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# Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) vs Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) Comparison - What are their main differences?

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Amazon Relational Database...Amazon Simple Storage...[+ Add Product](#)

Pricing

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**
Free Trial

No pricing available

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**
Free Trial

No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Perceived Cost

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**
$$$$$

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**
11%

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**
11%

Uncover valuable pricing insights from real user feedback to improve your shopping experience.
See it for free

Time to Implement

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**6 months
Based on 100 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**6 months
Based on 100 responses

Return on Investment

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**6 months
Based on 100 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**6 months
Based on 100 responses

**Pros & Cons**
from reviews

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**
[
Ease of Use (32)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1444317&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Scalability (30)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1443896&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (34)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1443813&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Cost Issues (10)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1444392&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**
[
Scalability (9)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-simple-storage-service-s3/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1749077&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Features (7)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-simple-storage-service-s3/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1749145&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Pricing Issues (6)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-simple-storage-service-s3/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1749471&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Complex Features (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-simple-storage-service-s3/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1749442&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_b3390b4cc3d92e87d570895f7358c003/amazon-aurora.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon Aurora

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_764bdd3b0bc81b470d93f18d12c826d2/amazon-web-services-aws-amazon-dynamodb.png "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon DynamoDB

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-web-services-aws-amazon-dynamodb/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_cacdec8b8edeace9b3c89e0c2cded695/amazon-ec2.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon EC2

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_cacdec8b8edeace9b3c89e0c2cded695/amazon-elastic-container-service-amazon-ecs.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon Elastic Container...

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-elastic-container-service-amazon-ecs/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/integrations)

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_b3390b4cc3d92e87d570895f7358c003/amazon-api-gateway.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon API Gateway

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-api-gateway/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_b3390b4cc3d92e87d570895f7358c003/amazon-athena.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon Athena

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-athena/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_cacdec8b8edeace9b3c89e0c2cded695/amazon-cloudfront.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

CloudFront

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-cloudfront/reviews)[

 ![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)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-simple-storage-service-s3/integrations)

Screenshots

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**
 ![Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/146057/RDS-Console-Screenshot.png)

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**
 ![Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/41420/uploads_2F1eefc8c9-f09c-4838-8c78-04aeede7c2fb_2FAmazon_S3.png)

**Ratings**
from reviews

Meets Requirements

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**

**9.0** /10

Based on 745 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**

**9.2** /10

Based on 681 responses

Ease of Use

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**

**8.8** /10

Based on 753 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**

**8.7** /10

Based on 685 responses

Ease of Setup

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**

**8.9** /10

Based on 529 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**

**8.6** /10

Based on 341 responses

Ease of Admin

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**

**8.7** /10

Based on 436 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**

**8.5** /10

Based on 314 responses

Quality of Support

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**

**8.6** /10

Based on 717 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**

**8.6** /10

Based on 605 responses

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**

**8.8** /10

Based on 424 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**

**9.0** /10

Based on 298 responses

Product Direction (% positive)

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**

**9.5** /10

Based on 705 responses

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)**

**9.0** /10

Based on 639 responses

**Features**
ratings from reviews

Relational Databases

**8.8** /10

Based on 468 responses

Not enough data

Object Storage Solutions

Not enough data

**9.2** /10

Based on 65 responses

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

**8.7** /10

Based on 282 responses

Not enough data

User Insights

**Reviewers' Company Size**

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
28.9%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
37.6%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)
33.4%

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
28.9%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
37.6%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)
33.4%

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
29.3%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
31.3%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)
39.4%

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
29.3%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
31.3%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)
39.4%

**Reviewers' Industry**

[![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)")](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews)
Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

Information Technology and Services
22.6%

Computer Software
17.1%

Financial Services
6.0%

Computer & Network Security
3.7%

Telecommunications
3.2%

Other
47.3%

[![Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1533074456/amazon-simple-storage-service-s3.svg "Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)")](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-simple-storage-service-s3/reviews)
Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)

Information Technology and Services
19.6%

Computer Software
17.9%

Financial Services
6.7%

Internet
4.2%

Marketing and Advertising
3.1%

Other
48.6%

Alternatives

**Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) 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)

 ![IBM Db2](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1553782253/ibm-db2.svg "IBM Db2")

[
IBM Db2
](/products/ibm-db2/reviews)

 ![SAP HANA Cloud](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/b5f8f986beca96ab0027c693ee762fb9/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01.svg "SAP HANA Cloud")

[
SAP HANA Cloud
](/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/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)

**Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) Alternatives**

 ![Google Cloud Storage](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a358e8fa929275ce12c07c821012f33d/google-cloud-storage.svg "Google Cloud Storage")

[
Google Cloud Storage
](/products/google-cloud-storage/reviews)

 ![Akamai Cloud Computing](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/88a10113936d5d26cc5455decf5a8817/akamai-cloud-computing.svg "Akamai Cloud Computing")

[
Akamai Cloud Computing
](/products/akamai-cloud-computing/reviews)

 ![Azure Blob Storage](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-blob-storage.jpg "Azure Blob Storage")

[
Azure Blob Storage
](/products/azure-blob-storage/reviews)

 ![DigitalOcean Spaces](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_f72d8511bfd934d8091bd6e5dd5eca31/digitalocean-spaces.jpg "DigitalOcean Spaces")

[
DigitalOcean Spaces
](/products/digitalocean-spaces/reviews)

## Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) vs Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) easier to use, set up, and administer. However, reviewers preferred doing business with Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) overall.

- Reviewers felt that Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) meets the needs of their business better than Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS).
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) provide similar levels of assistance.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) over Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3).