Amazon RDS Reviews

Name: Amazon RDS
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4.2 (52 reviews)

Vendor: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

4.2 out of 5

52 reviews
98% willing to recommend

438 followers

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What is Amazon RDS?

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) is a web service that makes it easier to set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud. It provides cost-efficient, resizeable capacity for an industry-standard relational database and manages common database administration tasks.

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Amazon RDS is the #1 ranked solution in top Database as a Service vendors. PeerSpot users give Amazon RDS an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 52 most recent Amazon RDS reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 8.1. (The highest in the category). Amazon RDS is most commonly compared to Microsoft Azure SQL Database: Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Amazon RDS is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 59% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 14% of all views.

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Featured reviews

Udhay Prakash Pethakamsetty

Data Engineer Manager at Capgemini

The product should support new databases. RocketDB is written in C++. It is useful when we work with Kafka. The product should support more databases and not just the standard four to five databases. It will help the users to explore new avenues and not be confined to the standard ones. The tool provides automatic backup, but the recovery is slow if something goes wrong. We need to wait for some time. If a failure happens, recovery takes some time. Meanwhile, we lose business. It would be great if it happens much faster. The cross-region replication settings are very complex. We need to do careful planning.

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Ramkumar Kolpurath

Co-Founder & CTO at Busofttech

I have seen some limitations in Amazon RDS when I try to use SSIS in an RDS world. I need an Active Directory enabled from a security perspective, which was a little painful and cost me extra. There are some advanced monitoring queries that we cannot execute because Amazon doesn't give admin privileges to the end users. We can create another supervisor, but we don't have real admin privileges. There are some limitations regarding some of the queries and the tools. We tried data replication, and a few features available in an enterprise SQL Server are disabled in the RDS world. We need to upgrade it to an enterprise version. Amazon RDS should improve its metrics a little more.

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Pankaj-Kankar

Seasoned CTO at Multiple Companies

The response time and the number of iterations required for the product's technical support could be improved. It could benefit from features that provide easier visibility into stale data and better recommendations for database optimization. Additionally, more seamless scalability, similar to what Google BigQuery offers, would be a valuable addition.

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Amazon RDS mindshare

As of November 2024, the mindshare of Amazon RDS in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category stands at 25.6%, down from 28.6% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Nov 21, 2024

Valuable Features

Amazon RDS is valued for its ease of use, fully managed service, and scalability, supporting multiple databases like MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL. Key features include automated backups, snapshots, encryption, multi-availability zones, disaster recovery, and performance insights. Users appreciate its straightforward setup, flexibility, and security, integrating easily with AWS tools. The ability to handle administrative tasks efficiently while providing high availability and cost optimization makes RDS preferred for diverse applications and environments.

"Amazon RDS provides data encryption using services like KMS, crucial for securing high-sensitive data and meeting compliance requirements such as HIPAA or PCI DSS."
"Amazon RDS makes it easier for me to manage databases compared to traditional databases like MongoDB or local host servers."
"It offers an easy-to-use interface that allows me to monitor instances and update necessary features conveniently."

Room for Improvement

Amazon RDS users see complexity in migration and initial configuration. They express a need for shell access, enhanced support for databases like Db2 and NoSQL, improved scalability, cost management, better integration with Microsoft, and a more user-friendly interface. Many desire advanced monitoring, quicker recovery times, improved administrative privileges, streamlined data migration, and smoother version upgrades. Enhancements in security, navigation, and support, as well as automatic restart and cross-region replication, are sought.

"For improvements, Amazon RDS could work on more features for multi-availability zone deployment to enhance higher availability, and on simplifying migration for those transitioning from on-premises to cloud environments."
"For improvements, Amazon RDS could work on more features for multi-availability zone deployment to enhance higher availability, and on simplifying migration for those transitioning from on-premises to cloud environments."
"The setup might be a bit challenging for multi-level applications."

ROI

Companies experience early return on investment with Amazon RDS due to minimal initial costs and scalable infrastructure, reducing data center expenses. It's praised for decreasing the need for multiple DBAs as AWS handles management. Feedback indicates an ROI, thanks to advantages like functionality and cost-saving over in-house solutions. Some mention a 100% return, though others find the ROI to be average. There remains uncertainty about cost-effectiveness compared to self-managed alternatives.

Pricing

Amazon RDS pricing is often considered expensive but offers cost-efficiency when optimized effectively. Users highlight the importance of proper provisioning and monitoring to avoid unexpected costs. The solution supports Bring Your Own License (BYOL) and provides scalability, reducing the need for extensive system administration. Pricing varies based on usage, instance type, and region. Although RDS can be costlier than on-prem alternatives, it is competitive with other cloud providers, notably cheaper than Microsoft Azure for long-term plans.

"The cost is manageable because you can see the expense associated with each instance and utilize tools for tagging and cost control."
"The platform pricing is on the higher side, but given its capabilities and ease of use, it remains competitive."
"AWS is becoming pretty expensive because cheap or absolutely free services have become paid services. Amazon RDS is not an expensive product, but Amazon's ecosystem is becoming increasingly expensive."

Popular Use Cases

Amazon RDS is utilized by cloud infra and development teams for applications requiring database hosting on the Amazon cloud. It supports various engines like Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle, automating tasks such as hardware provisioning and patching. Organizations use RDS for secure transactional data storage in domains like e-commerce and fintech, migrating on-premises databases to AWS, and optimizing high-availability database management with features like read replicas and auto-scaling.

Service and Support

Amazon RDS customer service and support receive mixed feedback. Some users find technical support prompt and helpful, while others highlight areas for improvement. Many appreciate various support options like phone, email, and web. However, some express concerns about the cost of premium support and accessibility in the free tier. The quality of support varies by region, with Europe and Australia reportedly offering better assistance. Response times and initial support quality could see enhancements.

Deployment

Amazon RDS's initial setup is generally considered straightforward, with many users praising its simplicity and quick deployment time. However, complexity may arise when dealing with extensive configurations related to IAM, security, VPCs, or disaster recovery. Users also note the importance of understanding detailed documentation to ensure smooth deployment. Some find it very easy, taking only minutes, while others experience challenges due to complex security and network setups or specific organizational needs.

Scalability

Amazon RDS is recognized for its scalability, often described as highly scalable with automatic scaling capabilities. Companies have successfully implemented it for thousands of users. However, some suggest limitations, noting it may struggle with large data sets. While many express satisfaction with its scalability, there are mixed opinions about its ability to handle diverse deployment scales, resulting in varying ratings, often between six and ten out of ten, highlighting both strengths and challenges.

Stability

Amazon RDS exhibits strong stability and reliability with minimal issues reported. Many users highlight its stable performance without crashes or freezes, supported by effective backup and recovery options. Stability ratings often range from seven to ten out of ten. Although there have been occasional issues with hardware or configuration, especially in scenarios like maintenance windows or specific versions like Aurora, Amazon RDS generally maintains high availability and reliability across various configurations and deployments.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Amazon RDS Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.