We migrate to Amazon RDS instead of traditional OLTP databases. We experience the ease of management and reduced operational expenses.
Senior Solutions Architect and Cloud Security Consultant at Cgi Deutschland KG
Reduces operational expenses and provides ease of management
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has unique features like backup and recovery, and snapshots. It upgrades automatically. The solution offers easy analytics concerning performance metrics. Its reliability and scalability are very good. The tool's most valuable features are disaster recovery, high availability and scalability."
- "Amazon RDS needs to have an overall dashboard where I can view all the tables in the form of pie charts and Gantt charts. The deployment is complex, and we would like to see automated scripts. It needs to incorporate performance insights."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution has unique features like backup and recovery, and snapshots. It upgrades automatically. The solution offers easy analytics concerning performance metrics. Its reliability and scalability are very good. The tool's most valuable features are disaster recovery, high availability and scalability.
What needs improvement?
Amazon RDS needs to have an overall dashboard where I can view all the tables in the form of pie charts and Gantt charts. The deployment is complex, and we would like to see automated scripts. It needs to incorporate performance insights.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution since 2016.
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Amazon RDS
June 2026
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution's scalability is good.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's customer support is satisfactory.
How was the initial setup?
Amazon RDS' deployment is complex.
What was our ROI?
We have seen ROI with the tool's use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's price is good.
What other advice do I have?
It would be best if you were careful when picking the RDS instances. Check the network and storage aspects and then decide on the size of the RDS instances. The cost may be high for you if you pick big RDS instances. On the other hand, small RDS instances can bring performance issues. I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Helps to move databases form place to place and is easy to deploy and maintain
Pros and Cons
- "Amazon RDS is easy to maintain and easy to deploy."
- "The running cost could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
The solution helps us to move databases from on-premises to other areas.
How has it helped my organization?
Amazon RDS has helped in reducing the median cost for on-prem services.
What is most valuable?
Amazon RDS is easy to maintain and easy to deploy.
What needs improvement?
The running cost could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. I rate it eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution's scalability depends on the application. There are no fixed users. I plan to increase the usage of the solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I used Oracle SQL but switched to Amazon RDS because it's easy to manage and easy to set.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. For the deployment, one has to prepare the pipeline and set up the security configuration. The complete deployment takes a couple of days. Three software engineers are required in the deployment process. I rate the setup an eight out of ten.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others to use the solution as it is easy to deploy, but they will need to take care of the running cost.
I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Amazon RDS
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Amazon RDS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
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Lead Data Engineer at Seven Lakes Enterprises, Inc.
The product is pretty good for small or mid-scale organizations that don't have the luxury of proper DBAs or a large infra team
Pros and Cons
- "I recommend RDS because it makes your life super easy."
- "One of the challenges of AWS RDS is that it doesn't support performance insight. So we need to write our own script or use third-party tools."
What is most valuable?
The product is pretty good for small or mid-scale organizations that don't have the luxury of proper DBAs or a large infra team. Scaling up and down is relatively easy without a proper setup. And apart from reducing these overheads, you have better performance insights if you use a server. And if you are serverless, your costs are lower. So we use both.
What needs improvement?
Concerning performance, when a cluster upgrades from lower to upper config, the connection drops. This could be solved by better coding and settings and included in the next release.
It's supposed to be scalable, but we don't feel that. True, there won't be any drops. The solution they gave was to maintain our cluster at a level sufficient for our peak load. However, that will probably defeat the whole purpose of on-demand scalability. So that is certainly where we might need to rethink the solution. It actually works in real-time, but it's not at a level where we can think of five seconds or 10 seconds there.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Two of our products are in production on RDS, so we use RDS extensively. RDS routers are valid on two of our product suites. And then RDS SQL Server 2016 instance 52 is on many of our client implementations.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's supposed to be scalable, but we don't feel that. True, there won't be any drops. The solution they gave was to maintain our cluster at a level sufficient for our peak load. However, that will probably defeat the whole purpose of on-demand scalability. So that is certainly where we might need to rethink.
How are customer service and support?
RDS support is decent enough.
We contact tech support about different issues in general and concerning the services we provide.
Before deployment, we do our POC in a lower environment, making everything very clear. But whenever we have downtime or hiccups, we investigate. And if needed, we reach out to the tech support team for clarification.
One of the challenges of AWS RDS is that it doesn't support performance insight. So we need to write our own script or use third-party tools.
If Amazon could provide the same support for serverless solutions that it provides for server-based ones, like RDS instance-based SQL Server, that would be a great improvement.
How was the initial setup?
I would rank the setup as eight out of 10, along with the Microsoft SQL Server on RDS. It took 10 to 15 minutes. It was straightforward for me as my field is data and data engineering. But it shouldn't be too difficult for anyone unfamiliar with the technologies because the documentation is pretty clear.
What about the implementation team?
We do everything in-house. So typically, we don't hire consultants unless we land up in a very niche area. We also work closely with AWS teams on different POCs before launch.
What was our ROI?
We are not currently scaling up our legacy infra, so we are definitely seeing dollars there, typically around 3K. Since it's not calculated, I'm giving the figure off the top of my head. So this will be quite a different figure for different people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
On pricing, I would rate RDS six out of 10 because if you don't know how to optimize and use your tool properly, the cost might hurt you. It would've been great if they had some cost alerts. You can usually manage using CloudWatch, but a simple notification that your costs just went up sharply or you overspent would help. I know there are videos and instructions on AWS. I'm not saying it's not there. But when the technology is new to you, it's hard to know what went wrong. And certainly, if you're not looking at your bill, you will be shocked by the amount.
We had one or two bad instances or hiccups, but now we have everything under control. The licensing is fine for us, but it may be a challenge for new users.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Amazon RDS eight or nine out of 10.
I recommend RDS because it makes your life super easy. You can focus on your main functionality, your product and on maintaining your infra. It is highly recommended for small and mid-sized organizations.
We have thousands of RDS users in our company.
The number of users is directly proportional to the number of clients and their user tools. As we grow, so will the number of users.
The only deployment we do is for RDS. In fact, the product itself does the whole stack deployment. You don't need a deployment team for RDS when it's service-based or for the separate deployment of S3. The same person can do RDS on S3. Usually, you would have a cloud ops team of two or three, depending on the number of clients and the complexity and size of the projects.
If you're changing your tech stack and working with new cloud technologies, RDS makes sense. And one of the major costs of legacy technologies is RDBMS licensing, which can be managed and used optimally using RDS.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Help Desk Specialist at Nafeza
Offers durability, security, and performance
Pros and Cons
- "The product's installation phase is easy."
- "The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in my company as a database.
I use the solution for database setup and management, along with other factors like HA, durability, security, performance, automated backup, and maintenance.
What is most valuable?
Amazon RDS serves as a managed database service that supports database engines, improving areas involving MySQL cycle and PostgreSQL. The tool obviously handles the working of the database as a provider of managed services. The product also offers backup and recovery.
What needs improvement?
The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon RDS for less than a year. I am a user of the tool.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 4,000 people in my company use the product.
How are customer service and support?
If I face any problems with the product, I contact the solution's support team. I look online to see if I can resolve the problem by myself, and if I don't get any answers to my issues, then I contact the product's support team. The product's support team is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM).
How was the initial setup?
The product's installation phase is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive. If Cisco needs two servers, Amazon uses four.
What other advice do I have?
I attend training sessions via calls with Amazon to learn about Amazon RDS.
If you have many sites for your company, using Amazon RDS can help with the database area. If you have any problem with the database, you can choose Amazon RDS.
I like the product very much.
I rate the tool a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior DevSecOps Engineer at a media company with 501-1,000 employees
Stores data and retrieves to information to gain insights
Pros and Cons
- "I use Amazon RDS to store and manage data securely. It helps me retrieve information and gain insights from the data that comes in for my business or specific applications."
- "I like using Amazon RDS because it offers quick operations for me. However, there are times when understanding how to use some of the services can be challenging, even with documentation. If I could add a feature, I'd improve navigation for related services."
What is our primary use case?
I use Amazon RDS to store and manage data securely. It helps me retrieve information and gain insights from the data that comes in for my business or specific applications.
What is most valuable?
In one of our applications, customer interactions, such as subscriptions, transactions, and data from filled forms, are stored in Amazon RDS. This enables us to maintain a backup and aids in disaster recovery. Storing this data in the product allows us to analyze and gain insights into the details that come through the application when customers log in.
During our proof of concept, I had the opportunity to utilize the service alongside the vendor we were testing. Its most valuable feature is the scalability of the storage. It is easy to learn.
What needs improvement?
I like using Amazon RDS because it offers quick operations for me. However, there are times when understanding how to use some of the services can be challenging, even with documentation. If I could add a feature, I'd improve navigation for related services.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for a few years,
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Amazon RDS is a stable product with minimal bugs.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product's scalability is good. It is used by over 1000 users in my company.
How are customer service and support?
I have contacted the tool's support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I find the tool's installation easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Amazon RDS an eight out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
An easy-to-manage and affordable solution that has customizable performance, high availability, and duality
Pros and Cons
- "Amazon RDS is easy to manage, and it has customizable performance, high availability, and duality."
- "The solution's version upgrade and performance could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use Amazon RDS to store DB for the database.
What is most valuable?
Amazon RDS is easy to manage, and it has customizable performance, high availability, and duality. Migration is also very flexible with the solution.
What needs improvement?
The solution's version upgrade and performance could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Amazon RDS for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Amazon RDS an eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Amazon RDS an eight out of ten for scalability.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is easy.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment with Amazon RDS.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Amazon RDS is cheaper compared to other tools.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate Amazon RDS an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Co-Founder & CEO at CLOUDEX
A good database solution that has an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "Amazon RDS is very easy to use."
- "Amazon RDS should have a more user-friendly graphical user interface and include better database management options."
What is our primary use case?
Amazon RDS is a good database.
What is most valuable?
Amazon RDS is very easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Amazon RDS should have a more user-friendly graphical user interface and include better database management options.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon RDS for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Amazon RDS is a stable solution.
I rate Amazon RDS a nine out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 100 people are using Amazon RDS in our organization.
I rate Amazon RDS an eight out of ten for scalability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Amazon RDS, I used Oracle and SQL Server. I switched to Amazon RDS to use the cloud.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is easy.
What about the implementation team?
The solution was deployed through a consultant, and it took a few minutes to deploy it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's license was included in the payment of the cloud. On a scale from one to ten, where ten is the most expensive, and one is the cheapest, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
Amazon RDS is a cloud based solution.
I recommend Amazon RDS to other users. I advise users to enforce the DBA to be part of any database cloud. Sometimes, people think managing the database is easy because the cloud is easy. However, that is not always the case.
Overall, I rate Amazon RDS an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Cloud Solutions Architect at gwcloud.company
A highly scalable and affordable solution that provides ease of management and a high return on investment
Pros and Cons
- "The solution’s scalability, usability, and availability are valuable to us."
- "The product must add more older versions of the database engines."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to host databases.
How has it helped my organization?
The product provides ease of management. We do not have to worry about the database. We just worry about the data. It is really convenient.
What is most valuable?
The solution’s scalability, usability, and availability are valuable to us. It’s a really good solution.
What needs improvement?
The product must add more older versions of the database engines.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for six years. I am using the latest version of the product.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten. It is really, really scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment was straightforward. We can do it via CLI, or we can do it pretty much like a Windows machine. We can just click on the next button when prompted and click on finish at the end.
What was our ROI?
We see a 100% return on investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost varies depending on our use and our database engine. RDS is the database, and AWS manages it for us. It is cheaper to host on a cloud machine ourselves. RDS increases the cost because it manages the database. It’s really, really good. The solution is fairly priced.
What other advice do I have?
I use the solution every day. People who are considering the solution must use it. Forget about the price. It is way better to use RDS than to host a database ourselves. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: June 2026
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