Link copied to clipboard # Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) vs SimpleDB Comparison - What are their main differences? Share [ Export ](/compare/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/simpledb/export.csv) Amazon Relational Database...SimpleDB[+ Add Product](#) Reviews **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)**[ 4.5/5(907) ](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews#reviews) **SimpleDB** [ 4.1/5(51) ](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews#reviews) Pricing **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** Free Trial No pricing available **SimpleDB** Free Trial **$0.14** per Amazon SimpleDB Machine Hour · Machine Utilization **Pricing Insights** from reviews Time to Implement **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 2 monthsFaster Based on 90 responses **SimpleDB** 3 months Based on 5 responses Return on Investment **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 14 months Based on 73 responses **SimpleDB** Not enough reviews yet Perceived Cost **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** $$$$$ **SimpleDB** $$$$$ Average Discount **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 11% **SimpleDB** Not enough reviews yet Pros & Cons **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) **SimpleDB** [ Cloud Storage (1) ](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2285138&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[ Customer Support (1) ](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2285157&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[ Limited Free Access (1) ](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2285171&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) **SimpleDB** Not enough data 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) **SimpleDB** No screenshot available Ratings Meets Requirements **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 9.0 9.0744 **SimpleDB** 9.0 9.044 Ease of Use **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 8.8 8.8752 **SimpleDB** 8.5 8.545 Ease of Setup **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 8.9 8.9528 **SimpleDB** 8.4 8.417 Ease of Admin **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 8.7 8.7436 **SimpleDB** 7.9 7.915 Quality of Support **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 8.6 8.6716 **SimpleDB** 8.6 8.640 Has the product been a good partner in doing business? **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 8.8 8.8424 **SimpleDB** 8.5 8.514 Product Direction (% positive) **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)** 9.5 9.5704 **SimpleDB** 6.9 6.938 Features Database as a Service (DBaaS)[Hide 17 FeaturesShow 17 Features](javascript:void(0);) 8.7 282 7.8 18 Configuration Application Performance 8.8(won by 0.8) 248 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.0 17 Orchestration 8.4(won by 1.1) 243 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.3 16 Database Monitoring 8.6(won by 1.0) 252 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.6 17 Network Security 8.9(won by 1.0) 245 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.9 17 Anomaly Detection 8.1(won by default) 228 Feature Not Available Database Administration Provisioning 8.8(won by 1.0) 242 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.8 15 Governance 8.6(won by 0.3) 232 8.3 15 Auditing Feature Not Available 7.6(won by default) 13 Availability Scalability 9.1(won by 0.8) 250 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 8.3 16 Backup 9.1(won by 1.3) 253 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.8 16 Indexing 8.7(won by 0.9) 232 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors) 7.8 16 Archiving Feature Not Available 7.8(won by default) 16 Security Data Masking 8.4(won by default) 171 Not enough data Authentication And Single Sign-On 8.6(won by default) 181 Not enough data Data Anonymization 8.4(won by default) 170 Not enough data Data Management Data Replication 8.8(won by default) 188 Not enough data Advanced Data Analytics 8.6(won by default) 175 Not enough data Relational Databases[Hide 24 FeaturesShow 24 Features](javascript:void(0);) 8.8 468 Not enough data Management Data Schema 8.8(won by default) 305 Not enough data Query Language 8.9(won by default) 309 Not enough data ACID - Complaint 8.8(won by default) 294 Not enough data Data Replication 8.9(won by default) 303 Not enough data Support Text Search 8.3(won by default) 299 Not enough data Data Types 8.7(won by default) 311 Not enough data Languages 8.6(won by default) 305 Not enough data Operating Systems 8.8(won by default) 309 Not enough data Security Database Locking 8.6(won by default) 298 Not enough data Access Control 8.7(won by default) 314 Not enough data Encryption 8.8(won by default) 308 Not enough data Authentication 8.8(won by default) 311 Not enough data Performance Disaster Recovery 8.8(won by default) 304 Not enough data Data Concurrency 8.6(won by default) 298 Not enough data Workload Management 8.7(won by default) 306 Not enough data Advanced Indexing 8.5(won by default) 292 Not enough data Query Optimizer 8.5(won by default) 296 Not enough data Database Features Storage 9.0(won by default) 437 Not enough data Availability 9.2(won by default) 437 Not enough data Stability 9.0(won by default) 434 Not enough data Scalability 9.2(won by default) 424 Not enough data Security 9.1(won by default) 431 Not enough data Data Manipulation 8.5(won by default) 402 Not enough data Query Language 8.8(won by default) 419 Not enough data Show 2 feature categories with incomplete data Data Replication[Hide 7 FeaturesShow 7 Features](javascript:void(0);) Not enough data Not enough data Management Real-Time Analytics Not enough data Not enough data Solution Integration Not enough data Not enough data Infrastructure Compatibility Not enough data Not enough data Monitoring Not enough data Not enough data Solution Provision System Failover Not enough data Not enough data Pay by Usage Not enough data Not enough data Service Provision Not enough data Not enough data Backup[Hide 11 FeaturesShow 11 Features](javascript:void(0);) Not enough data Not enough data Management Disaster Recovery Not enough data Not enough data Remote Backup Not enough data Not enough data Storage Formats Not enough data Not enough data Scheduled Backups Not enough data Not enough data On-Demand Restoration Not enough data Not enough data Reporting Activity Monitoring Not enough data Not enough data Documentation Not enough data Not enough data Alerts/Notifications Not enough data Not enough data Security Data Encryption Not enough data Not enough data Security and Compliance Not enough data Not enough data Deduplication Not enough data Not enough data User Insights Reviewers' Company Size [![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) Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.) 29.0% Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.) 37.7% Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.) 33.4% [![SimpleDB](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1528476460/simpledb.svg "SimpleDB")](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews) SimpleDB Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.) 36.7% Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.) 26.5% Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.) 36.7% Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 29.0% 36.7% Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 37.7% 26.5% Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 33.4% 36.7% 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 5.9% Computer & Network Security 3.7% Telecommunications 3.2% Other 47.4% [![SimpleDB](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1528476460/simpledb.svg "SimpleDB")](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews) SimpleDB Information Technology and Services 22.4% Computer Software 16.3% Telecommunications 6.1% Higher Education 6.1% Research 4.1% Other 44.9% FAQs ## Amazon Relational Database... vs SimpleDB FAQs Generated using AI Last updated: August 14, 2026 ### What is the difference between Amazon Relational Database... vs SimpleDB? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is distinguished from SimpleDB by its higher G2 rating, broader feature set, and stronger reviewer-cited strengths in scalability and ease of use. | [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) | [SimpleDB](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews) | | --- | --- | | 4.5/5 (909 reviews) | 4.1/5 (51 reviews) | | Mid-Market | Small-Business | | 8.9 | 8.4 | | 8.6 | 8.6 | | Scalability (30 all-time mentions) | Cloud Storage (recent reviews) | ### How do the pricing models of Amazon Relational Database... and SimpleDB compare? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is rated higher for price satisfaction than SimpleDB, indicating reviewers consider it the stronger value. - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS):** In recent reviews, many cite the pay-as-you-go model and cost savings from automation, but also note that costs can escalate with scale and advanced features. - **SimpleDB:** Reviewers highlight the pay-as-you-go pricing and affordability for basic use, but mention that costs can be high for personal or small-scale projects. ### What are the best alternatives to Amazon Relational Database... and SimpleDB? The top 3 alternatives to Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and SimpleDB are MongoDB Atlas, Oracle Database, and IBM Db2. | Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) | 4.5/5 (909 reviews) | Mid-Market | Costs can escalate with scale | Scalability (30 all-time mentions) | | [SimpleDB](https://www.g2.com/products/simpledb/reviews) | 4.1/5 (51 reviews) | Small-Business | Affordable for basic use, but can be expensive for small projects | Cloud Storage (recent reviews) | | [MongoDB Atlas](https://www.g2.com/products/mongodb-atlas/reviews) | 4.5/5 (900 reviews) | Small-Business | — | — | | [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) | 4.3/5 (1020 reviews) | Enterprise | — | — | | [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) | 4.1/5 (683 reviews) | Enterprise | — | — | ### Which Database as a Service (DBaaS) features should I prioritize when comparing Amazon Relational Database... and SimpleDB? Buyers comparing Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and SimpleDB should prioritize scalability, ease of setup, security, integrations, and automation features. - **Scalability:** Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) has 30 all-time mentions for scalability; SimpleDB is cited for scalability in recent reviews. - **Ease of Setup:** Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) scores 8.9; SimpleDB scores 8.4. - **Security:** Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) has 19 all-time mentions for security; SimpleDB is cited for security in recent reviews. - **Integrations:** Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) has 13 all-time mentions for integrations; SimpleDB is cited for integrations in recent reviews. - **Automation:** Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is frequently cited for automated backups and patching (16 all-time mentions for backup services); SimpleDB is noted for automatic updates in recent reviews. ### What are the pros and cons of Amazon Relational Database... vs SimpleDB? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is strongest in scalability and automation, while SimpleDB is favored for simplicity and cloud storage. - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) strengths:** Scalability (30 all-time mentions), ease of use (32), security (19), setup ease (18), backup services (16), high availability (13), integrations (13). - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) trade-offs:** Expensive (34 all-time mentions), cost issues (10), limited customization, and initial setup complexity for beginners. - **SimpleDB strengths:** Simplicity, cloud storage, global access, and affordability for basic use (recent reviews). - **SimpleDB trade-offs:** Limited advanced features, can be expensive for small-scale or personal projects, and less robust for complex database needs (recent reviews). ### Is Amazon Relational Database... or SimpleDB better for small businesses? SimpleDB is a better fit for small businesses, as indicated by its largest reviewer segment and supporting sentiment. - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS):** Largest segment is Mid-Market; reviewers note strong scalability and automation but frequently mention high costs as a concern for smaller organizations. - **SimpleDB:** Largest segment is Small-Business; reviewers highlight ease of use, affordability for basic needs, and suitability for startups and small teams. ### Which Database as a Service (DBaaS) platform has better integrations? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is favored for integrations, with more reviewer-cited integration mentions than SimpleDB. - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS):** Integrates with Amazon Aurora (9 all-time mentions) and AWS Lambda (7 all-time mentions). - **SimpleDB:** Integrations are cited in recent reviews, but no specific third-party tools reach the publish threshold. ### How do Amazon Relational Database... and SimpleDB compare on customer support? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and SimpleDB are rated at parity for Quality of Support, both scoring 8.6. - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS):** Reviewers frequently mention responsive support and helpful documentation, with 10 all-time mentions for customer support. - **SimpleDB:** Reviewers describe support as reliable and easy to access, with positive experiences in recent reviews. ### Which is easier to implement, Amazon Relational Database... or SimpleDB? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and SimpleDB are rated at parity for Ease of Setup, with scores of 8.9 and 8.4 respectively, a difference below the materiality threshold. - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS):** Reviewers highlight straightforward setup for basic use, but note a learning curve for advanced configurations and AWS-specific features. - **SimpleDB:** Reviewers describe setup as quick and simple, especially for basic applications, with minimal configuration required. ### Which product has better Scalability? Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is the stronger choice for scalability, as supported by the highest all-time mention count for this feature. - **Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS):** Scalability is cited in 30 all-time mentions; reviewers highlight immediate scaling from small workloads to enterprise databases and robust support for read replicas and multi-AZ deployments. - **SimpleDB:** Scalability is cited in recent reviews, with reviewers noting the ability to scale up or down based on demand, but without the same volume of reviewer-cited evidence as RDS. 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) **SimpleDB Alternatives** ![MongoDB Atlas](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/d217eaad5fe841fcdd1136204e725516/mongodb-atlas%282%29.svg "MongoDB Atlas") [ MongoDB Atlas ](/products/mongodb-atlas/reviews) ![DigitalOcean](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/6028813119dc32d698afd6e25ff33d5b/digitalocean.svg "DigitalOcean") [ DigitalOcean ](/products/digitalocean/reviews) ![IBM Db2](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1553782253/ibm-db2.svg "IBM Db2") [ IBM Db2 ](/products/ibm-db2/reviews) ![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) ## Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) vs SimpleDB When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) overall. - Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and SimpleDB both meet the requirements of our reviewers at a comparable rate. - When comparing quality of ongoing product support, Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and SimpleDB provide similar levels of assistance. - For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) over SimpleDB.