Software · head to head
Aiven vs Amazon RDS
Amazon RDS
Software
Set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Aiven has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Aiven the free plan gives 1 VM with 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM and 1 GB storage, and cannot pick a specific cloud or region; Amazon RDS no super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization
- They diverge on capability: Aiven covers Multi-cloud Support, Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Aiven and Amazon RDS actually diverge.
| Attribute | Aiven | Amazon RDS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | usage-based | Unknown |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp, Do | AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region |
| Founded | 2016 | 2006 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Aiven
- Multi-cloud Support
- Seamless Upgrades
- VPC Peering
- End-to-end Encryption
- Compliance
- Observability
- Redis
- Kafka
Only in Amazon RDS
- Multiple DB Engines
- Multi-AZ Deployment
- Read Replicas
- Encryption
- Performance Insights
- Automatic Scaling
- MariaDB
- Oracle
Both cover
- Automated Backups
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- Web support
- Aws support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Aiven
- Running managed open source databases without operating themnot Amazon RDS
- Multi-cloud deployment across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, OVH and UpCloudnot Amazon RDS
- Highly available data services with automatic failovernot Amazon RDS
- Prototyping on a small free instance before scaling upnot Amazon RDS
Amazon RDS
- Transaction processingnot Aiven
- Data storagenot Aiven
- Application backendnot Aiven
- Reportingnot Aiven
- Data analyticsnot Aiven
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Aiven
- The free plan gives 1 VM with 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM and 1 GB storage, and cannot pick a specific cloud or region
- Free and Developer tiers have no integrations and no connection pooling
- Connection pooling, database forks and dynamic disk sizing need the Business or Premium plan
- A 99.99 percent uptime SLA starts at the Startup plan from $75 a month
- High availability with automatic failover starts at Business from $180 a month
Amazon RDS
- No super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization
- Pricing unpredictable and expensive compared to GCP alternatives with equivalent features
- Limited access to system procedures and tables requiring advanced permissions
- No Oracle RAC (Real Application Clusters) support for high-availability Oracle deployments
Pricing, plan by plan
Aiven
Free- Free TrialFree
- $300 credits
- 30 day trial
- All services
- Startup$19/month
- Single node
- Basic support
- Daily backups
Amazon RDS
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Amazon RDS review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Aiven if
- You need multi-cloud support.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp, Do.
- You also want seamless upgrades.
Choose Amazon RDS if
- You need multiple db engines.
- You work on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region.
- You also want multi-az deployment.
Questions people ask
- Is Aiven or Amazon RDS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Aiven starts at Free and Amazon RDS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Aiven or Amazon RDS?
- Aiven has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Aiven and On request for Amazon RDS.
- Does Aiven or Amazon RDS run on more platforms?
- Aiven runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp, Do. Amazon RDS runs on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region.
- Can I use Aiven for free?
- Yes. Aiven has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon RDS starts at On request.
- What is Aiven best used for?
- Aiven is most often used for running managed open source databases without operating them, multi-cloud deployment across aws, google cloud, azure, digitalocean, ovh and upcloud, highly available data services with automatic failover, prototyping on a small free instance before scaling up. Of those, running managed open source databases without operating them and multi-cloud deployment across aws, google cloud, azure, digitalocean, ovh and upcloud are not what Amazon RDS is typically brought in for.
- What can Aiven do that Amazon RDS cannot?
- Aiven covers Multi-cloud Support, Seamless Upgrades, VPC Peering, End-to-end Encryption. Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Multi-AZ Deployment, Read Replicas, Encryption. Both handle Automated Backups, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amazon RDS: What databases does Amazon RDS support?
Amazon RDS supports Amazon Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle Database, and Microsoft SQL Server as managed database engines.
SourceAmazon RDS: Does Amazon RDS handle backups automatically?
Yes. Amazon RDS automates backup configuration, backing up your database and transaction logs. Blue/Green Deployments allow safer updates by mirroring production in staging before applying changes.
SourceAmazon RDS: How does Amazon RDS Proxy improve performance?
Amazon RDS Proxy is a managed database proxy that makes applications more scalable by reducing database connection overhead, more resilient to database failures, and more secure through built-in authentication.
SourceAmazon RDS: Does Amazon RDS provide read replicas?
Yes. Amazon RDS supports read replicas across availability zones and regions, enabling horizontal scaling of read capacity while maintaining a single write primary.
SourceAmazon RDS: Can I access the host directly via SSH or Remote Desktop?
No. Amazon RDS does not allow direct host access via SSH, Telnet, or Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Database access is limited to database clients and management console.
Source