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Amazon Aurora vs DuckDB

Amazon Aurora logo

Amazon Aurora

Software

MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DuckDB logo

DuckDB

Software

Fast in-process analytical database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services; DuckDB client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, DuckDB covers In-process Execution.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Amazon Aurora and DuckDB differ
AttributeAmazon AuroraDuckDB
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsAWS CloudLinux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly
Founded20062019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Amazon Aurora

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

Only in DuckDB

  • In-process Execution
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vectorized Execution
  • Rich SQL Support
  • Parquet Support
  • CSV/JSON Import
  • Zero Dependencies
  • Python

What people use each for

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

Amazon Aurora

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

DuckDB

  • Analytics and data warehousingnot Amazon Aurora
  • OLAP queries and data explorationnot Amazon Aurora
  • Data science and machine learning workflowsnot Amazon Aurora
  • Multi-format data ingestion and processingnot 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

DuckDB

  • Client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios

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

DuckDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DuckDB review.

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 DuckDB if

  • You need in-process execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
  • You also want columnar storage.
DuckDB review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Aurora or DuckDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and DuckDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or DuckDB?
Amazon Aurora starts at Free and DuckDB at Free.
Does Amazon Aurora or DuckDB run on more platforms?
Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. DuckDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
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 DuckDB is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Aurora do that DuckDB cannot?
Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Columnar Storage, Vectorized Execution, Rich SQL 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.

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
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
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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Related pages

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