Software · head to head
DuckDB vs Amazon Aurora
Amazon Aurora
Software
MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: DuckDB client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios; Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services
- They diverge on capability: DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which DuckDB and Amazon Aurora actually diverge.
| Attribute | DuckDB | Amazon Aurora |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | usage-based |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly | AWS Cloud |
| Founded | 2019 | 2006 |
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 DuckDB
- In-process Execution
- Columnar Storage
- Vectorized Execution
- Rich SQL Support
- Parquet Support
- CSV/JSON Import
- Zero Dependencies
- Python
Only in Amazon Aurora
- MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible
- 5x MySQL Performance
- Auto-scaling Storage
- Global Database
- Serverless v2
- Multi-master
- Fault Tolerant
- AWS Lambda
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
DuckDB
- Analytics and data warehousingnot Amazon Aurora
- OLAP queries and data explorationnot Amazon Aurora
- Data science and machine learning workflowsnot Amazon Aurora
- Multi-format data ingestion and processingnot Amazon Aurora
Amazon Aurora
- Transaction processingnot DuckDB
- Data storagenot DuckDB
- Application backendnot DuckDB
- Reportingnot DuckDB
- Data analyticsnot DuckDB
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
DuckDB
- Client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios
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
Pricing, plan by plan
DuckDB
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the DuckDB review.
Amazon Aurora
Free- Serverless v2$0.12/hour
- Auto-scaling
- Pay per ACU
- Instant scaling
- Provisioned$29/month
- Dedicated instances
- Predictable performance
- Reserved capacity
Which should you pick?
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.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is DuckDB or Amazon Aurora better?
- Neither clearly leads. DuckDB starts at Free and Amazon Aurora at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, DuckDB or Amazon Aurora?
- DuckDB starts at Free and Amazon Aurora at Free.
- Does DuckDB or Amazon Aurora run on more platforms?
- DuckDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly. Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud.
- Can I use DuckDB for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is DuckDB best used for?
- DuckDB is most often used for analytics and data warehousing, olap queries and data exploration, data science and machine learning workflows, multi-format data ingestion and processing. Of those, analytics and data warehousing and olap queries and data exploration are not what Amazon Aurora is typically brought in for.
- What can DuckDB do that Amazon Aurora cannot?
- DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Columnar Storage, Vectorized Execution, Rich SQL Support. Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database.
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.
Source