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Database & Data Management · head to head

Amazon RDS vs Dynatrace

Amazon RDS logo

Amazon RDS

Database & Data Management

Set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dynatrace logo

Dynatrace

Log Management

Application Performance Management and Observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Dynatrace has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon RDS no super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization; Dynatrace pricing is commitment based: rates require an annual platform level commitment rather than month to month purchase
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Dynatrace covers AI-powered analytics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon RDS and Dynatrace actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon RDS and Dynatrace differ
AttributeAmazon RDSDynatrace
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-regionWeb, Api
CategoryDatabase & Data ManagementLog Management
Founded20062005

Identical on both: 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 RDS

  • Multiple DB Engines
  • Automated Backups
  • Multi-AZ Deployment
  • Read Replicas
  • Encryption
  • Performance Insights
  • Automatic Scaling
  • MySQL

Only in Dynatrace

  • AI-powered analytics
  • APM
  • Infrastructure monitoring
  • Log analysis
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon RDS

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

Dynatrace

  • Full stack application performance monitoring with automatic dependency discoverynot Amazon RDS
  • Kubernetes and container platform observability priced per podnot Amazon RDS
  • Log ingest, processing and query analyticsnot Amazon RDS
  • Real user monitoring and session replay for web applicationsnot Amazon RDS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon RDS

  • No super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization
  • Pricing unpredictable and expensive compared to GCP alternatives with equivalent features
  • Limited access to system procedures and tables requiring advanced permissions
  • No Oracle RAC (Real Application Clusters) support for high-availability Oracle deployments

Dynatrace

  • Pricing is commitment based: rates require an annual platform level commitment rather than month to month purchase
  • Full-Stack Monitoring is priced at $58 per month per 8 GiB of host memory, so a 64 GiB host counts as eight units
  • Infrastructure Monitoring at $29 per host per month excludes code level tracing, which requires Full-Stack
  • Session Replay doubles Real User Monitoring cost from $2.25 to $4.50 per 1,000 sessions
  • Runtime Vulnerability Analytics and Runtime Application Protection are each charged separately at $13 per month per 8 GiB host on top of monitoring

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon RDS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon RDS review.

Dynatrace

Free
  • FreeFree
    • AI-powered analytics
    • APM
    • Infrastructure monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon RDS if

  • You need multiple db engines.
  • You work on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region.
  • You also want automated backups.
Amazon RDS review

Choose Dynatrace if

  • You need ai-powered analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want apm.
Dynatrace review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon RDS or Dynatrace better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon RDS starts at On request and Dynatrace at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon RDS or Dynatrace?
Dynatrace has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Amazon RDS and Free for Dynatrace.
Does Amazon RDS or Dynatrace run on more platforms?
Amazon RDS runs on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region. Dynatrace runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Dynatrace for free?
Yes. Dynatrace has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon RDS starts at On request.
What is Amazon RDS best used for?
Amazon RDS is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Dynatrace is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon RDS do that Dynatrace cannot?
Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Automated Backups, Multi-AZ Deployment, Read Replicas. Dynatrace covers AI-powered analytics, APM, Infrastructure monitoring, Log analysis. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon RDS: What databases does Amazon RDS support?

Amazon RDS supports Amazon Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle Database, and Microsoft SQL Server as managed database engines.

Source
Amazon RDS: Does Amazon RDS handle backups automatically?

Yes. Amazon RDS automates backup configuration, backing up your database and transaction logs. Blue/Green Deployments allow safer updates by mirroring production in staging before applying changes.

Source
Amazon RDS: How does Amazon RDS Proxy improve performance?

Amazon RDS Proxy is a managed database proxy that makes applications more scalable by reducing database connection overhead, more resilient to database failures, and more secure through built-in authentication.

Source
Amazon RDS: Does Amazon RDS provide read replicas?

Yes. Amazon RDS supports read replicas across availability zones and regions, enabling horizontal scaling of read capacity while maintaining a single write primary.

Source
Amazon RDS: Can I access the host directly via SSH or Remote Desktop?

No. Amazon RDS does not allow direct host access via SSH, Telnet, or Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Database access is limited to database clients and management console.

Source
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