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Head-to-head · MySQL Hosting

Aiven for MySQL vs Azure Database for MySQL

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Aiven for MySQL #1 in MySQL Hosting 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Aiven
Azure Database for MySQL #5 in MySQL Hosting 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Azure

Aiven for MySQL leads on 1 check, Azure Database for MySQL on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAiven for MySQL · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Aiven for MySQL
  • Free trialonly Aiven for MySQL
  • Most featuresAiven for MySQL · 4 of 4

Aiven for MySQL scores higher on our rubric for mysql hosting: 9.4 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #5.

Aiven for MySQL offers free plan; Azure Database for MySQL doesn't.

Aiven for MySQL is the better fit for managed MySQL value seekers. Azure Database for MySQL is the better fit for flexible Azure MySQL deployments.

  • Aiven for MySQL fits best

    Managed MySQL value seekers

  • Azure Database for MySQL fits best

    Flexible Azure MySQL deployments

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Side by side

Feature Aiven for MySQL 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Azure Database for MySQL 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.9
Ranking #1 in MySQL Hosting #5 in MySQL Hosting
Best for Managed MySQL value seekers Flexible Azure MySQL deployments
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $5/mo —
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial 30 days —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7 Docs
Integrations 5 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Aiven for MySQL 4/4 · Azure Database for MySQL 1/4
Automated backups ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Point-in-time restore ✓ (best) Not checked yet
High availability ✓ ✓
Private networking ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Scaling mode Both Not checked yet
Included storage 8 GB Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan plus $5/month Developer entry tier
  • Point-in-time recovery, backups, and cross-region read replicas
  • Private connectivity, high availability, and broad integrations
  • Four deployment tiers cover burstable to memory-optimized workloads
  • Point-in-time restore and automatic backups support recovery planning
  • Private networking, replicas, and Azure service integrations are included
Cons
  • Free and Developer plans exclude integrations and connection pooling
  • The Free plan includes only 1 GB of total storage
  • Production-oriented high availability starts with the Business plan
  • The free tier has limited resources and lasts 12 months for first-time users
  • Read replicas are available only for supported compute tiers
  • Its deployment and integration model is centered on Microsoft Azure
Our verdict

Aiven for MySQL is a fully managed relational database service for developers and organizations running web applications, e-commerce systems, microservices, and other workloads. Aiven handles provisioning, patching, backups, security,…

Read the review →

Azure Database for MySQL is a fully managed relational database service based on MySQL Community Edition. It is designed for application developers and organizations running web, mobile, and enterprise workloads on Azure. Microsoft manages…

Read the review →
  1. Aiven for MySQLMySQL Hosting 9.4Free plan · 30-day trial
  2. Azure Database for MySQLMySQL Hosting 8.9Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Aiven for MySQL — where it wins

    • Free plan plus $5/month Developer entry tier
    • Point-in-time recovery, backups, and cross-region read replicas
    • Private connectivity, high availability, and broad integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Free and Developer plans exclude integrations and connection pooling
    • The Free plan includes only 1 GB of total storage
    • Production-oriented high availability starts with the Business plan

  • Azure Database for MySQL — where it wins

    • Four deployment tiers cover burstable to memory-optimized workloads
    • Point-in-time restore and automatic backups support recovery planning
    • Private networking, replicas, and Azure service integrations are included

    Where it doesn't

    • The free tier has limited resources and lasts 12 months for first-time users
    • Read replicas are available only for supported compute tiers
    • Its deployment and integration model is centered on Microsoft Azure
  • Aiven for MySQL9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

    Flexible managed MySQL with a free tier, low entry price, and production features.

    Visit AivenFull verdict →
  • Azure Database for MySQL8.9/10 · Paid

    A flexible managed MySQL service for applications already running on Azure.

    Visit AzureFull verdict →

More comparisons

All MySQL hosting comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update