Is Amazon RDS or Zenefits better?

Neither clearly leads. Amazon RDS starts at On request and Zenefits at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Amazon RDS or Zenefits?

Amazon RDS starts at On request and Zenefits at $8/month.

Does Amazon RDS or Zenefits run on more platforms?

Amazon RDS runs on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region. Zenefits runs on Web.

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 Zenefits is typically brought in for.

What can Amazon RDS do that Zenefits cannot?

Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Automated Backups, Multi-AZ Deployment, Read Replicas. Zenefits covers HR Administration, Benefits Management, Payroll, Time and Scheduling. Both handle Web support.

Database & Data Management · head to head

Amazon RDS vs Zenefits

Amazon RDS

Database & Data Management

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

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

Zenefits

Payroll & Benefits

All-in-one HR platform for growing companies

From: $8/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Amazon RDS no super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization; Zenefits product discontinued by parent company TriNet
They diverge on capability: Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Zenefits covers HR Administration.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Amazon RDS and Zenefits differ
Attribute	Amazon RDS	Zenefits
Starting price	On request	$8/month
Pricing model	Unknown	subscription
Platforms	AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region	Web
Category	Database & Data Management	Payroll & Benefits
Founded	2006	2013

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Zenefits

HR Administration
Benefits Management
Payroll
Time and Scheduling
Compliance
Performance Management
Slack
Google Workspace

Both cover

Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon RDS

Transaction processingnot Zenefits
Data storagenot Zenefits
Application backendnot Zenefits
Reportingnot Zenefits
Data analyticsnot Zenefits

Zenefits

No use cases recorded yet. See the Zenefits review.

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

Zenefits

Product discontinued by parent company TriNet
Remaining customers forced to migrate to more expensive TriNet products

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon RDS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon RDS review.

Zenefits

$8/month

Essentials$8/month
- HR Administration
- Time Off Tracking
- Scheduling
Growth$16/month
- All Essentials features
- Compensation Management
- Performance Management

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 Zenefits if

You need hr administration.
You also want benefits management.

Zenefits review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon RDS or Zenefits better?: Neither clearly leads. Amazon RDS starts at On request and Zenefits at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon RDS or Zenefits?: Amazon RDS starts at On request and Zenefits at $8/month.
Does Amazon RDS or Zenefits run on more platforms?: Amazon RDS runs on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region. Zenefits runs on Web.
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 Zenefits is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon RDS do that Zenefits cannot?: Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Automated Backups, Multi-AZ Deployment, Read Replicas. Zenefits covers HR Administration, Benefits Management, Payroll, Time and Scheduling. 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

Zenefits: Is Zenefits still available as a standalone product?

No. Zenefits was discontinued as a standalone product after TriNet's acquisition in 2022. Existing customers are being migrated to TriNet HR Plus (ASO) or TriNet PEO at higher costs.

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

Zenefits: What were Zenefits' main features before discontinuation?

Zenefits provided HR, benefits management, payroll as optional add-on, time and attendance tracking, and compliance tools for small to mid-sized businesses with 10-200 employees.

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

Amazon RDS vs Zenefits

Amazon RDS

Zenefits

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Amazon RDS

Only in Zenefits

Both cover

What people use each for

Amazon RDS

Zenefits

Where each one falls short

Amazon RDS

Zenefits

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon RDS

Zenefits

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon RDS if

Choose Zenefits if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Amazon RDS

More on Zenefits

Keep looking

Other head to heads