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Head-to-head · Transaction Data Store Software

Amazon DynamoDB vs Amazon Aurora

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Amazon DynamoDB #1 in Transaction Data Store Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Try Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon Aurora #3 in Transaction Data Store Software 9.1/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Amazon Aurora

Amazon DynamoDB leads on 1 check, Amazon Aurora on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAmazon DynamoDB · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Amazon DynamoDB
  • Most featuresAmazon Aurora · 1 of 3

Amazon DynamoDB scores higher on our rubric for transaction data store software: 9.4 against 9.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Amazon DynamoDB offers free plan; Amazon Aurora doesn't.

Amazon DynamoDB is the better fit for managed key-value workloads at global scale. Amazon Aurora is the better fit for managed relational databases on AWS.

  • Amazon DynamoDB fits best

    Managed key-value workloads at global scale

  • Amazon Aurora fits best

    Managed relational databases on AWS

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Side by side

Feature Amazon DynamoDB 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Amazon Aurora 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.1
Ranking #1 in Transaction Data Store Software #3 in Transaction Data Store Software
Best for Managed key-value workloads at global scale Managed relational databases on AWS
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price — —
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web
Support Docs Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7
Compliance SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS
Integrations 2 integrations 9 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Amazon DynamoDB 0/3 · Amazon Aurora 1/3
ACID transactions Not checked yet Not checked yet
SQL interface Not checked yet Not checked yet
High availability Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Deployment model Cloud Cloud
Consistency 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
  • Supports ACID transactions across items and tables.
  • Offers on-demand or provisioned capacity, with automatic scaling options.
  • Global tables support multi-Region, multi-active workloads.
  • Storage is distributed across three Availability Zones with automatic failover.
  • Supports up to 15 low-latency read replicas and point-in-time recovery.
  • Integrates with AWS services including Lambda, S3, IAM and RDS Proxy.
Cons
  • Cloud deployment ties workloads to a managed service.
  • Usage-based costs vary by Region, capacity mode, table class, and optional features.
  • Documentation is the only listed support channel.
  • Usage-based charges vary by engine, instance class, Region, storage, I/O and usage.
  • Optional features are billed separately from database instance and storage charges.
  • Its integrations and managed deployment model center on the AWS ecosystem.
Our verdict

Amazon DynamoDB is a managed, serverless NoSQL database for applications that need low-latency access to items stored in tables. It suits teams building key-value workloads on AWS, from smaller projects to enterprise applications, and…

Read the review →

Amazon Aurora is AWS’s managed relational database service for teams running transactional, SaaS, enterprise or globally distributed applications. It supports PostgreSQL-, MySQL- and DSQL-compatible engines, with provisioned and serverless…

Read the review →
  1. Amazon DynamoDBTransaction Data Store Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Amazon AuroraTransaction Data Store Software 9.1Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Amazon DynamoDB — where it wins

    • Supports ACID transactions across items and tables.
    • Offers on-demand or provisioned capacity, with automatic scaling options.
    • Global tables support multi-Region, multi-active workloads.

    Where it doesn't

    • Cloud deployment ties workloads to a managed service.
    • Usage-based costs vary by Region, capacity mode, table class, and optional features.
    • Documentation is the only listed support channel.

  • Amazon Aurora — where it wins

    • Storage is distributed across three Availability Zones with automatic failover.
    • Supports up to 15 low-latency read replicas and point-in-time recovery.
    • Integrates with AWS services including Lambda, S3, IAM and RDS Proxy.

    Where it doesn't

    • Usage-based charges vary by engine, instance class, Region, storage, I/O and usage.
    • Optional features are billed separately from database instance and storage charges.
    • Its integrations and managed deployment model center on the AWS ecosystem.

More comparisons

All transaction data store software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update