Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL vs Amazon RDS

Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL9.3Visit Amazon RDS9.2Visit

Higher score Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL #2 in PostgreSQL Hosting 9.3/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Google Cloud

vs

Amazon RDS #3 in PostgreSQL Hosting 9.2/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Amazon RDS

• Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL fits best

  Google Cloud-native managed PostgreSQL

• Amazon RDS fits best

  AWS-native managed database operations

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Side by side

Feature	Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Amazon RDS 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.2
Ranking	#2 in PostgreSQL Hosting	#3 in PostgreSQL Hosting
Best for	Google Cloud-native managed PostgreSQL	AWS-native managed database operations
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	—	Not checked yet
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Phone, Live chat, Email, Community, Docs · 24/7
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS
Integrations	6 integrations	8 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL 3/4 · Amazon RDS 2/4
High availability	✓	✓
Point-in-time recovery	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Read replicas	✓	✓
Custom extensions	—	Not checked yet
Specs
Maximum storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Backup retention	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Automatic failover, backups, and point-in-time recovery Read, cascading, and logical replication support Integrates with Cloud Run, GKE, BigQuery, and Observability	Managed provisioning, patching, backups, and recovery Multi-AZ failover and read replicas support availability and scaling IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, and RDS Proxy integration
Cons	No permanent free plan Pricing varies by configuration and region Custom PostgreSQL extensions are not supported	Usage-based pricing varies by region and configuration No free plan Broad multi-engine scope may exceed narrow PostgreSQL needs
Our verdict	Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL is a fully managed relational database service for deploying, operating, and scaling PostgreSQL databases on Google Cloud. It is aimed at development teams and organizations that want managed PostgreSQL… Read the review →	Amazon RDS is a managed relational database service for deploying, operating, and scaling databases in AWS. For PostgreSQL teams, it combines managed provisioning, patching, backups, recovery, monitoring, access control, and networking… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL — where it wins

  • Automatic failover, backups, and point-in-time recovery
  • Read, cascading, and logical replication support
  • Integrates with Cloud Run, GKE, BigQuery, and Observability

  Where it doesn't

  • No permanent free plan
  • Pricing varies by configuration and region
  • Custom PostgreSQL extensions are not supported

• Amazon RDS — where it wins

  • Managed provisioning, patching, backups, and recovery
  • Multi-AZ failover and read replicas support availability and scaling
  • IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, and RDS Proxy integration

  Where it doesn't

  • Usage-based pricing varies by region and configuration
  • No free plan
  • Broad multi-engine scope may exceed narrow PostgreSQL needs

• Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL9.3/10 · 30-day trial

  A Google Cloud-native PostgreSQL service with strong availability, recovery, and integration options.

  Visit Google CloudFull verdict →
• Amazon RDS9.2/10 · Paid

  A broad AWS-managed option for PostgreSQL teams that need integrated operations.

  Visit Amazon RDSFull verdict →