Software · head to head
Amazon Aurora vs Linode

Amazon Aurora
Software
MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services; Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
- They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, Linode covers Compute instances.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon Aurora and Linode actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon Aurora | Linode |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | AWS Cloud | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2006 | 2003 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), 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 Linode
- Compute instances
- Object storage
- Block storage
- Kubernetes
- Managed database
- Load balancers
- Firewalls
- Private networks
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon Aurora
- Transaction processingnot Linode
- Data storagenot Linode
- Application backendnot Linode
- Reportingnot Linode
- Data analyticsnot Linode
Linode
- Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot Amazon Aurora
- Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Amazon Aurora
- Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot 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
Linode
- linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
- Charges accrue for any service on the account even when it is powered off, because RAM and network capacity stay reserved; only deleting the service stops billing
- Network transfer beyond the monthly allotment is billed from $0.005 per GB and the rate varies by region
- The Akamai Cloud pricing landing page shows no rates and directs visitors to regional pricing pages or sales
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
Linode
Free- Nanode 1GB$5/month
- 1GB RAM
- 1 vCPU
- 25GB SSD
- Linode 4GB$20/month
- 4GB RAM
- 2 vCPU
- 80GB SSD
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 Linode if
- You need compute instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon Aurora or Linode better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Linode at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or Linode?
- Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Linode at Free.
- Does Amazon Aurora or Linode run on more platforms?
- Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- 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 Linode is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon Aurora do that Linode cannot?
- Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Kubernetes. 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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- Linode vs Render
- Linode vs Upstash
- Linode vs Vagrant
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- Linode vs Akamai
- Linode vs Alibaba Cloud
- Linode vs Chef
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