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Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) Pros and Cons: Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users find Amazon RDS to be extremely easy to use, streamlining deployment and saving valuable setup time. (32 mentions)
Users appreciate the effortless scalability of Amazon RDS, enhancing application performance during unexpected traffic spikes. (30 mentions)
Users find RDS to be very secure and reliable, alleviating concerns about data loss and downtime. (19 mentions)
Users appreciate the easy setup of Amazon RDS, enabling quick deployment and hassle-free management for their applications. (18 mentions)
Users appreciate the automated backup services of Amazon RDS, allowing them to focus on application development without data loss worries. (16 mentions)
Users find the cost of Amazon RDS quite high, especially with charges accruing for unused instances. (34 mentions)
Users note that cost issues can escalate quickly, with unexpected charges making budgeting challenging. (10 mentions)
Users experience limited control over configurations in Amazon RDS, restricting customization and flexibility for their projects. (9 mentions)
Users find the complex naming conventions in AWS services frustrating, making it hard for newcomers to navigate. (7 mentions)
Users find Amazon RDS to have limited customization, restricting advanced configurations for more complex needs. (7 mentions)

5 Pros or Advantages of Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

5 Cons or Disadvantages of Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) Reviews (907)

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Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) Reviews (907)

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907 reviews
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parham m.
PM
parham m.
Data Scientist
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Reliable and Scalable Database Solution with Minor Limitations"
4/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Amazon RDS offers excellent scalability and reliability, making it a great solution for handling databases in a cloud environment. The automated backups, ease of replication, and robust security features save a significant amount of time and reduce administrative overhead. Its ability to manage multiple database engines, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle, provides flexibility to adapt to specific project requirements. The user interface is intuitive, and the integration with other AWS services is seamless, enhancing the overall experience for developers and administrators alike. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

One downside of Amazon RDS is the limited control over the underlying infrastructure, which can be frustrating for users who need more custom configurations or performance optimizations. Additionally, the pricing can escalate quickly, especially for high-availability setups or when working with large-scale databases. Monitoring and logging, while generally effective, can be challenging to navigate and set up in detail without relying on additional AWS services like CloudWatch. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
AM
Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"A good way to manage databases of different types"
4.5/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Easy to manage and to use. We use it daily to check the health of the databases, the monitoring features are what we need. The DBs are easy to integrate and implement in our apps and dashboards Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

No major problems and when some issues may arise the customer support is there to help. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Arun N.
AN
Arun N.
Senior Engineer-Cloud & Server Administration
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"MY AWS RDS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE"
5/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

I have used Amazon Aurora MySQL and PostgreSQL clusters in different production environments. Initially, I had concerns about their performance under high-load scenarios, but I am happy to share my positive experience with AWS RDS. When using Aurora, there's no need to worry about database performance. Aurora, along with other relational database services in AWS, efficiently manages performance with features like horizontal scaling of read replicas, read and write separation, automatic storage management and manual upgrading of read and write instances. RDS services automatically perform daily backup snapshots, and data encryption is built-in. Downtime is minimized as the read instance automatically becomes the write instance in case of a failure, ensuring high availability and minimal disruption. Our workloads are running successfully on RDS in AWS. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Please do not try to restart Aurora cluster instances during peak times. It will never reboot easily. It will take a long time for the reboot and cause us trouble. It will take a very long time for log file management during the restart process. It will impact our business badly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

SZ
Syed Z.
SDE2
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"AWS RDS Review"
4.5/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Mainly the structure like rows and columns unlike the Non Relational Databases this is good and can be mapped with relationships and aggregators function. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Non relational database are hard to start with compare to Non RDS like Mongo. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Shreya S.
SS
Shreya S.
Senior Software Engineer
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Amazon RDS Review"
4/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL. Once you know the CDK, you can easily implement it via code as well. Amazon support always gets back to us if we create a ticket. Once created, it doesn't need many changes usually. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

There is no such feature to dislike. We just need to get a little hands-on before getting started. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

AN
ASHRAF N.
Senior Analyst/ Software Engineer
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Amazon RDS Aurora DB"
4.5/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Amazon RDS Service offers so many helpful features that make it a popular choice for managing RDS in the cloud.

High Availability: It is available in multiple availability zones where fault tolerance is very high. When one availability zone is not working, another is automatically called.

Performance: The performance is superb and optimized. It uses automated database engines and SSDs.

Security: We can integrate IAM policy to achieve security. The encryption service using AWS Key Management Service (KMS) protects our sensitive data from hackers.

Upsides: The most significant upsides I faced include automatic management done by AWS RDS. It automates many tasks associated with running a database, such as patching, backups, and updates. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Amazon has many advantages, in my opinion, and Amazon RDS has very few drawbacks and downsides.

For example, I faced additional data costs while transferring data, especially when we have high data throughputs across different AWS regions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Ahmed E.
AE
Ahmed E.
Cloud Architect Trainee at ITI 9 month scholarship
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Easy to use"
5/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Reflecting on my experience with AWS Relational Database Service (RDS), I’ve found it to be a powerful tool that brings both significant advantages and a few challenges.

One of the most compelling aspects of AWS RDS is the convenience it offers. The fact that it’s a fully managed service means that a lot of the heavy lifting associated with database management is taken off my plate. Tasks like backups, patching, and updates are automated, allowing me to focus on more strategic aspects of my projects. This automation, coupled with the seamless integration with AWS CloudWatch for monitoring, has been a game-changer, giving me peace of mind that my databases are well-maintained and closely monitored without constant manual intervention.

Scalability is another strong suit of AWS RDS. I appreciate how effortlessly I can scale my database resources up or down, depending on the demands of my applications. The ability to create read replicas is particularly useful in managing read-heavy workloads, as it distributes the load and enhances performance. This flexibility has allowed me to adapt quickly to changing requirements without the need for complex configurations or significant downtime. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

AWS RDS isn’t without its downsides. While the managed nature of the service is a major benefit, it also means relinquishing some control. Customizing certain aspects of the database, like specific configurations or tuning for unique use cases, can be limited compared to self-managed databases. Additionally, while the service is generally cost-effective, especially considering the management overhead it reduces, costs can escalate quickly with higher-tier instances or extensive use of features like read replicas and Multi-AZ deployments. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Oil & Energy
AO
Verified User in Oil & Energy
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Pros and Cons of Using Amazon RDS"
4/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Easy to Set Up and Deploy and You can use the AWS Management Console, Command Line Interface (CLI), SDKs, or API calls to access a production-ready relational database within minutes. Amazon RDS instances come preconfigured with appropriate settings for the selected database engine. Pay only for the resources you use, without upfront investments and : Amazon RDS supports encryption at rest and in transit, ensuring data protection. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Latency is one of the back drop, Although Amazon RDS provides high availability and read replicas, cross-region replication can introduce latency. If low-latency access is critical, consider other solutions. some limitations in scaling also While Amazon RDS allows scaling compute resources, there are limits to how much you can scale vertically. For extreme scalability needs, other database solutions might be more suitable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Amol B.
AB
Amol B.
Assistant Technical Manager
Information Technology and Services
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"I manage and scale cloud projects, mentor teams, and lead technical solutions at SJ Innovation."
4.5/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

I love how Amazon RDS automates backups and updates. It makes scaling databases easy without downtime. The multi-AZ deployment ensures high availability, which is crucial for any project. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

Amazon RDS can get pricey, especially at scale. Limited control over the underlying infrastructure is a bit frustrating. Some advanced configurations are restricted, which can be limiting for complex setups. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Kadabur A.
KA
Kadabur A.
Cloud Devops Engineer
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"RDS Review"
4.5/5
What do you like best about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

RDS is one of the best features of aqs it is easy to setup and operating, scaling it is very easy. This helps us in automation of time consuming tasks like database setup, patching and taking backups. RDS provides best security it will make sure data is protected with IAM for who can access my databases. At last, Amazon RDS has user friendly UI we can use with ease. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)?

There are no suck dislikes about Amazon RDS I didn't find any dislikes till now. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.