Link copied to clipboard # Amazon Aurora vs Google Cloud Spanner Comparison - What are their main differences? Share [ Export ](/compare/amazon-aurora/google-cloud-spanner/export.csv) Amazon AuroraGoogle Cloud Spanner[+ Add Product](#) Reviews **Amazon Aurora** [ 4.5/5(456) ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews#reviews) **Google Cloud Spanner** [ 4.2/5(36) ](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-spanner/reviews#reviews) Pricing **Amazon Aurora** No pricing available **Google Cloud Spanner** No pricing available **Pricing Insights** from reviews Time to Implement **Amazon Aurora** 2 months Based on 40 responses **Google Cloud Spanner** Not enough reviews yet Return on Investment **Amazon Aurora** 11 months Based on 37 responses **Google Cloud Spanner** Not enough reviews yet Perceived Cost **Amazon Aurora** $$$$$ **Google Cloud Spanner** $$$$$ Average Discount **Amazon Aurora** 13% **Google Cloud Spanner** Not enough reviews yet Pros & Cons **Amazon Aurora** [ Scalability (14) ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1376095&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[ Availability (12) ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1377439&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[ Expensive (20) ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1378186&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[ AWS Dependency (7) ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1377423&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) **Google Cloud Spanner** Not enough data Integrations **Amazon Aurora** [ ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_b3390b4cc3d92e87d570895f7358c003/amazon-cloudwatch.jpg "Product Avatar Image") Amazon CloudWatch ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-cloudwatch/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_b3390b4cc3d92e87d570895f7358c003/aws-cloudtrail.jpg "Product Avatar Image") AWS CloudTrail ](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-cloudtrail/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_0d3b67827912f22174857de9475977c9/microsoft-sql-server.jpg "Product Avatar Image") MS SQL ](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews)[ View all ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/integrations) **Google Cloud Spanner** Not enough data Ratings Meets Requirements **Amazon Aurora** 9.0 9.0408 **Google Cloud Spanner** 8.7 8.724 Ease of Use **Amazon Aurora** 8.7 8.7410 **Google Cloud Spanner** 7.8 7.824 Ease of Setup **Amazon Aurora** 8.6 8.6258 **Google Cloud Spanner** 8.2 8.210 Ease of Admin **Amazon Aurora** 8.7 8.7180 **Google Cloud Spanner** 8.7 8.79 Quality of Support **Amazon Aurora** 8.7 8.7394 **Google Cloud Spanner** 8.6 8.620 Has the product been a good partner in doing business? **Amazon Aurora** 8.7 8.7177 **Google Cloud Spanner** 8.3 8.310 Product Direction (% positive) **Amazon Aurora** 9.5 9.5394 **Google Cloud Spanner** 8.4 8.422 Features Relational Databases[Hide 24 FeaturesShow 24 Features](javascript:void(0);) 8.8 312 8.7 16 Management Data Schema 8.7(won by 0.6) 209 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.1 6 Query Language 8.6 210 8.9(won by 0.3) 6 ACID - Complaint 8.8 208 9.2(won by 0.4) 6 Data Replication 8.9 211 9.2(won by 0.3) 6 Support Text Search 8.3 207 8.7(won by 0.4) 5 Data Types 8.6(won by 0.3) 214 8.3 6 Operating Systems 8.6(tied score) 204 8.6(tied score) 6 Languages 8.4(won by default) 206 Not enough data Security Database Locking 8.7(tied score) 203 8.7(tied score) 5 Access Control 8.7(tied score) 206 8.7(tied score) 5 Encryption 8.9 207 9.4(won by 0.5) 6 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) Authentication 8.8 204 9.2(won by 0.4) 6 Performance Disaster Recovery 8.9(won by 1.1) 208 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.8 6 Data Concurrency 8.7 205 9.2(won by 0.5) 6 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) Workload Management 8.8 203 8.9(won by 0.1) 6 Advanced Indexing 8.6(won by 1.1) 202 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.5 6 Query Optimizer 8.5 202 8.7(won by 0.2) 5 Database Features Storage 9.1 295 9.5(won by 0.4) 13 Availability 9.2(won by 0.6) 294 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.6 13 Stability 9.0(tied score) 291 9.0(tied score) 13 Scalability 9.2(tied score) 287 9.2(tied score) 13 Security 9.0(won by 0.1) 287 8.9 12 Data Manipulation 8.5(won by 0.2) 283 8.3 13 Query Language 8.6(tied score) 291 8.6(tied score) 13 Database as a Service (DBaaS)[Hide 17 FeaturesShow 17 Features](javascript:void(0);) 8.7 220 7.6 12 Configuration Application Performance 8.9(won by 0.7) 205 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.2 10 Orchestration 8.6(won by 1.0) 191 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.6 9 Database Monitoring 8.6(won by 1.3) 203 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.3 10 Anomaly Detection 8.3(won by 0.2) 182 8.1 8 Network Security 8.8(won by 0.7) 198 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.1 8 Database Administration Provisioning 8.7(won by 0.5) 197 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.2 10 Governance 8.6(won by 2.3) 181 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 6.3 10 Auditing 8.5(won by 1.5) 181 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.0 10 Availability Scalability 9.1(won by 0.3) 197 8.8 10 Backup 9.1(won by 2.4) 195 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 6.7 9 Archiving 8.8(won by 1.8) 188 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.0 10 Indexing 8.7(won by 0.6) 188 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.1 9 Security Data Masking 8.7(won by default) 133 Not enough data Authentication And Single Sign-On 8.6(won by default) 133 Not enough data Data Anonymization 8.5(won by default) 126 Not enough data Data Management Data Replication 8.9(won by default) 135 Not enough data Advanced Data Analytics 8.5(won by default) 125 Not enough data User Insights Reviewers' Company Size [![Amazon Aurora](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1528476463/amazon-aurora.svg "Amazon Aurora")](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) Amazon Aurora Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.) 38.4% Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.) 33.1% Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.) 28.5% [![Google Cloud Spanner](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_6d40699dd3d72645c5cef15b5c6e92e7/google-cloud-spanner.png "Google Cloud Spanner")](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-spanner/reviews) Google Cloud Spanner Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.) 32.3% Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.) 25.8% Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.) 41.9% Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 38.4% 32.3% Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 33.1% 25.8% Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 28.5% 41.9% Reviewers' Industry [![Amazon Aurora](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1528476463/amazon-aurora.svg "Amazon Aurora")](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) Amazon Aurora Information Technology and Services 22.7% Computer Software 21.3% Computer & Network Security 4.9% Financial Services 4.2% Education Management 3.7% Other 43.2% [![Google Cloud Spanner](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_6d40699dd3d72645c5cef15b5c6e92e7/google-cloud-spanner.png "Google Cloud Spanner")](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-spanner/reviews) Google Cloud Spanner Information Technology and Services 20.0% Computer Software 16.7% Transportation/Trucking/Railroad 6.7% Biotechnology 6.7% Airlines/Aviation 3.3% Other 46.7% FAQs ## Amazon Aurora vs Google Cloud Spanner FAQs Generated using AI Last updated: August 14, 2026 ### What is the difference between Google Cloud Spanner vs Amazon Aurora? Amazon Aurora stands out from Google Cloud Spanner with a higher G2 rating, broader reviewer base, and stronger sentiment for ease of use and availability. | [Google Cloud Spanner](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-spanner/reviews) | [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) | | --- | --- | | 4.2/5 (36 reviews) | 4.5/5 (458 reviews) | | Enterprise | Small-Business | | 8.2 | 8.6 | | 8.6 | 8.7 | | High availability and unlimited database connections | Scalability (14 all-time mentions), Availability (12), Ease of Use (12) | ### How do the pricing models of Google Cloud Spanner and Amazon Aurora compare? Amazon Aurora is rated higher for value, with reviewers expressing greater satisfaction with its pricing compared to Google Cloud Spanner. - **Google Cloud Spanner:** In recent reviews, many cite high pricing as a drawback, especially for smaller workloads, though some note recent improvements in cost competitiveness. - **Amazon Aurora:** Reviewers frequently mention cost-effectiveness and value, but also highlight that costs can escalate with scale and that pricing can be unpredictable for high-usage scenarios. - **Switching reasons:** Reviewers move to Amazon Aurora for its perceived better value, especially when seeking high availability and scalability with predictable operational overhead. ### What are the best alternatives to Google Cloud Spanner and Amazon Aurora? The top three alternatives to Google Cloud Spanner and Amazon Aurora are Oracle Database, Cloud SQL, and PostgreSQL. | Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Google Cloud Spanner](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-spanner/reviews) | 4.2/5 (36 reviews) | Enterprise | In recent reviews, many cite high pricing as a drawback | High availability and unlimited database connections | | [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) | 4.5/5 (458 reviews) | Small-Business | Reviewers frequently mention cost-effectiveness, but note costs can escalate with scale | Scalability (14 all-time mentions), Availability (12), Ease of Use (12) | | [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) | 4.3/5 (1020 reviews) | Enterprise | — | Enterprise-grade reliability and robust feature set | | [Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) | 4.5/5 (367 reviews) | Mid-Market | — | Easy migration and managed service simplicity | | [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) | 4.4/5 (684 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Open-source flexibility and extensibility | ### Which Relational Databases features should I prioritize when comparing Google Cloud Spanner and Amazon Aurora? Buyers comparing Google Cloud Spanner and Amazon Aurora should prioritize scalability, availability, ease of use, cost satisfaction, and integration capabilities. - **Scalability:** Amazon Aurora: 14 all-time mentions; Google Cloud Spanner: frequently cited in recent reviews for horizontal scaling and unlimited connections. - **Availability:** Amazon Aurora: 12 all-time mentions; Google Cloud Spanner: highlighted for high availability and zero downtime in recent reviews. - **Ease of Use:** Amazon Aurora: 12 all-time mentions, Ease of Use score 8.7; Google Cloud Spanner: Ease of Use score 7.8. - **Cost Satisfaction:** Amazon Aurora: cost-effectiveness cited in 5 all-time mentions, but also 20 mentions of being expensive; Google Cloud Spanner: recent reviews note high pricing as a drawback. - **Integration Capabilities:** Amazon Aurora: integrations cited in 7 all-time mentions; Google Cloud Spanner: recent reviews highlight ease of integration within Google Cloud ecosystem. ### What are the pros and cons of Google Cloud Spanner vs Amazon Aurora? Amazon Aurora's headline strength is scalability and availability, while Google Cloud Spanner is praised for high availability and unlimited connections. - **Google Cloud Spanner strengths:** High availability, unlimited database connections, horizontal scalability, ease of integration within Google Cloud, and strong consistency. - **Google Cloud Spanner trade-offs:** High pricing for smaller workloads, limited use cases, steep learning curve, and some missing advanced RDBMS features. - **Amazon Aurora strengths:** Scalability (14 all-time mentions), availability (12), ease of use (12), high performance (12), high availability (10), reliability (10), speed (9), easy integrations (8), and cost-effectiveness (5). - **Amazon Aurora trade-offs:** Expensive (20 all-time mentions), AWS dependency (7), feature limitations (6), unpredictable costs for high usage, learning curve (5), and limited database support (5). ### Is Google Cloud Spanner or Amazon Aurora better for small businesses? Amazon Aurora is a better fit for small businesses, as indicated by its largest reviewer segment and positive small-business sentiment. - **Google Cloud Spanner:** Largest segment is Enterprise; reviewers note it is not suitable for small datasets or startups due to cost. - **Amazon Aurora:** Largest segment is Small-Business; reviewers highlight its suitability for small and medium businesses, citing lower cost and high scalability. ### Which Relational Databases platform has better integrations? Amazon Aurora is favored for integrations, with more reviewer-cited mentions and positive sentiment. - **Google Cloud Spanner:** Recent reviews highlight ease of integration within the Google Cloud ecosystem, but no specific third-party integration counts are cited. - **Amazon Aurora:** Integrations are cited in 7 all-time mentions, with reviewers noting easy integration with AWS services and compatibility with MySQL and PostgreSQL. ### How do Google Cloud Spanner and Amazon Aurora compare on customer support? Amazon Aurora and Google Cloud Spanner are rated at parity for Quality of Support, with scores of 8.7 and 8.6 respectively. - **Google Cloud Spanner:** Reviewers describe support as responsive and helpful, with consistent scores of 6.0–7.0 in recent reviews. - **Amazon Aurora:** Reviewers consistently praise customer support, with many citing helpfulness and fast response times, and scores of 6.0–7.0 in recent reviews. ### Which is easier to implement, Google Cloud Spanner or Amazon Aurora? Amazon Aurora and Google Cloud Spanner are rated at parity for Ease of Setup, with scores of 8.6 and 8.2 respectively. - **Google Cloud Spanner:** Reviewers describe setup as straightforward, especially for those already using Google Cloud, with ease of setup scores ranging from 5.0 to 7.0 in recent reviews. - **Amazon Aurora:** Reviewers highlight easy implementation, especially for those familiar with AWS, with ease of setup scores consistently between 5.0 and 7.0 in recent reviews. Alternatives **Amazon Aurora Alternatives** ![Oracle Database](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_82f55e945509bff7b8009e8024cfe73c/oracle-database.jpg "Oracle Database") [ Oracle Database ](/products/oracle-database/reviews) ![Google Cloud SQL](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a4f97d6f742e657968c8830b1a97c42e/google-cloud-sql.svg "Google Cloud SQL") [ Cloud SQL ](/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) ![Azure SQL Database](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-sql-database.jpg "Azure SQL Database") [ Azure SQL Database ](/products/azure-sql-database/reviews) ![Microsoft SQL Server](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a8a99a96fda235658139f710592f8a53/microsoft-sql-server.svg "Microsoft SQL Server") [ MS SQL ](/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews) **Google Cloud Spanner Alternatives** ![Oracle Database](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_82f55e945509bff7b8009e8024cfe73c/oracle-database.jpg "Oracle Database") [ Oracle Database ](/products/oracle-database/reviews) ![PostgreSQL](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_251be2af3ae607c45c14e816eaa1cf41/postgresql.png "PostgreSQL") [ PostgreSQL ](/products/postgresql/reviews) ![Amazon DynamoDB](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/5383be31b099738701f86724a8b5cf9a/amazon-web-services-aws-amazon-dynamodb.svg "Amazon DynamoDB") [ Amazon DynamoDB ](/products/amazon-web-services-aws-amazon-dynamodb/reviews) ![Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1533130188/amazon-relational-database-service-rds.svg "Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)") [ Amazon Relational Database... ](/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) ## Amazon Aurora vs Google Cloud Spanner When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Amazon Aurora easier to use and set up. Reviewers also felt that Amazon Aurora was easier to do business with overall. However, reviewers felt that administration of both products was equally easy. - Reviewers felt that Amazon Aurora meets the needs of their business better than Google Cloud Spanner. - When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Amazon Aurora is the preferred option. - For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Amazon Aurora over Google Cloud Spanner.