Database & Data Management · head to head
Amazon Aurora vs ArangoDB

Amazon Aurora
Database & Data Management
MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

ArangoDB
Database & Data Management
Multi-model database for graph, document, and search
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services; ArangoDB the company has repositioned around a wider platform, so ArangoDB is now described as the foundation inside Arango rather than the product itself
- They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon Aurora and ArangoDB actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon Aurora | ArangoDB |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | freemium |
| Platforms | AWS Cloud | Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web |
| Founded | 2006 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).
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 Amazon Aurora
- MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible
- 5x MySQL Performance
- Auto-scaling Storage
- Global Database
- Serverless v2
- Multi-master
- Fault Tolerant
- AWS Lambda
Only in ArangoDB
- Multi-model Support
- AQL Query Language
- Graph Traversals
- Full-text Search
- ACID Transactions
- SmartGraphs
- Satellite Collections
- Foxx Microservices
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon Aurora
- Transaction processingnot ArangoDB
- Data storagenot ArangoDB
- Application backendnot ArangoDB
- Reportingnot ArangoDB
- Data analyticsnot ArangoDB
ArangoDB
- Graph, document and key-value data in one databasenot Amazon Aurora
- Vector and full-text search alongside graph traversalnot Amazon Aurora
- Avoiding separate stores for related and unstructured datanot Amazon Aurora
- Backing AI applications needing both graph context and vectorsnot Amazon Aurora
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Amazon Aurora
- Aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services
- Pricing can become expensive with high-traffic applications using many read replicas
- Limited support for non-relational data types compared to NoSQL alternatives
ArangoDB
- The company has repositioned around a wider platform, so ArangoDB is now described as the foundation inside Arango rather than the product itself
- Neither the community licence terms nor cloud pricing are stated on the main site
- arangodb.com redirects to arango.ai
Pricing, plan by plan
Amazon Aurora
Free- Serverless v2$0.12/hour
- Auto-scaling
- Pay per ACU
- Instant scaling
- Provisioned$29/month
- Dedicated instances
- Predictable performance
- Reserved capacity
ArangoDB
Free- CommunityFree
- All data models
- AQL queries
- Full-text search
- ArangoGraph$99/month
- Managed service
- Graph analytics
- Enterprise support
Which should you pick?
Choose Amazon Aurora if
- You need mysql/postgresql compatible.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on AWS Cloud.
- You also want 5x mysql performance.
Choose ArangoDB if
- You need multi-model support.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- You also want aql query language.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon Aurora or ArangoDB better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and ArangoDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or ArangoDB?
- Amazon Aurora starts at Free and ArangoDB at Free.
- Does Amazon Aurora or ArangoDB run on more platforms?
- Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. ArangoDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- Can I use Amazon Aurora for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Amazon Aurora best used for?
- Amazon Aurora is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what ArangoDB is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon Aurora do that ArangoDB cannot?
- Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, AQL Query Language, Graph Traversals, Full-text Search. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amazon Aurora: Is Amazon Aurora compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL?
Yes, Amazon Aurora offers MySQL and PostgreSQL compatibility with full compatibility to their open-source counterparts, allowing you to migrate existing databases with standard tools.
SourceAmazon Aurora: What uptime SLA does Amazon Aurora provide?
Aurora is designed for up to 99.99% single-region uptime and 99.999% multi-region uptime with automatic failover.
SourceAmazon Aurora: How much does Amazon Aurora cost?
Aurora uses serverless, usage-based pricing where you pay only for consumed capacity. Typical pricing ranges from $50-70 per month for minimal setups to $400-600 per month for small production clusters.
SourceAmazon Aurora: Can Amazon Aurora scale automatically?
Yes, Aurora automatically scales to match workload demands without performance degradation, supporting both read and write scaling.
SourceAmazon Aurora: How many read replicas does Aurora support?
Aurora supports up to 15 low-latency read replicas for distributing read traffic across your application.
SourceRelated pages
More on Amazon Aurora
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