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Database & Data Management · head to head

Amazon Aurora vs Firebase Realtime Database

Amazon Aurora logo

Amazon Aurora

Database & Data Management

MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Firebase Realtime Database logo

Firebase Realtime Database

Database & Data Management

Store and sync data in real-time across all clients

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; Firebase Realtime Database the no-cost Spark plan caps storage at 1 GB, downloads at 10 GB per month and simultaneous connections at 100
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Aurora and Firebase Realtime Database actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Aurora and Firebase Realtime Database differ
AttributeAmazon AuroraFirebase Realtime Database
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsAWS CloudWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20062011

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 Firebase Realtime Database

  • Real-time Sync
  • Offline Support
  • JSON Storage
  • Security Rules
  • Data Validation
  • Multi-platform SDKs
  • Scalable
  • Firebase Auth

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon Aurora

  • Transaction processingnot Firebase Realtime Database
  • Data storagenot Firebase Realtime Database
  • Application backendnot Firebase Realtime Database
  • Reportingnot Firebase Realtime Database
  • Data analyticsnot Firebase Realtime Database

Firebase Realtime Database

  • Syncing JSON application state between clients in real timenot Amazon Aurora
  • Backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storagenot Amazon Aurora
  • Prototyping realtime features such as presence and chatnot 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

Firebase Realtime Database

  • The no-cost Spark plan caps storage at 1 GB, downloads at 10 GB per month and simultaneous connections at 100
  • The Spark plan does not support multiple databases in a project
  • Even on the paid Blaze plan simultaneous connections are capped at 200,000 per database
  • Billing is by data transferred out at $1 per GB plus $5 per GB stored, so chatty clients cost more than the data volume suggests

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

Firebase Realtime Database

Free
  • SparkFree
    • 1GB storage
    • 10GB/month download
    • 100 simultaneous connections
  • BlazeFree
    • Pay as you go
    • Unlimited storage
    • Unlimited connections

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 Firebase Realtime Database if

  • You need real-time sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want offline support.
Firebase Realtime Database review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Aurora or Firebase Realtime Database better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Firebase Realtime Database at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or Firebase Realtime Database?
Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Firebase Realtime Database at Free.
Does Amazon Aurora or Firebase Realtime Database run on more platforms?
Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. Firebase Realtime Database runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Firebase Realtime Database is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Aurora do that Firebase Realtime Database cannot?
Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync, Offline Support, JSON Storage, Security Rules. 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.

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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