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Amazon RDS vs RavenDB

Amazon RDS logo

Amazon RDS

Software

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RavenDB logo

RavenDB

Software

The fully transactional NoSQL document database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only RavenDB 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; RavenDB the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, RavenDB covers ACID Transactions.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Amazon RDS and RavenDB differ
AttributeAmazon RDSRavenDB
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-regionLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
Founded20062010

Identical on both: 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 RDS

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

Only in RavenDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Auto-indexing
  • Full-text Search
  • Graph Queries
  • Distributed Counters
  • Time Series
  • Document Compression
  • .NET

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon RDS

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

RavenDB

  • Running a distributed document database with ACID transactionsnot Amazon RDS
  • Self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardwarenot Amazon RDS
  • Replicating operational data out to analytics systems through ETLnot 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

RavenDB

  • The free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • The free Community licence caps a customer at 60 cores and forces you to stay on the latest major version
  • The Professional licence is limited to a single database, a 5 node cluster, 40 cores and 240 GB RAM
  • Sharding across nodes, ETL to OLAP, Elasticsearch and Kafka, and data archival are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise and AI licence pricing is contact us only with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon RDS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon RDS review.

RavenDB

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • 3 cores
    • 6GB RAM
    • Community support
  • Professional$499/year
    • Production use
    • Professional support
    • Advanced features

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 RavenDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want auto-indexing.
RavenDB review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon RDS or RavenDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon RDS starts at On request and RavenDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon RDS or RavenDB?
RavenDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Amazon RDS and Free for RavenDB.
Does Amazon RDS or RavenDB run on more platforms?
Amazon RDS runs on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region. RavenDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use RavenDB for free?
Yes. RavenDB 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 RavenDB is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon RDS do that RavenDB cannot?
Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Automated Backups, Multi-AZ Deployment, Read Replicas. RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Full-text Search, Graph Queries. 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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