What is the difference between AWS RDS MySQL and Aurora MySQL?

AWS RDS MySQL uses the standard MySQL engine with traditional storage, while Aurora MySQL is a cloud-native reimplementation that is up to 5x faster than standard MySQL. Aurora uses a distributed storage layer that replicates data across 6 copies in 3 availability zones, offering better performance and durability.

Is Aurora MySQL more expensive than RDS MySQL?

Aurora MySQL is generally more expensive per instance than RDS MySQL but offers significantly better performance and features. For high-traffic applications, Aurora's performance advantages often justify the additional cost. Aurora also charges separately for storage consumption, while RDS MySQL uses provisioned storage.

When should I choose RDS MySQL over Aurora MySQL?

Choose RDS MySQL when you need full MySQL compatibility, have budget constraints, are running smaller workloads, or require specific MySQL features not yet supported by Aurora. RDS MySQL is also appropriate for development or testing environments where the advanced Aurora features are not needed.

Does Aurora MySQL support the same MySQL version as RDS MySQL?

Aurora MySQL is compatible with MySQL 5.6, 5.7, and 8.0, but it is not identical to the standard MySQL engine. Some MySQL features, storage engines, and plugins may not be available or may behave differently in Aurora. Always test your application against Aurora before migrating from RDS MySQL.

AWS RDS MySQL vs Aurora MySQL: Key Differences Explained

July 3, 2020 / Nirav Shah

What Is MySQL? Overview for AWS Database Users

MySQL is an open-source relational database that has wide acceptance in the industry. MySQL has over 20 years of community-backed development and support. Amazon RDS supports MySQL Community Edition versions 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, and 8.0, which means the code, applications and tools you already use today can be used with Amazon RDS.

The MySQL Community Edition includes.

SQL and NoSQL
MySQL Document Store
Transactional Data Dictionary
Pluggable Storage Engine Architecture
MySQL Replication
MySQL Group Replication
MySQL InnoDB Cluster
MySQL Router
MySQL Partitioning
Stored Procedures
Triggers
Views
Performance Schema
Information Schema
MySQL Connectors
MySQL Workbench

What Is AWS RDS (Relational Database Service)? Key Features

As per AWS “AWS Relational Database Service (RDS) is a managed database platform-as-a-service (PaaS) by AWS that offers customers the option of running one of several database products such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or MariaDB without having to worry about OS administration or database administration”. Any of these database products could also be provisioned manually in an Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instance, but the RDS platform offers greatly simplified provisioning, administration, and operation for a small cost premium over EC2.

What Is AWS Aurora? How It Compares to Standard MySQL

As per AWS “Amazon RDS Aurora, built for the cloud, is a variant on the standard RDS platform. Unlike standard RDS, it supports only a subset of the database engines.” Currently, only MySQL and PostgreSQL are supported in RDS Aurora. Many of our customers struggle to understand the differences between regular RDS and Aurora RDS, so to alleviate that confusion this article was written to shed some light on the key differences between RDS MySQL and RDS Aurora MySQL.

AWS RDS MySQL vs Aurora MySQL: Advantages & Disadvantages Compared

The regular RDS and Aurora RDS offerings for MySQL and PostgreSQL are more similar than they are different. When comparing the two platforms to select the best architecture for a particular application stack, the following should be taken into consideration.

RDS offers a greater range of database engines and versions than Aurora RDS.
Aurora RDS offers superior performance to RDS due to the unique storage subsystem.
Aurora RDS offers superior scalability to RDS due to the unique storage subsystem.
The pricing models differ slightly between RDS and Aurora RDS, but Aurora RDS is generally a bit more expensive to implement for the same database workload.
Aurora RDS offers superior high availability to RDS due to the unique storage subsystem.

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Nirav Shah

Nirav Shah is the Director of Eternal Web Pvt Ltd, an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner and certified Odoo Partner based in the UK. With over a decade of experience in cloud computing, digital transformation, and ERP implementation, Nirav helps enterprises adopt the right technology to solve complex business challenges. He specialises in AWS infrastructure, Odoo ERP, and web development solutions for businesses across the UK and beyond.