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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Alibaba Cloud vs DynamoDB

Alibaba Cloud logo

Alibaba Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Asia's leading cloud computing provider

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DynamoDB logo

DynamoDB

Database & Data Management

Fast, flexible NoSQL database service for any scale

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included; DynamoDB noSQL-only; does not support complex relational queries or SQL joins
  • They diverge on capability: Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, DynamoDB covers Single-digit Millisecond Latency.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alibaba Cloud and DynamoDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Alibaba Cloud and DynamoDB differ
AttributeAlibaba CloudDynamoDB
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliAWS
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureDatabase & Data Management
Founded20092006

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Alibaba Cloud

  • Elastic Compute Service
  • Object Storage Service
  • RDS Database
  • MaxCompute
  • Function Compute
  • CDN
  • Load Balancer
  • Terraform

Only in DynamoDB

  • Single-digit Millisecond Latency
  • Serverless
  • Auto-scaling
  • Global Tables
  • Point-in-time Recovery
  • Encryption
  • Streams
  • Lambda

Both cover

  • API Gateway

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot DynamoDB
  • Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot DynamoDB
  • Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot DynamoDB
  • CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot DynamoDB

DynamoDB

  • High-scale, variable-workload applicationsnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Mobile and IoT device backendsnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Real-time analytics and dashboardsnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Multi-region, globally distributed applicationsnot Alibaba Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
  • Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
  • Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic

DynamoDB

  • NoSQL-only; does not support complex relational queries or SQL joins
  • Limited query flexibility; requires thinking in terms of keys and indexes rather than ad-hoc queries

Pricing, plan by plan

Alibaba Cloud

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Free tier credits
    • ECS instances
    • Cloud storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible billing
    • No commitments
    • Global reach

DynamoDB

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the DynamoDB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Alibaba Cloud if

  • You need elastic compute service.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage service.
Alibaba Cloud review

Choose DynamoDB if

  • You need single-digit millisecond latency.
  • You work on AWS.
  • You also want serverless.
DynamoDB review

Questions people ask

Is Alibaba Cloud or DynamoDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Alibaba Cloud starts at Free and DynamoDB at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alibaba Cloud or DynamoDB?
Alibaba Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Alibaba Cloud and On request for DynamoDB.
Does Alibaba Cloud or DynamoDB run on more platforms?
Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. DynamoDB runs on AWS.
Can I use Alibaba Cloud for free?
Yes. Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DynamoDB starts at On request.
What is Alibaba Cloud best used for?
Alibaba Cloud is most often used for cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific, pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment, committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloads, cdn and data transfer packages for content delivery. Of those, cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific and pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment are not what DynamoDB is typically brought in for.
What can Alibaba Cloud do that DynamoDB cannot?
Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. DynamoDB covers Single-digit Millisecond Latency, Serverless, Auto-scaling, Global Tables. Both handle API Gateway.
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