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Erkut Bas - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Specialist at Binghamton University
Real User
Good for managing our localization data, but the documentation is not good
Pros and Cons
  • "It has helped us build our product from zero point to the end."
  • "The documentation is not good enough."

What is our primary use case?

We use Amazon DynamoDB to manage our localization data.

What is most valuable?

There aren't any issues with the product. On the contrary, it has helped us build our product from zero point to the end. In addition, I like that there's no need for external configurations or DevOps engineers.

What needs improvement?

The documentation is not good enough and can be improved. There is a lot of information, and it is old and hard to find specific information. The documentation should be updated like the Firebase in Google.

It is not easy to manage. For example, uploading a certificate and resources to our GraphQL databases is too difficult because there's no user interface. You need to jump into terminal business.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for two years.

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Amazon DynamoDB
January 2025
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How are customer service and support?

We have not used technical support before.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I just used Neo4j, which is an Amazon AWS product. Unfortunately, the price is increasing daily, and it is tricky to implement things inside AWS. It's not easy, but it's doable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex, and you need to search Google to find the correct information. I rate the initial setup a four out of ten.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We used a credit from AWS for this solution. I don't remember specific details about the cost, but it is costly. I rate the price a two out of ten. I live in Turkey, and because of the currency, it is high. I think Amazon needs to create a cluster or environment in this geographic territory so we can spend in our currency and not dollars.

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a seven out of ten. Amazon DyanamoDB has its triggers, and we would like them to simplify the process of adding a trigger without taking care of the API code. Once something has changed inside of it, it triggers a function. You can bind Lambda Function, but it's tricky because their containers are working. So, you need to know every detail about Amazon containers. So, Amazon DynamoDB creates a default and runs the function for us. So the only thing that I would be responsible for is adding our code.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Director at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
It's ease of operation, scalability and predictable performance are valuable features.

What is most valuable?

The ease of operation. It's so easy to scale it up and down. And it delivers predictable performance, as promised. 

How has it helped my organization?

We are using DynamoDB in two projects now. One for storing large amounts of file metadata, and one for storing small amounts of session data. The fact that it is so easy to create tables and provision for known throughput saved us a lot of time, especially because we are deploying multiple environments and multiple regions. 

What needs improvement?

DynamoDB doesn't provide server-side encryption, so we had to do it manually.

Any replication to other regions requires writing code. It's not so bad, but would be better to get a solution out of the box. 

We store some protected patient information in DynamoDB, and in order to keep it HIPAA-compliant, we have to encrypt it at rest. Some services such as S3, Redshift and SQS will do the encryption on the server side, but with DynamoDB, the client application had to do the encryption before writing to the DB, and has to decrypt when reading. This means that we need to manage encryption keys: we need to store then securely and rotate them periodically, which is extra coding and complexity.

As for cross-region replication, AWS offers a way to do this using DynamoDB streams and Lambda, whereas other databases such as postgresql enable to configure replication without coding.


For how long have I used the solution?

I have used it for one year.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

We have not encountered any deployment issues. It's straightforward. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not encountered any stability issues, but you should expect to get exceptions when you exceed the provisioned throughput. This is okay and it is by design. You need to handle it by retries with exponential backoff. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not encountered any scalability issues.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used PostgreSQL. We switched to DynamoDB for the scalability and ease of deployment and operation. 

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup was straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

An in-house team implemented it.

What was our ROI?

No time wasted on provisioning databases.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Pricing depends on volume and provisioned throughput. When low, the price is extremely low. But for really large amounts of data, it can be expensive. Make sure you keep there only data you really need available fast.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Cassandra but chose to abandon it because it was harder to configure correctly and scale. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Amazon DynamoDB
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Amazon DynamoDB. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer2356074 - PeerSpot reviewer
Python Developer at a consultancy with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Helps understand the database usage and is suitable for small use cases
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a NoSQL product."
  • "The pricing for larger databases is higher."

What is most valuable?

It is a NoSQL product. We can write what we want, and it will be stored. We need not worry about the structure. If we want to use a database for small use cases, we can use DynamoDB. If the CPU is high in a day, I can check what time it went high, how many people came into the site, and understand the database usage. Whenever the CPU is high, I send all the data to my database and analyze why it is high so that I can minimize the usage accordingly.

If we want to add another field, we can do so easily. It won’t show any errors. There is no need to migrate. Data modeling is easy. Whatever language we use with the product, we must check how to connect and write it. We must use some DynamoDB functions. I use the product with Lambda.

What needs improvement?

The pricing for larger databases is higher.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for one and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We did not have any issues with the tool’s stability. We did not face any issues with bugs.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The tool’s scalability is good. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We mostly use PostgreSQL.

What other advice do I have?

I have used Amazon RDS. We do not use DynamoDB much. I will recommend the product to others. If we want a small database, Amazon DynamoDB is a good choice. We can use it for larger use cases, too. However, pricing might be high if we opt for the larger database. Overall, I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2310048 - PeerSpot reviewer
Architect- Cloud/Automation at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A scalable tool that is very simple to use and provides excellent UI and documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very simple to use."

    What is our primary use case?

    I work in the cloud automation domain. I used the product to store data related to automation. We had our own website. We use the product to manage automation. I also used it to store user information.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is very simple to use. It is a NoSQL database. The UI is good. DynamoDB Streams is an amazing feature. If there are any changes in the DB, it will automatically trigger the workflow. The GUI is awesome.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used the solution in the past year.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate the tool’s stability a ten out of ten. It worked perfectly for us.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten. We had more than 500 users.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I used MongoDB a very long time ago.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is easy. The documentation is good. The deployment could be done within minutes.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution is cheaper than Cosmos DB. If an organization doesn’t have much data to store, they can use the solution for free.

    What other advice do I have?

    It is a good investment. We were able to use it in automation. It was easy to use. Even the new joiners were able to use it effectively. All our automation was effectively stored, and we could build the dashboard out of it to present to the higher management. Anyone who wants to explore a NoSQL database in the cloud must use DynamoDB. Overall, I rate the product a ten out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2276802 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Solution Architect at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Good performance, observability and well documented
    Pros and Cons
    • "Never used the support. I got all the information from the documentation."
    • "Data integrity across availability zones would be a valuable addition. Currently, DynamoDB provides eventual consistency across availability zones, but strong consistency would be beneficial for certain use cases."

    What is our primary use case?

    My use case is user data management.

    What is most valuable?

    It is fairly straightforward. The best part is the scalability, the response performance, and scalability part. I didn't like the API extremely well, but it was okay. 

    Moreover, the system is pretty well documented, which is important. And it's observability. That's okay.

    What needs improvement?

    Data integrity across availability zones would be a valuable addition. 

    Currently, DynamoDB provides eventual consistency across availability zones, but strong consistency would be beneficial for certain use cases.

    There is room for improvement in the pricing. A more tiered pricing structure would better accommodate different usage patterns. Similar to leasing a car versus buying it outright, there should be options for those with lower or higher usage volumes.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for three years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is stable enough.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    This is a backend system. So it can be hundreds of thousands of users because it's not like a user interface type thing.  So, it serves hundreds of thousands of real-world users.

    It is a highly scalable solution. 

    How are customer service and support?

    Never used the support. I got all the information from the documentation. 

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I've worked with NoSQL databases like Redis and Amazon Keyspaces in the past.

    We switched to DynamoDB because it is SaaS. We didn't have a dedicated team to maintain our database infrastructure.

    Technically, Redis is better than DynamoDB is quite capable. However, it requires less maintenance compared to other NoSQL solutions.

    I tried Step Functions, but it would be too pricey if I used it too much. So, I didn't stick with it. For low volume, the peanuts work. For high volume, they become expensive.

    I just did play with it and then made a forecast and said no.

    We just picked Amazon DynamoDB because it did the job, we wanted to do. I don't find it complicated. We use it. It's pretty straightforward.

    How was the initial setup?

    It is SaaS from Amazon, you just use it. You don't install anything. It could you could install it if you want. Like, I didn't, but I never used that. 

    What about the implementation team?

    It is a service from Amazon. So that's one of the benefits; you just use it. There is no maintenance required. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    For our use case usage, DynamoDB's pricing was okay. However, for high-traffic applications, the pricing structure becomes less attractive.

    It might not be the best choice for high volume. DynamoDB's billing is based on usage, not a fixed subscription fee. The invoicing is done monthly, but you only pay for the resources you consume.

    There are no additional charges for support or other services. You pay solely for the resources you utilize.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    My role is a solution architect. So, basically, we play with what we have at hand with what's the company strategy. We're more like Jokers. We play with whatever is the context, not necessarily being like, "hey, I'm an Amazon guy. I only do Amazon." It's mostly into building the software rather than using off-the-shelf stuff. So, we just built what we needed about VPMs in other companies.

    What other advice do I have?

    For simple, straightforward use cases, I would recommend it. And for whatever decent volume of usage means for each company, I wouldn't recommend it for a tenth of thousands of transactions per second.

    Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    AayushJain - PeerSpot reviewer
    Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Easy to use, serverless, and fast
    Pros and Cons
    • "Amazon DynamoDB is serverless and fast, and we can use different keys along with it in our code."
    • "The solution would work fast if a contact center is in the same region."

    What is our primary use case?

    I integrate Amazon Connect with Amazon DynamoDB for the database.

    What is most valuable?

    Amazon DynamoDB is serverless and fast, and we can use different keys along with it in our code. Amazon DynamoDB can accommodate any number of datasets. It is better than the RDB (relational databases). We can use the primary and sort keys to get any sorted data, which is good. The solution is easy to use.

    Anyone with AWS Lambda knowledge can easily integrate and use Amazon DynamoDB. The solution supports all languages.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution would work fast if a contact center is in the same region.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Amazon DynamoDB for four years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We haven’t faced any issues with the solution’s stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We can scale Amazon DynamoDB as much as we can.

    I rate the solution’s scalability a nine out of ten.

    What other advice do I have?

    We can integrate Amazon DynamoDB with other AWS services in our architecture with a simple function. I would recommend the solution to other users.

    Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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    Victor Augusto De Souza E Silva - PeerSpot reviewer
    Cloud Engineer at Leek Solucoes
    Real User
    Top 5
    Easy to configure and provides clear documentation
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable features of the solution are its price and stability."
    • "The solution's initial setup is a bit complex if you want it for something more specific."

    What is our primary use case?

    The solution makes it simple to manage the database.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable features of the solution are its price and stability. The solution can handle all our payloads and workloads. The solution's documentation is very clear. Amazon DynamoDB is a good solution that is easy to configure. Data security is one of the main reasons we use the solution.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution's initial setup is a bit complex if you want it for something more specific.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Amazon DynamoDB is a stable solution, and I haven't faced any issues with stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    More than 1,000 users are using the solution in our organization.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I've used MongoDB. I like both Amazon DynamoDB and MongoDB because they take different approaches. However, if I have to recommend one over the other, I will recommend Amazon DynamoDB.

    How was the initial setup?

    The solution's initial setup is a bit complex if you want it for something more specific. However, it can be straightforward if you need it for something basic.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution's pricing is good, and it's not expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    The solution has helped us save 30% of our costs. Our main project is automation to help businesses communicate with their clients.

    Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    PeerSpot user
    Principal at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Effective unstructured data handling, easy setup, and reliable
    Pros and Cons
    • "One of the most valuable features of Amazon DynamoDB is it can handle unstructured or semi-structured data."
    • "Amazon DynamoDB could improve by being more robust, having a better user interface and data management. Additionally, there is some limited functionality compared to other solutions, such as MongoDB."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are using Amazon DynamoDB for our company for multiple service database management.

    What is most valuable?

    One of the most valuable features of Amazon DynamoDB is it can handle unstructured or semi-structured data.

    What needs improvement?

    Amazon DynamoDB could improve by being more robust, having a better user interface and data management. Additionally, there is some limited functionality compared to other solutions, such as MongoDB.

    In an upcoming release, it would be beneficial to show spatial data on the interface. There would is a very important metric for our company.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for approximately two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I have found the solution to be stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    The technical support has been good. However, there should be more local support for our company that is international, this would allow for better communication.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We used MongoDB previously and I found it more powerful.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very easy because DynamoDB is from Amazon.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We have evaluated other solutions.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend anyone looking to implement any software to understand the needs of their business and do a purpose analysis to determine if the software fits their use case. No matter how good a solution can be if it does not fit the purpose of the business it will not be helpful.

    I rate Amazon DynamoDB an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
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    Updated: January 2025
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