use cases including dashboarding, application development, data sharing, and ETL jobs.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Scale
- AWS says Redshift options scale to petabytes of data and support thousands of concurrent users.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Security
- Redshift supports encryption in transit and at rest, row- and column-level access controls, and dynamic data masking.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Streaming
- Streaming ingestion can connect with Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- What it does
- Amazon Redshift is a cloud data warehouse for SQL analytics across data warehouses and data lakes.aws.amazon.com · read 29 Sep 2026
