Softwr

Databases · head to head

Amazon Aurora vs Fivetran

Amazon Aurora logo

Amazon Aurora

Databases

MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fivetran logo

Fivetran

Automation Integration

The most trusted data movement platform

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; Fivetran billed on monthly active rows, so the bill tracks how much source data changes rather than how much is stored or queried
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, Fivetran covers Automated data pipeline.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Amazon Aurora and Fivetran differ
AttributeAmazon AuroraFivetran
PlatformsAWS CloudWeb, Cloud
CategoryDatabasesAutomation Integration
Founded20062012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), 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 Fivetran

  • Automated data pipeline
  • Change Data Capture
  • Data transformation
  • Real-time sync
  • Monitoring
  • Data quality
  • Scheduling
  • Notifications

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon Aurora

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

Fivetran

  • Managed data pipelines from SaaS sources into a warehousenot Amazon Aurora
  • Keeping a warehouse in sync with production databases without writing connectorsnot 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

Fivetran

  • Billed on monthly active rows, so the bill tracks how much source data changes rather than how much is stored or queried
  • Each connection follows its own cost curve, so total spend is hard to predict before running a pipeline
  • The free plan allows 500,000 monthly active rows, 3,500 activation rows and 5,000 model runs
  • Transformations are metered separately, from $0.01 per model run above 5,000 down to $0.002 above 100,000
  • A schema change upstream that touches many rows raises the bill without any change on the customer's side

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

Fivetran

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited connectors
    • Basic support
  • Standard$300/month
    • 500+ connectors
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$1000/month
    • Custom connectors
    • Dedicated 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.
Amazon Aurora review

Choose Fivetran if

  • You need automated data pipeline.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want change data capture.
Fivetran review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Aurora or Fivetran better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Fivetran at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or Fivetran?
Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Fivetran at Free.
Does Amazon Aurora or Fivetran run on more platforms?
Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. Fivetran runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Fivetran is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Aurora do that Fivetran cannot?
Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. Fivetran covers Automated data pipeline, Change Data Capture, Data transformation, Real-time sync. 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
Fivetran: What does Fivetran's free plan include?

The free plan includes 500,000 monthly active rows for connections, 3,500 monthly active rows for activations, and 5,000 monthly model runs for transformations.

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
Fivetran: What is the trial period for Fivetran?

Fivetran offers a 14-day risk-free trial for new accounts. Each new connection also includes 14 days of free use, with trial extensions available by contacting support.

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
Fivetran: How much do I save by paying annually instead of monthly?

Annual contracts save up to 22.6% compared to monthly pricing, with tiered discounts starting at 5% and increasing based on annual list price.

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
Fivetran: Can I cancel or modify my Fivetran subscription anytime?

Plans can be upgraded at any time. Connections can be added or removed at any time, and you can block tables or schemas to reduce usage. Downgrade or cancellation policies are not specified on the pricing page.

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
Fivetran: What is the pricing for Fivetran transformations?

Transformations cost $0.01 per run for 5,001 to 30,000 monthly runs, with per-run costs declining as volume increases.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Amazon Aurora

More on Fivetran

Keep looking

Other head to heads