Software · head to head
Amazon Aurora vs ScyllaDB

Amazon Aurora
Software
MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

ScyllaDB
Software
The real-time big data database compatible with Cassandra
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services; ScyllaDB aWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in
- They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon Aurora and ScyllaDB actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon Aurora | ScyllaDB |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | freemium |
| Platforms | AWS Cloud | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web |
| Founded | 2006 | 2015 |
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 ScyllaDB
- Cassandra Compatible
- DynamoDB Compatible
- 10x Throughput
- Low Latency
- Auto-tuning
- Lightweight Transactions
- Change Data Capture
- Cassandra Drivers
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon Aurora
- Transaction processingnot ScyllaDB
- Data storagenot ScyllaDB
- Application backendnot ScyllaDB
- Reportingnot ScyllaDB
- Data analyticsnot ScyllaDB
ScyllaDB
- Real-time applicationsnot Amazon Aurora
- Content managementnot Amazon Aurora
- User profilesnot Amazon Aurora
- Mobile backendsnot Amazon Aurora
- Cachingnot 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
ScyllaDB
- AWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in
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
ScyllaDB
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full features
- Community support
- Self-managed
- Cloud$0.3/hour
- Managed service
- Pay per hour
- Enterprise 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.
Choose ScyllaDB if
- You need cassandra compatible.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
- You also want dynamodb compatible.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon Aurora or ScyllaDB better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and ScyllaDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or ScyllaDB?
- Amazon Aurora starts at Free and ScyllaDB at Free.
- Does Amazon Aurora or ScyllaDB run on more platforms?
- Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. ScyllaDB runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
- 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 ScyllaDB is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon Aurora do that ScyllaDB cannot?
- Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible, DynamoDB Compatible, 10x Throughput, Low Latency. 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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