Softwr

Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs DuckDB

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Cloud & Infrastructure

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DuckDB logo

DuckDB

Database & Data Management

Fast in-process analytical database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; DuckDB client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios
  • They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, DuckDB covers In-process Execution.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and DuckDB actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and DuckDB differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)DuckDB
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileLinux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureDatabase & Data Management
Founded20062019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in DuckDB

  • In-process Execution
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vectorized Execution
  • Rich SQL Support
  • Parquet Support
  • CSV/JSON Import
  • Zero Dependencies
  • Python

What people use each for

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

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot DuckDB
  • Data storagenot DuckDB
  • Machine learningnot DuckDB
  • Big data analyticsnot DuckDB
  • Application developmentnot DuckDB

DuckDB

  • Analytics and data warehousingnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • OLAP queries and data explorationnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Data science and machine learning workflowsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Multi-format data ingestion and processingnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Where each one falls short

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

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

DuckDB

  • Client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

DuckDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DuckDB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) review

Choose DuckDB if

  • You need in-process execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
  • You also want columnar storage.
DuckDB review

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or DuckDB better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and DuckDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or DuckDB?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and DuckDB at Free.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or DuckDB run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. DuckDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what DuckDB is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that DuckDB cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Columnar Storage, Vectorized Execution, Rich SQL Support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on AWS (Amazon Web Services)

More on DuckDB

Keep looking

Other head to heads