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Databases · head to head

Amazon Aurora vs Braze

Amazon Aurora logo

Amazon Aurora

Databases

MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Braze logo

Braze

E-Commerce

Customer engagement platform built for the modern marketer

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Aurora has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services; Braze no free tier or monthly billing, requiring annual enterprise contracts with no flexibility
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, Braze covers Cross-channel messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Aurora and Braze actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Aurora and Braze differ
AttributeAmazon AuroraBraze
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAWS CloudWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryDatabasesE-Commerce
Founded20062011

Identical on both: 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 Amazon Aurora

  • MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible
  • 5x MySQL Performance
  • Auto-scaling Storage
  • Global Database
  • Serverless v2
  • Multi-master
  • Fault Tolerant
  • AWS Lambda

Only in Braze

  • Cross-channel messaging
  • Customer journey orchestration
  • Real-time personalization
  • A/B testing
  • Predictive analytics
  • Audience segmentation
  • Campaign analytics
  • Content cards

What people use each for

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

Amazon Aurora

  • Transaction processingnot Braze
  • Data storagenot Braze
  • Application backendnot Braze
  • Reportingnot Braze
  • Data analyticsnot Braze

Braze

  • Customer engagementnot Amazon Aurora
  • Marketing automationnot Amazon Aurora
  • Personalizationnot Amazon Aurora
  • Retention campaignsnot Amazon Aurora
  • Cross-channel messagingnot 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

Braze

  • No free tier or monthly billing, requiring annual enterprise contracts with no flexibility
  • Implementation costs of $20k-$100k+ significantly increase total cost of ownership

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

Braze

On request
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Core messaging channels
    • Basic segmentation
    • Campaign analytics
  • Plus$undefined/month
    • Advanced features
    • Predictive suite
    • Canvas Flow
  • Premier$undefined/month
    • All features
    • Dedicated CSM
    • Custom integrations

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.
Amazon Aurora review

Choose Braze if

  • You need cross-channel messaging.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want customer journey orchestration.
Braze review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Aurora or Braze better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Braze at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or Braze?
Amazon Aurora has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Aurora and On request for Braze.
Does Amazon Aurora or Braze run on more platforms?
Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. Braze runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Amazon Aurora for free?
Yes. Amazon Aurora has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Braze starts at On request.
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 Braze is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Aurora do that Braze cannot?
Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. Braze covers Cross-channel messaging, Customer journey orchestration, Real-time personalization, A/B testing.

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.

Source
Braze: What is Braze's pricing model?

Braze uses a usage-based pricing model with custom annual contracts. There is no free plan or monthly billing. Typical contracts range from $60,000 to $200,000 per year for mid-market deployments.

Source
Amazon 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.

Source
Braze: Does Braze offer implementation support?

Implementation through a Braze Solutions Partner typically costs $20,000 to $100,000 or more, as Braze is an enterprise platform requiring custom configuration.

Source
Amazon 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.

Source
Braze: What messaging channels does Braze support?

Braze supports push notifications, in-app messaging, email, SMS, and web messaging across mobile apps and web platforms.

Source
Amazon Aurora: Can Amazon Aurora scale automatically?

Yes, Aurora automatically scales to match workload demands without performance degradation, supporting both read and write scaling.

Source
Amazon Aurora: How many read replicas does Aurora support?

Aurora supports up to 15 low-latency read replicas for distributing read traffic across your application.

Source
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