MySQL vs Amazon Aurora
type: Article
description: MySQL is a traditional open-source relational database requiring self-management, while Amazon Aurora is a managed AWS service offering up to 3x faster performance and automatic scaling at higher cost. Aurora is built on MySQL-compatible technology but abstracts infrastructure complexity.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-09T06:50:20.703Z
date created: 2026-07-09T06:50:20.703Z
date modified: 2026-07-09T06:50:20.759Z
content reference time: 2026-07-09T06:50:20.759Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: MySQL
about: Amazon Aurora
abstract: MySQL is a traditional open-source relational database requiring self-management, while Amazon Aurora is a managed AWS service offering up to 3x faster performance and automatic scaling at higher cost. Aurora is built on MySQL-compatible technology but abstracts infrastructure complexity.
text: Management Model. Read Throughput Performance. High Availability Setup. Starting Costs (monthly). Automatic Backups & Recovery. Scaling Approach. Community & Support
conclusion text: Choose MySQL if you need a cost-effective, fully transparent database you can self-manage, have low traffic requirements, or prefer open-source flexibility without vendor lock-in. Choose Amazon Aurora if you prioritize high availability, automatic scaling, minimal operational overhead, and can afford managed service costs—it's ideal for production applications requiring 99.99% uptime and variable workloads.
additional property: ACID Compliance Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Partial (InnoDB only) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Simple Query Throughput
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: ~28,000 (MySQL 8.4) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Complex Join Performance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: ~450 (5-table join) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: JSON Query Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: JSON functions only | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Base Memory Footprint
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: ~80 (minimal config) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Vector Similarity Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Via third-party extensions | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Full-Text Search
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Limited, basic support | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Time-Series Optimization
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Standard table partitioning | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: AWS RDS Managed Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: $13.50 (MySQL 8.4) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Supported Versions (2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 5 (8.0-8.4 active) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Replication Lag (typical)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 5-50 (binary log) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Support Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Oracle, multiple vendors | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Concurrent Connections
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 151 (default, configurable) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Max Database Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 140 TB per table | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Memory Footprint
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 150-500 MB | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Network Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Yes - TCP/IP protocol | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Built-in Replication
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Yes - master-slave, group replication | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Typical Query Response Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 5-50 ms (indexed queries) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Transaction Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Full ACID across multiple tables (since v5.7) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Horizontal Scalability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Manual sharding (theoretical unlimited) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Schema Flexibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Fixed schema, requires migration for changes | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Average Query Latency (structured data)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 3-5ms for simple queries | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Memory Usage (100GB dataset)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 8-12GB working set | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Years in Production
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 25+ years (MySQL 1.0 released 1995) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Write Throughput (single server)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 10,000-50,000 ops/sec | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Community Popularity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 46% of web applications (Stack Overflow 2024) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 240-480 minutes | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost (10GB, 100K requests)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: $50-200 (self-hosted) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Maximum Storage per Database
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Unlimited | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Auto-Scaling Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Manual configuration required | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Database Branching Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Third-party tools only | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Community Size (Stack Overflow Tags)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 600+ thousand | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Read Throughput Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 1x baseline | Amazon Aurora: 5x faster
  value reference: Amazon Aurora
additional property: Cost (On-Demand, Single Instance/Month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: $0 (open-source) | Amazon Aurora: $86.40-$315.36/month
  value reference: MySQL
additional property: Maximum Storage Capacity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 64TB (hardware dependent) | Amazon Aurora: 128
  value reference: Amazon Aurora
additional property: Maximum Read Replicas
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Unlimited (with sharding complexity) | Amazon Aurora: 15
additional property: Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: User-dependent (no guarantee) | Amazon Aurora: 99.95% SLA
additional property: Backup Automation
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Manual configuration required | Amazon Aurora: Automatic daily + continuous backup
additional property: Deployment Platforms Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 5+ (on-prem, cloud, edge, containers, hybrid) | Amazon Aurora: 1 (AWS only)
  value reference: MySQL
additional property: Read Query Performance (SELECT 1M rows)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 2.8s (MySQL 8.0) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Write Performance (INSERT 100K rows)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 4.2s (MySQL 8.0) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Storage Engines Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 2 (InnoDB, MyISAM) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Latest Stable Version (2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: MySQL 8.4 LTS | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Memory Footprint (Idle instance)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 145MB | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Support Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: $2,500-$50,000 (Oracle) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: GitHub Community Activity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: ~4,400 stars | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: ACID Compliance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: Yes (InnoDB) | Amazon Aurora: Full ACID support with distributed architecture
additional property: Simple SELECT Query Speed
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 100ms (baseline) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
additional property: Complex Analytical Query Speed (with JOINs + aggregations)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: MySQL: 850ms (without window functions) | Amazon Aurora: N/A
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/mysql
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/mysql
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/amazon-aurora
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/amazon-aurora
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/mysql-vs-amazon-aurora)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/mysql-vs-amazon-aurora)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-amazon-aurora
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-sqlite
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-mongodb
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-planetscale
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/postgresql-vs-amazon-aurora
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-mariadb
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-postgresql
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-mariadb)
teaches: How to choose between MySQL and Amazon Aurora
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

MySQL
type: SoftwareApplication
alternate name: Mysql
language: en-US
description: Open-source relational database management system with widespread adoption and community support.
image: ImageObject
  caption: MySQL
subject of: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora
image: ImageObject
  caption: MySQL

Amazon Aurora
type: SoftwareApplication
alternate name: AA
language: en-US
description: AWS-managed relational database with PostgreSQL/MySQL compatibility, auto-scaling, and high availability
subject of: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora

MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for MySQL vs Amazon Aurora. Contains 87 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: ACID Compliance Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Simple Query Throughput
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Complex Join Performance
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: JSON Query Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Base Memory Footprint
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Resources
variable measured: Vector Similarity Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI/ML Features
variable measured: Full-Text Search
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Time-Series Optimization
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: AWS RDS Managed Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: Supported Versions (2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Maintenance
variable measured: Replication Lag (typical)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Enterprise Support Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Support
variable measured: Concurrent Connections
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Max Database Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Memory Footprint
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Network Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Built-in Replication
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: High Availability
variable measured: Typical Query Response Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Transaction Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Horizontal Scalability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Schema Flexibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Average Query Latency (structured data)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Memory Usage (100GB dataset)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Resource Efficiency
variable measured: Years in Production
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Maturity
variable measured: Write Throughput (single server)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Community Popularity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Adoption
variable measured: Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Implementation
variable measured: Monthly Cost (10GB, 100K requests)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Storage per Database
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capacity
variable measured: Auto-Scaling Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Database Branching Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Features
variable measured: Community Size (Stack Overflow Tags)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community Support
variable measured: Read Throughput Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Cost (On-Demand, Single Instance/Month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Storage Capacity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Maximum Read Replicas
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Backup Automation
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
variable measured: Deployment Platforms Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Flexibility
variable measured: Read Query Performance (SELECT 1M rows)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Write Performance (INSERT 100K rows)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Storage Engines Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Latest Stable Version (2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Release Cycle
variable measured: Memory Footprint (Idle instance)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Resource Usage
variable measured: Enterprise Support Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: GitHub Community Activity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: ACID Compliance
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Data Integrity
variable measured: Simple SELECT Query Speed
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Complex Analytical Query Speed (with JOINs + aggregations)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Default Memory Usage
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Resources
variable measured: ACID Compliance by Default
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Data Integrity
variable measured: Annual Enterprise Support Cost (per server)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Major Release Frequency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Development
variable measured: Available Storage Engines
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Maximum JSON Document Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Data Handling
variable measured: Full-Text Search Languages Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Hosting Provider Compatibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Window Functions Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: SQL Features
variable measured: Simple Query Speed (1M rows, SELECT *)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Complex Analytical Query Speed (Aggregate + Join)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Minimum Memory Requirement
variable measured: Maximum Connection Limit (Default)
variable measured: Built-in JSON Support
variable measured: Full-Text Search Capability
variable measured: Developer Preference (2024 Survey)
variable measured: Window Functions Support
variable measured: Global Market Share
variable measured: Average Query Optimization Rules
variable measured: Major Release Cycle
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-amazon-aurora)

MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for MySQL vs Amazon Aurora.
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Resources
has defined term: AI/ML Features
has defined term: Cost
has defined term: Maintenance
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: High Availability
has defined term: Resource Efficiency
has defined term: Maturity
has defined term: Adoption
has defined term: Implementation
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Capacity
has defined term: Developer Features
has defined term: Community Support
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Release Cycle
has defined term: Resource Usage
has defined term: Community
has defined term: Data Integrity
has defined term: Development
has defined term: Data Handling
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: SQL Features
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Replication
has defined term: Availability
has defined term: Data Protection
has defined term: Management

Reliability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: reliability
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resources
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resources
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

AI/ML Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ai/ml-features
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Cost
type: DefinedTerm
term code: cost
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maintenance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maintenance
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scalability
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: architecture
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

High Availability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: high-availability
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resource Efficiency
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resource-efficiency
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maturity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maturity
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: adoption
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Implementation
type: DefinedTerm
term code: implementation
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capacity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capacity
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-features
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community-support
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operations
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Release Cycle
type: DefinedTerm
term code: release-cycle
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resource Usage
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resource-usage
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Data Integrity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: data-integrity
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Development
type: DefinedTerm
term code: development
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Data Handling
type: DefinedTerm
term code: data-handling
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

SQL Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: sql-features
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Replication
type: DefinedTerm
term code: replication
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Availability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: availability
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Data Protection
type: DefinedTerm
term code: data-protection
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Management
type: DefinedTerm
term code: management
in defined term set: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-09T06:50:20.759Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: mysql-vs-amazon-aurora)
main entity: Is Amazon Aurora truly MySQL-compatible or will I need to rewrite my application?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Aurora maintains MySQL 5.7 and 8.0 wire protocol compatibility, meaning most applications run without code changes. However, some edge cases exist: Aurora doesn't support certain storage engines (InnoDB is standard), uses different system variables, and handles certain edge-case SQL differently. Plan for 1-2 weeks of compatibility testing for production workloads.
    language: en-US
main entity: When does Amazon Aurora become cheaper than self-managed MySQL?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Aurora typically becomes cost-effective when self-managed costs exceed $100-150/month. This occurs when: (1) you need 99.99% uptime requiring multi-server redundancy, (2) you employ a full-time DBA ($80k+ annually), or (3) infrastructure downtime costs exceed $5,000/hour. For hobby projects or low-traffic sites, MySQL self-hosted remains cheaper.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I migrate from MySQL to Aurora without downtime?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) enables near-zero downtime migration using binary log replication. Typical migration: (1) full initial data copy (hours-days depending on size), (2) continuous replication of changes, (3) final cutover during a planned maintenance window (minutes). For databases under 500GB, migration usually completes in under 6 hours.
    language: en-US
main entity: What are the hidden costs of running Aurora that I should budget for?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Beyond instance pricing: backup storage costs (~$0.023/GB/month for data beyond 100% of database size), data transfer egress ($0.02/GB out of region), enhanced monitoring ($12/month), and AWS support plans ($29-15,000+/month). A typical 500GB database with backups might add $50-100/month to base instance costs.
    language: en-US
main entity: If my application outgrows MySQL performance, do I have to switch to Aurora or are there alternatives?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Before switching: optimize MySQL with proper indexing, connection pooling (ProxySQL), read replicas, or sharding. Open-source alternatives include PostgreSQL (similar capabilities, better JSON support) or MariaDB (MySQL fork with built-in clustering). If you need distributed performance, consider Redis for caching. Aurora is optimal if you want AWS-managed automation without architectural changes.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between MySQL and Amazon Aurora
type: HowTo
description: MySQL is a traditional open-source relational database requiring self-management, while Amazon Aurora is a managed AWS service offering up to 3x faster performance and automatic scaling at higher cost. Aurora is built on MySQL-compatible technology but abstracts infrastructure complexity.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Management Model
step: Consider: Read Throughput Performance
step: Consider: High Availability Setup
step: Consider: Starting Costs (monthly)
step: Consider: Automatic Backups & Recovery
step: Consider: Scaling Approach
step: Consider: Community & Support
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose MySQL if you need a cost-effective, fully transparent database you can self-manage, have low traffic requirements, or prefer open-source flexibility without vendor lock-in. Choose Amazon Aurora if you prioritize high availability, automatic scaling, minimal operational overhead, and can afford managed service costs—it's ideal for production applications requiring 99.99% uptime and variable workloads.

Consider: Management Model
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Management Model: MySQL has Self-managed (on-premises or IaaS), while Amazon Aurora has Fully managed service (AWS).

Consider: Read Throughput Performance
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Read Throughput Performance: MySQL has Standard single-instance baseline, while Amazon Aurora has Up to 3x faster, distributed read replicas.

Consider: High Availability Setup
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: High Availability Setup: MySQL has Requires manual replication configuration, while Amazon Aurora has Automatic multi-AZ with 6-way replication.

Consider: Starting Costs (monthly)
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Starting Costs (monthly): MySQL has $0 (open-source, hosting costs vary), while Amazon Aurora has $50-150+ depending on instance type.

Consider: Automatic Backups & Recovery
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Automatic Backups & Recovery: MySQL has Manual configuration required, while Amazon Aurora has Automated with 35-day retention default.

Consider: Scaling Approach
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Scaling Approach: MySQL has Vertical scaling or manual sharding, while Amazon Aurora has Automatic horizontal scaling with read replicas.

Consider: Community & Support
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Community & Support: MySQL has Large open-source community, forums, while Amazon Aurora has AWS-backed support with SLA guarantees.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora
review body: MySQL is a traditional open-source relational database requiring self-management, while Amazon Aurora is a managed AWS service offering up to 3x faster performance and automatic scaling at higher cost. Aurora is built on MySQL-compatible technology but abstracts infrastructure complexity.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: MySQL vs Amazon Aurora

Default Memory Usage
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 150MB | Amazon Aurora: N/A

ACID Compliance by Default
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: No (conditional) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Annual Enterprise Support Cost (per server)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: $3,500 | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Major Release Frequency
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 2.0 | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Available Storage Engines
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 5 | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Maximum JSON Document Size
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 64MB (practical limit) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Full-Text Search Languages Supported
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 1-2 (English mainly) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Hosting Provider Compatibility
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 99% of providers | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Window Functions Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: No (until 8.0) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Simple Query Speed (1M rows, SELECT *)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 45ms (MySQL) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Complex Analytical Query Speed (Aggregate + Join)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 1,200ms (MySQL) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Minimum Memory Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 50MB | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Maximum Connection Limit (Default)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 151 | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Built-in JSON Support
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Yes, since 5.7 (basic operations only) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Full-Text Search Capability
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Basic (limited language support, no stemming) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Developer Preference (2024 Survey)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 53% | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Window Functions Support
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Since 8.0 (limited implementation) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Global Market Share
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 46% | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Average Query Optimization Rules
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: ~15 core rules | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Major Release Cycle
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: ~3 months (quarterly) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Storage Engine Options
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 1 (InnoDB primary) | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Stack Overflow Questions
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 450K+ | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Windows Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Full MSI installer, native support | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Binary Compatibility with MySQL
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Reference implementation | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Default GTID Replication Configuration
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Requires manual setup | Amazon Aurora: N/A

Read Throughput Performance Improvement
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 1x (baseline) | Amazon Aurora: 3x (via read replicas)
value reference: Amazon Aurora

Automatic Failover Time
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Manual (30-60+ minutes) | Amazon Aurora: 15-30

High Availability Replication Factor
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 1 (self-managed: 2-3 typical) | Amazon Aurora: 6 across 3 AZs
value reference: Amazon Aurora

Minimum Monthly Operational Cost (production-ready)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: $0 (software) + infrastructure costs | Amazon Aurora: $50-150 (db.t3.small to db.r6g.xlarge)
value reference: MySQL

Backup Retention Window (default)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 0 (manual only) | Amazon Aurora: 35 (automatic)
value reference: Amazon Aurora

Storage Scalability Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: Depends on hardware (typically 1-10TB) | Amazon Aurora: 128 (automatic)
value reference: Amazon Aurora

Setup & Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: 4-24 (server provisioning + config) | Amazon Aurora: 0.25 (click-to-launch via console)
value reference: Amazon Aurora

SLA Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: None (depends on your infrastructure) | Amazon Aurora: 99.95% (multi-AZ deployment)

Annual License Cost (Small Instance)
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: N/A | Amazon Aurora: $4,380-$10,700

Uptime SLA Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: N/A | Amazon Aurora: 99.95

Setup Time for HA Cluster
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: N/A | Amazon Aurora: 0.03 (1-click)

PostgreSQL Version Compatibility
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: N/A | Amazon Aurora: Aurora PostgreSQL 16

Cross-Region Replication Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: MySQL: N/A | Amazon Aurora: <1,000 (as low as 100ms)

SpeakableSpecification
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MySQL — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Amazon Aurora — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare MySQL vs Amazon Aurora
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/mysql-vs-amazon-aurora)
object: MySQL
object: Amazon Aurora

Minimum Memory Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Maximum Connection Limit (Default)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Built-in JSON Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Full-Text Search Capability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Developer Preference (2024 Survey)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Adoption

Window Functions Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Global Market Share
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Adoption

Average Query Optimization Rules
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Major Release Cycle
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Development

Storage Engine Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Stack Overflow Questions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community Support

Windows Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Binary Compatibility with MySQL
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Default GTID Replication Configuration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Replication

Read Throughput Performance Improvement
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Automatic Failover Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Availability

High Availability Replication Factor
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Minimum Monthly Operational Cost (production-ready)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Cost

Backup Retention Window (default)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Data Protection

Storage Scalability Limit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Setup & Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Operations

SLA Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Annual License Cost (Small Instance)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Cost

Uptime SLA Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Setup Time for HA Cluster
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Management

PostgreSQL Version Compatibility
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Cross-Region Replication Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance