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Head-to-head · Cloud Database Services

Amazon Aurora vs MySQL HeatWave

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Amazon Aurora #1 in Cloud Database Services 9.4/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 2 features Visit AWS
MySQL HeatWave #7 in Cloud Database Services 8.7/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Oracle

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

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAmazon Aurora · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly MySQL HeatWave
  • Free trialonly MySQL HeatWave

Amazon Aurora scores higher on our rubric for cloud database services: 9.4 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

MySQL HeatWave offers free plan; Amazon Aurora doesn't.

Amazon Aurora is the better fit for AWS teams needing managed relational databases. MySQL HeatWave is the better fit for mySQL teams with mixed transactional and analytic needs.

  • Amazon Aurora fits best

    AWS teams needing managed relational databases

  • MySQL HeatWave fits best

    MySQL teams with mixed transactional and analytic needs

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Amazon Aurora 9.4/10 Visit ↗ MySQL HeatWave 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.7
Ranking #1 in Cloud Database Services #7 in Cloud Database Services
Best for AWS teams needing managed relational databases MySQL teams with mixed transactional and analytic needs
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — Free plan · 30-day trial
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7 Docs, Community
Integrations 9 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Amazon Aurora 0/2 · MySQL HeatWave 0/2
Autoscaling Not checked yet Not checked yet
Multi-region Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Database models Not checked yet Not checked yet
Deployment model Not checked yet Not checked yet
Maximum storage Not checked yet Not checked yet
Backup retention Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Choose provisioned or serverless configurations for database workloads.
  • Distributed storage across three Availability Zones supports fault tolerance.
  • Up to 15 read replicas, automatic failover, and cross-Region replication.
  • Runs real-time analytics without ETL duplication
  • Queries object storage through lakehouse support
  • Automates backups, scaling, patching, and recovery
Cons
  • Usage-based charges vary with engine, configuration, Region, and usage.
  • Optional features are billed separately from instances and storage.
  • Its integrations and management fit most naturally within the AWS ecosystem.
  • High availability is unavailable on Always Free DB systems
  • Point-in-time recovery is unavailable on Always Free DB systems
  • Listed integrations focus on Oracle Analytics Cloud, Tableau, and Looker
Our verdict

Amazon Aurora is a managed relational database service for AWS teams running PostgreSQL-, MySQL-, or DSQL-compatible workloads. Its provisioned and serverless configurations suit organizations that want managed database infrastructure for…

Read the review →

MySQL HeatWave is Oracle’s managed MySQL Enterprise Edition service for teams that need transactional workloads alongside analytics, lakehouse queries, machine learning, or generative AI. It runs on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and is also…

Read the review →
  1. Amazon AuroraCloud Database Services 9.4Paid
  2. MySQL HeatWaveCloud Database Services 8.7Free plan · 30-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Amazon Aurora — where it wins

    • Choose provisioned or serverless configurations for database workloads.
    • Distributed storage across three Availability Zones supports fault tolerance.
    • Up to 15 read replicas, automatic failover, and cross-Region replication.

    Where it doesn't

    • Usage-based charges vary with engine, configuration, Region, and usage.
    • Optional features are billed separately from instances and storage.
    • Its integrations and management fit most naturally within the AWS ecosystem.

  • MySQL HeatWave — where it wins

    • Runs real-time analytics without ETL duplication
    • Queries object storage through lakehouse support
    • Automates backups, scaling, patching, and recovery

    Where it doesn't

    • High availability is unavailable on Always Free DB systems
    • Point-in-time recovery is unavailable on Always Free DB systems
    • Listed integrations focus on Oracle Analytics Cloud, Tableau, and Looker
  • Amazon Aurora9.4/10 · Paid

    A flexible AWS-managed database for teams balancing deployment choice and availability.

    Visit AWSFull verdict →
  • MySQL HeatWave8.7/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

    A managed MySQL service for transactional workloads, analytics, and AI in one environment.

    Visit OracleFull verdict →

More comparisons

All cloud database services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update