Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud. It automates many routine tasks like provisioning, backups, patch management, and scaling, so you can focus on your applications.
In this post, I'll walk you through:
- The different RDS database engines
- Various instance types in RDS
- A pricing overview
- Recommendations on which RDS to use for your needs
1. Types of AWS RDS Engines
AWS RDS supports popular relational database engines. Your choice depends on your application, licensing, and ecosystem.
| RDS Engine | Description | Common Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Aurora | AWS-built, high-perf, scalable, MySQL/PostgreSQL compatible | Performance-intensive & highly available apps |
| MySQL | Widely-used, open-source | Web apps, CMS, startups, learning |
| PostgreSQL | Open-source, advanced features | Analytics, geospatial, enterprise open source |
| MariaDB | MySQL fork with enhancements | Web apps needing MySQL compatibility |
| Oracle | Commercial, advanced DB | Enterprise & legacy Oracle apps |
| SQL Server | Microsoft’s commercial DBMS | Windows apps, ERP, reporting systems |
2. Types of RDS Instances
After engine choice, pick an instance type defining CPU, RAM, and network capability.
| Instance Category | Use Case | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Burstable (t class) | Small or low-throughput workloads | t3.micro, t4g.micro |
| General Purpose (m class) | Balanced workloads | m5.large, m5.xlarge |
| Memory Optimized (r class) | Caching, analytics, big data | r5.large, r5.xlarge |
| Compute Optimized (c class) | CPU-intensive workloads | c5.large, c5.xlarge |
| Storage Optimized (i class) | High I/O performance | i3.large, i3.xlarge |
Instance choice impacts performance and cost.
3. AWS RDS Pricing Overview
AWS RDS pricing is based on:
- Instance hours: billed per second, minimum 1 minute
- Instance type: more power = higher cost
- Database engine: some include license fees (Oracle, SQL Server)
- Storage: General Purpose SSD, Provisioned IOPS, Magnetic
- Backup storage: Automated backups and manual snapshots contribute
- Data transfer: outbound data transfer costs extra
Sample On-Demand Pricing (us-east-1 Region)
| Engine | Instance Type | Approx. Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MySQL/PostgreSQL | db.t3.micro | $0.018/hr | Free Tier eligible |
| MySQL/PostgreSQL | db.m5.large | $0.192/hr | General-purpose |
| Amazon Aurora | db.r5.large | $0.29/hr | High performance |
| Oracle | db.r5.large (lic incl.) | $0.482/hr | Includes license |
| SQL Server | db.m5.large | $0.977/hr | Includes license |
- Storage: ~$0.115 per GB/month for General Purpose (SSD)
- Provisioned IOPS: ~$0.10 per IOPS/month
- Backup: Backup storage equal to DB size is free; additional storage charges apply.
Reserved Instances offer 1- or 3-year commitments with discounts.
4. Which RDS Engine and Instance Should You Use?
| Scenario | Recommended Engine | Recommended Instance Type |
|---|---|---|
| Learning & Small Projects | MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB | t3.micro, t4g.micro (burstable) |
| Medium Web/Business Apps | MySQL, PostgreSQL, Aurora | m5.large, r5.large (general/memory optimized) |
| High Availability & Scalability | Amazon Aurora | r5.large with Multi-AZ |
| Enterprise / Legacy Systems | Oracle, SQL Server | r5.large or bigger, Multi-AZ |
| Analytics & BI | Aurora, PostgreSQL | Memory Optimized w/ Provisioned IOPS |
5. Final Tips
- Use Multi-AZ deployments for production to ensure failover and durability.
- Enable automated backups for disaster recovery.
- Monitor metrics with Amazon CloudWatch.
- Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate costs tailored to your setup.
- Start small and scale as needed.
Conclusion
AWS RDS provides a managed, scalable, and flexible relational database platform suitable for a wide range of applications — from free-tier learning environments to enterprise-grade deployments.
Choose your engine and instance wisely based on your workload, budget, and performance requirements. Experiment with free-tier options if you're new, and gradually optimize your configuration as you grow.
If you're starting out, launch a simple MySQL or PostgreSQL instance and explore hands-on. It’s a great way to learn both relational databases and cloud computing essentials!
Happy Learning and Cloud Journey!
If you found this helpful, feel free to comment or share your experiences with AWS RDS below!
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