Amazon Aurora vs RDS MySQL: When Should You Use Each? Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers multiple relational database services to suit different needs, and two of the most popular are Amazon RDS for MySQL and Amazon Aurora. Both support the MySQL database engine, but they have different architectures, performance characteristics, pricing models, and use cases. This article explains the key differences between Aurora and RDS MySQL, and helps you decide when to use each one.
1. What is Amazon RDS for MySQL? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) for MySQL is a managed database service that makes it easier to set up, operate, and scale MySQL deployments in the cloud. It handles routine database tasks like provisioning, patching, backup, recovery, and failover with minimal effort. AWS Solutions Architect Online RDS for MySQL is ideal for teams that:
Want a managed MySQL experience Are migrating existing MySQL applications to the cloud Need a familiar, community-driven MySQL environment
2. What is Amazon Aurora (MySQL-Compatible)? Amazon Aurora is a cloud-native, fully managed relational database engine designed by AWS for high performance and availability. It is compatible with both MySQL and PostgreSQL, but under the hood, it is a completely re-architected engine optimized for the cloud. Aurora MySQL is suitable for:
Applications that require higher performance than traditional MySQL Businesses expecting rapid growth and scale Enterprises needing strong availability and replication
3. Key Differences between Aurora and RDS MySQL a. Performance and Scalability
Aurora: o Delivers up to 5x the throughput of standard MySQL. o Uses a distributed, fault-tolerant, self-healing storage system. o Supports up to 15 read replicas, compared to 5 in RDS MySQL. o Can automatically scale storage from 10 GB to 128 TB. RDS MySQL: AWS Solutions Architect Certification Training o Offers performance close to native MySQL. o Limited to 5 read replicas. o Storage scaling is manual and less flexible (max 64 TB). Verdict: Choose Aurora for high-performance, large-scale applications.
b. Availability and Durability
Aurora: o Provides multi-AZ deployments with automatic failover in under 30 seconds. o Replicates data across 6 copies in 3 Availability Zones. o Built-in continuous backup to Amazon S3. RDS MySQL: o Also supports multi-AZ, but failover takes 1–2 minutes. o Backups are scheduled and snapshot-based. o Less resilient storage compared to Aurora’s architecture. Verdict: Use Aurora for mission-critical applications needing high availability and durability. AWS Solutions Architect Online Training
c. Compatibility
Aurora MySQL: o Compatible with MySQL 5.6, 5.7, and 8.0. o Not all MySQL plugins and features are supported due to Aurora’s architecture. RDS MySQL: o Offers near-complete compatibility with standard MySQL. o Ideal if you rely on specific MySQL extensions or third-party tools. Verdict: Use RDS MySQL when full MySQL compatibility is a must.
d. Cost
Aurora:
o o o
More expensive per instance-hour and GB stored. You pay for compute and storage separately, but it auto-scales storage. Offers Aurora Serverless, which charges per actual usage. RDS MySQL: o Cheaper than Aurora for smaller, less demanding workloads. o Fixed instance size and storage capacity. Verdict: Use RDS MySQL if cost is a primary concern and performance needs are moderate.
e. Serverless Option
Aurora: o Supports Aurora Serverless v2, which automatically adjusts capacity based on demand. o Great for unpredictable or spiky workloads. RDS MySQL: o Does not support serverless deployment. o You need to provision instances manually. Verdict: Choose Aurora for dynamic workloads that benefit from serverless architecture.
f. Replication and Global Deployments
Aurora: o Supports Global Databases to replicate across AWS regions with sub-second latency. o Can replicate read/write workloads to remote regions with ease. RDS MySQL: o Uses traditional replication, which is asynchronous and slower. o Cross-region replication is more complex and less robust. Verdict: Aurora is superior for multi-region, global applications.
4. When Should You Use Aurora? You should consider Amazon Aurora when: AWS Certified Solutions Architect Training
You need high throughput and low-latency reads/writes. Your application experiences unpredictable or rapidly growing workloads. You’re building globally distributed, highly available systems. Your team is cloud-native or building modern SaaS applications. You want to take advantage of serverless architecture.
Common use cases:
E-commerce platforms Real-time analytics Financial services apps
SaaS products with global users
5. When Should You Use RDS MySQL? Go with RDS for MySQL when:
You are migrating an existing on-prem MySQL application and want minimal changes. Your workload is predictable and not performance-intensive. You need to use plugins or tools that are tightly coupled with traditional MySQL. Your budget is constrained and Aurora's premium is not justified. Common use cases:
Legacy MySQL applications Small-to-medium web apps Development or test environments Projects with limited performance demands
6. Migration Path: RDS to Aurora AWS provides tools like Database Migration Service (DMS) and Snapshot Migration to move from RDS MySQL to Aurora. Since Aurora is MySQL-compatible, the transition is usually seamless for applications. AWS Certification Course
7. Final Decision Table Criteria Amazon Aurora RDS MySQL Performance High (up to 5x MySQL) Moderate Availability 99.99%, Multi-AZ with faster failover 99.95%, slower failover Replication Up to 15 replicas, cross-region support Up to 5 replicas Storage Scaling Auto, up to 128 TB Manual, up to 64 TB Serverless Yes (Aurora Serverless) No Cost Higher Lower Compatibility Mostly MySQL-compatible Fully MySQL-compatible
Conclusion Both Aurora and RDS MySQL are powerful options, but the right choice depends on your specific needs. If performance, scalability, and high availability are critical, Aurora is the clear winner. If you're running smaller workloads, migrating legacy systems, or managing costs, RDS MySQL might be the better fit. In short:
Choose Aurora when you need speed, scale, and resiliency. Choose RDS MySQL when you need simplicity, familiarity, and lower cost. Trending Courses: Google Cloud AI, Docker and Kubernetes, Site Reliability Engineering, SAP Ariba Visualpath is the Best Software Online Training Institute in Hyderabad. Avail is complete worldwide. You will get the best course at an
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