DEV Community

Cover image for Oracle Cloud Breakdown – Database Hosting Costs on OCI
ScaleGrid for ScaleGrid

Posted on

Oracle Cloud Breakdown – Database Hosting Costs on OCI

When considering a new cloud provider, the big names come to mind -  AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. If you’re a developer, you might even be considering a dev-friendly cloud like DigitalOcean or Linode. But, did you know there’s a (relatively) new player in the cloud game? Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a cloud computing service introduced by, you guessed it, Oracle, to claim their stake in the ever-growing cloud services market. In this post, we’re going to compare Oracle Cloud costs vs. popular cloud providers for fully managed database hosting for MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis™ and MongoDB® database.

Jump to the Oracle Cloud pricing comparison for:

An Overview on Oracle Cloud

Before we get started, let’s talk a little bit about Oracle Cloud. OCI was made generally available less than 5 years ago in 2016 under the name Oracle Bare Metal Cloud Services, only to be rebranded 2 years later as Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. In this short period of time, Oracle Cloud already has a deep portfolio of services rivaling any existing cloud on the market, including compute, storage, networking, governance, database management, load balancing and edge services to name just a few. Their growth is not just in services though, they’ve ensured their availability. With over 29 cloud regions available across the globe, they are aiming to offer proximity, data sovereignty requirements, and disaster protection for every country.

Coming late to the game, Oracle Cloud needed to make a name for itself, a new name that is, and they chose to rebrand as the high performance + lower cost alternative to AWS. In this post, we are going to focus on costs, but look out for our benchmark reports on Oracle Cloud performance vs. leading cloud providers.

So, what type of customer is Oracle Cloud targeting? As the company who dominated the on-premises infrastructure and databases market for decades, Oracle surely felt the massive transition of on-premises migrations to cloud. With the new Oracle Cloud services, Oracle is targeting “enterprises looking for higher performance, lower costs, and easier cloud migration for their existing on-premises applications.” In other words, the OCI strategy is actually highly focused on customer retention - migrating their existing on-premises customers to their cloud product vs. losing them to AWS, Azure or GCP.

Now that we have a brief history on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, let’s dig into pricing.

Oracle Cloud Pricing

According to the Oracle website, OCI offers 44% lower compute costs for HPC vs. AWS. In this pricing comparison, we are going to see which cloud provider offers the most cost-effective pricing for fully managed database hosting at ScaleGrid, covering MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis™ and MongoDB® database.

In order to represent as many scenarios as possible, we are going to compare OCI vs. top cloud providers across ScaleGrid standalone and 3-node replica set deployments, and over 4 common deployment sizes by RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of RAM. Each cloud offers slightly different configurations, so any difference in RAM size will be noted for reference in the pricing comparison tables. Note, all pricing is for our all-inclusive Dedicated Hosting plans, though we additionally offer a Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) model that allows you to host through your own Oracle Cloud account. You can learn more about the differences in our Dedicated vs. BYOC blog post.

MySQL on OCI Pricing

We’re going to start with MySQL, the most popular open source database run on Oracle Cloud! MySQL is owned by Oracle, making it a natural fit for Oracle Cloud resources. Let’s take a look at MySQL hosting pricing across clouds at ScaleGrid:

MySQL Standalone Deployment Pricing

MySQL Standalone 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $90 $180 $300
(30GB RAM)
$600
(60GB RAM)
AWS $191 $302 $605 $1,178
Azure $191 $302 $605 $1,178
GCP $191 (7.5GB RAM) $302 (15GB RAM) $605 (30GB RAM) $1,178 (60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $120 $240 $480 $700
Linode $120 $240 $480 $700

As we can see in the above table, Oracle Cloud at ScaleGrid is by far the most cost-effective cloud for standalone MySQL deployments. On average, Oracle Cloud vs. AWS, Azure and GCP saves you 48.2% on your fully managed database hosting costs, and 25.4% for Oracle Cloud vs. DigitalOcean and Linode.

MySQL Replica Set Deployment Pricing

MySQL Replica Set 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $360 $700 $1,400
(30GB RAM)
$2,400
(60GB RAM)
AWS $560 $847 $1,696 $3,299
Azure $560 $847 $1,696 $3,299
GCP $560 (7.5GB RAM) $847 (15GB RAM) $1,696 (30GB RAM) $3,299 (60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $280 $560 $1,120 $2,240
Linode $280 $560 $1,120 $2,240

Now, when we compare MySQL replica set deployment pricing at ScaleGrid for Oracle Cloud vs. AWS, Azure and GCP, we still see an average of 24.4% lower pricing. But, when we compare MySQL on Oracle Cloud vs. Linode and DigitalOcean, Oracle Cloud is actually 21.4% more expensive.

PostgreSQL on OCI Pricing

Next, we’re going to look at PostgreSQL hosting pricing for Oracle Cloud vs. AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean and Linode at ScaleGrid:

PostgreSQL Standalone Deployment Pricing

PostgreSQL Standalone 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $90 $180 $300
(30GB RAM)
$600
(60GB RAM)
AWS $191 $302 $605 $1,178
Azure $191 $302 $605 $1,178
GCP $180 (7.5GB RAM) $300 (15GB RAM) $600 (30GB RAM) $1,300 (60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $120 $240 $480 $700
Linode $120 $240 $480 $700

Just like we saw with MySQL, standalone PostgreSQL hosting pricing on Oracle Cloud is 48.2% less expensive than AWS, Azure, or GCP on average at ScaleGrid, and 25.4% less expensive than DigitalOcean and Linode.

PostgreSQL Replica Set Deployment Pricing

PostgreSQL Replica Set 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $360 $700 $1,400
(30GB RAM)
$2,400
(60GB RAM)
AWS $560 $847 $1,696 $3,299
Azure $560 $847 $1,696 $3,299
GCP $700 (7.5GB RAM) $1,400 (15GB RAM) $2,400 (30GB RAM) $4,800 (60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $280 $560 $1,120 $2,240
Linode $280 $560 $1,120 $2,240

Again, Oracle Cloud pricing vs. AWS and Azure averages 24.4% lower for PostgreSQL replica set pricing at ScaleGrid. PostgreSQL high availability users see even greater savings at Oracle Cloud vs. GCP with 47.6% lower pricing on average. However, Linode and DigitalOcean on average are 21.4% less expensive than Oracle Cloud for PostgreSQL replica set deployments at ScaleGrid.

ScaleGrid for Redis™ on OCI Pricing

Now, let’s take a look at ScaleGrid for Redis™ hosting to see how pricing for Oracle Cloud compares to AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean and Linode.

Redis™ Standalone Deployment Pricing

Redis™ Standalone 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $75
(7.2GB RAM)
$147
(15GB RAM)
$293
(28GB RAM)
$538
(54GB RAM)
AWS $147
(7GB RAM)
$293
(14GB RAM)
$538
(28GB RAM)
$1,035
(57GB RAM)
Azure $147
(6.3GB RAM)
$293
(15GB RAM)
$538
(29GB RAM)
$1,035
(58GB RAM)
GCP $147
(7.5GB RAM)
$293
(15GB RAM)
$538
(30GB RAM)
$1,035
(60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $120
(7GB RAM)
$240
(14GB RAM)
$480
(29GB RAM)
$700
(57GB RAM)
Linode $120
(7GB RAM)
$240
(14GB RAM)
$480
(29GB RAM)
$700
(57GB RAM)

When comparing Oracle Cloud vs. AWS, Azure and GCP pricing at ScaleGrid for Redis™, Oracle Cloud is almost half to cost, averaging 48.1% less expensive than these top cloud providers. We are also seeing the largest savings yet for DigitalOcean and Linode, where Oracle Cloud is averaging 34.6% less expensive for standalone Redis™ deployments at ScaleGrid.

Redis™ Replica Set Deployment Pricing

Redis™ Replica Set 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $480
(7.2GB RAM)
$911
(15GB RAM)
$1,796
(28GB RAM)
$3,438
(54GB RAM)
AWS $911
(7GB RAM)
$1,796
(14GB RAM)
$3,438
(28GB RAM)
$6,760
(57GB RAM)
Azure $911
(6.3GB RAM)
$1,796
(15GB RAM)
$3,438
(29GB RAM)
$6,760
(58GB RAM)
GCP $911
(7.5GB RAM)
$1,796
(15GB RAM)
$3,438
(30GB RAM)
$6,760
(60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $280
(7GB RAM)
$560
(14GB RAM)
$1,120
(29GB RAM)
$2,240
(57GB RAM)
Linode $280
(7GB RAM)
$560
(14GB RAM)
$1,120
(29GB RAM)
$2,240
(57GB RAM)

Oracle Cloud pricing continues to undercut AWS, Azure and Google Cloud for Redis™ replica set deployments at ScaleGrid with an average of 48.4% lower pricing across these RAM sizes. But, when we compare OCI vs. Linode and DigitalOcean, it averages 62% higher pricing for Redis™ at ScaleGrid using a high availability replica set configuration.

ScaleGrid for MongoDB® Database on OCI Pricing

Finally, let’s look at ScaleGrid for MongoDB® Database. In this comparison, we are going to narrow it down to Oracle Cloud vs. DigitalOcean and Linode.

MongoDB® Database Standalone Deployment Pricing

MongoDB® Database Standalone 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $175 $344 $700
(30GB RAM)
$1,119
(60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $145 $300 $500 $700
Linode $145 $300 $500 $700

While MySQL, PostgreSQL and Redis standalone deployments were found to be less expensive through DigitalOcean and Linode vs. Oracle Cloud, ScaleGrid for MongoDB® database standalone actually averages 33.8% more expensive through OCI.

MongoDB® Database Replica Set Deployment Pricing

MongoDB® Database Replica Set 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
OCI $486 $951 $1,527
(30GB RAM)
$2,638
(60GB RAM)
DigitalOcean $350 $750 $1,500 $2,400
Linode $350 $750 $1,500 $2,400

When comparing ScaleGrid for MongoDB® database replica set pricing on Oracle Cloud vs. DigitalOcean and Linode, OCI is again more expensive at an average of 19.3% higher pricing for high availability deployments.

Which Cloud Offers The Best Pricing?

OCI vs. AWS, Azure & GCP

When looking at standalone deployments, pricing for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is 48% cheaper than AWS, Azure or Google Cloud on average for MySQL, PostgreSQL and Redis™ fully managed deployments at ScaleGrid. That is nearly half the cost!

High availability replica set deployments also show significant cost savings, where Oracle Cloud averages 32.4% lower pricing than AWS and Azure, and 40.1% less than Google Cloud for MySQL, PostgreSQL and Redis™ at ScaleGrid.

Oracle Cloud is a great alternative to AWS, Azure or Google Cloud Platform as they offer the same level of infrastructure, services, and partners to support any size business.

OCI vs. DigitalOcean & Linode

When we compare Oracle Cloud vs. DigitalOcean and Linode pricing at ScaleGrid for standalone deployments, OCI averages 25.4% less expensive for MySQL and PostgreSQL and 34.6% less expensive for Redis™. However, Linode and DigitalOcean are 33.8% less expensive than OCI for MongoDB® database at ScaleGrid.

Then, when we look at high availability replica set deployments, OCI averages roughly 20% more expensive than DigitalOcean and Linode for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB® database plans at ScaleGrid, and 62% more expensive for Redis™.

While Oracle Cloud may provide some cost savings for standalone deployments vs. DigitalOcean and Linode, these cloud providers are really targeting different markets. Where OCI is focusing on enterprise applications, Linode and DigitalOcean cater more towards the developer market.

The best cloud for your database hosting is, first and foremost, always going to be a decision driven by your application needs. While pricing is a significant factor, it’s also important to consider performance. Be on the lookout for future posts where we’re going to share benchmark reports on OCI performance vs. these top cloud providers.

We hope that this post has been helpful in understanding cloud database pricing options at ScaleGrid! If you have any questions on our fully managed DBaaS plans for MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis™ or MongoDB® database, get in touch with us and we will happily help you out.

Top comments (0)