Amazon Aurora Serverless vs IBM Db2 Database comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.0, while IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.2% mindshare in SQL, compared to IBM’s 6.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Amazon Aurora Serverless

Read 3 Amazon Aurora Serverless reviews

412 Views
408 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Read 75 IBM Db2 Database reviews

3,607 Views
3,463 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Amazon Aurora Serverless

IBM Db2 Database

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

IBM Db2 Database and Amazon Aurora Serverless are both formidable competitors in the scalable enterprise database solutions category. IBM Db2 has an edge in handling traditional data environments with robust analytics, while Amazon Aurora Serverless stands out in cloud-native scalability and flexible performance for dynamic workloads.

Features: IBM Db2 Database provides a wide range of analytics capabilities, advanced data warehousing, and comprehensive integration tools, making it highly suitable for complex enterprise environments. Amazon Aurora Serverless offers automated scaling, high availability, and efficient performance in cloud-based applications.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Amazon Aurora Serverless supports a deployment model designed for automatic scaling with minimal manual intervention and is backed by Amazon's extensive support infrastructure, promoting rapid adaptation to workload changes. IBM Db2 requires a more traditional setup for cloud deployment but benefits from IBM's thorough support services, offering a strong support network for its users.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Db2 generally involves higher initial setup costs due to its traditional enterprise approach but offers a significant ROI through its advanced analytics and data management capabilities. Amazon Aurora Serverless, with its pay-as-you-go pricing model, provides predictable and often lower initial costs, appealing for scalable cloud applications with a focus on cost-effective pricing and cloud efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon Aurora Serverless vs. IBM Db2 Database Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Aurora Serverless vs. IBM Db2 Database

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Amazon Aurora Serverless

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

22nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Db2 Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Amazon Aurora Serverless is 1.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 6.6%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Db2 Database	6.6%
Amazon Aurora Serverless	1.2%
Other	92.2%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

MohitGupta3

Cloud Infrastructure Architect - AWS at Infopro Digital

Seamless growth management through serverless efficiency and reasonable pricing

The most valuable feature of Amazon Aurora Serverless is its serverless nature, which means I do not have to maintain the underlying infrastructure. Additionally, it is highly scalable, and its pricing model is favorable. Aurora's automatic scaling greatly enhances our operational efficiency by eliminating the need to set specific thresholds and preventing client data access issues due to uneven growth. Its serverless setup allows us to manage costs effectively. Other notable features include direct integration with tools like SFTP Go for media file uploads, automatic backups ensuring data recovery, and its scalability in terms of handling growing database demands.

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reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Support improves setup and maintenance while pricing influences decision

If you have a similar use case and the same deal with IBM as our company, it is definitely a good option and choice. The company I work with has more than 50,000 people and more than 500 support staff. We are not locked into one database vendor. We typically work with multiple database vendors simultaneously, selecting the top choice based on the deals we make and other considerations. We do not use IBM Db2 Database related to AI at this moment because our AI project PLC is still very small scale. We may consider it in the future if we have enough scale. Overall rating for IBM Db2 Database is 8.5 out of 10.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Amazon Aurora Serverless is its serverless nature, which means I do not have to maintain the underlying infrastructure."

"Amazon Aurora Serverless is easy to scale, offering a cluster-based shared scaling model with options for Autoscale."

"Aurora could improve its affordability, even though its price is very completive compared to DBs as SLQ Server."

"The IBM Db2 multi-workload helps me manage diverse business applications with easy management."

"It's a very mature product."

"The most valuable feature of the IBM Db2 Database is the ease of use, and the ability to do query writing of any SQL statement and have an output."

"it is very stable and runs smoothly once it is deployed and it is almost maintenance-free."

"We had a crash of the backup system and the IBM DB2 was always up and consistent. It's robust, and for us, it was always up and running."

"The performance of the solution is valuable."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its compatibility with IBM Power Systems."

"It is a scalable solution."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

Cons

"Aurora could improve its affordability, as it is currently considered a bit expensive."

"Amazon Aurora could improve its detailed monitoring, especially in CloudWatch, to provide more precise query level insights."

"Amazon Aurora Serverless could benefit from a few more security features, particularly in terms of its accessibility."

"Microsoft SQL Server is comparatively very simple to use. I wish IBM would move towards making Db2 easy to use for both basic and advanced users. This is where I see room for advancement. Db2 is also more expensive than Microsoft SQL Server, and its price can be reduced. The replication feature needs to be there in Db2. Microsoft provides similar functionality in SQL Server. IBM also has similar functionality, but it exists in a different product. So, to have the replication ability, you have to buy a different product. It makes sense to have this functionality within Db2 instead of a different product. It will also be helpful in terms of competition. In Africa, the problem for Db2 is competition. Oracle Database and Microsoft SQL Server have been in this market for a very long time. These companies have built the ecosystem and the brand within this market for a very long time. So, they are very popular with users. Db2 or IBM came a little later in the game, and that's where the problem lies. They also don't do a lot of marketing for it, which is also a problem."

"It would be helpful to have a hybrid data storage facility that includes NoSQL technologies."

"It would be helpful to have more querying tools and more development tools for us to work easily with Microsoft."

"We need some time to improve the performance. We have to perform a weekly REORG, or else RUNSTATS for the databases."

"The queries can be difficult for beginners because there are so many. I would like to see more use cases for flow analysis that enable us to correlate the flow with events. Adding this feature in a QI format would be good for beginners."

"The licensing fees can be reduced."

"There could be more user-friendly tools with features such as drag-and-drop functionality, visual basics, and low-code capabilities."

"IBM Db2 Database could improve in the steps it takes for upgrades. It is not an easy process. The process of upgrading the version is lengthy and requires a lot of time. To make it more efficient, I suggest implementing some automation on the solution side. This will greatly reduce the time required for the upgrade."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The total cost of the solution depends upon the PVU licensing"

"Among Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2, Microsoft SQL Server is the cheapest one, and Oracle is the most expensive one. Db2 is in the middle. As compared to SQL Server, its price could go down. It will be good for customers."

"It's very expensive."

"The solution's hardware and subscription model for support are very expensive."

"If I consider the price of IBM Db2 Database, I would say there are cheaper products in the market."

"It is expensive when compared to other products."

"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"It's very expensive for West African countries like ours."

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	48

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon Aurora Serverless?

In my experience, Aurora is a bit expensive. The costs depend on the size of the database.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Amazon Aurora Serverless?

Aurora could improve its affordability, as it is currently considered a bit expensive. There is room to make it more cost-effective for users even though its price is very completive compared to DB...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Amazon Aurora Serverless?

I use Aurora mainly for creating and maintaining databases, such as Aurora (MySQL version) databases, within the system. I value it for its network security and quicker recovery options.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Db2 Database?

Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Db2 Database?

IBM Db2 is an expensive solution. While I am not heavily involved with pricing, additional companies provide capabilities or products like those from BMC, which many installations might also purchase.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Db2 Database?

The IBM Db2 Database is a good solution, but now there is a high maintenance charge. The IBM Db2 Database needs improved support, and there are many difficulties in using it. We tend to use the clo...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 63% of the time

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Compared 18% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

CockroachDB vs Amazon Aurora Serverless

Compared 8% of the time

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SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 40% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 17% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

January 2026

Download Amazon Aurora Serverless product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Also Known As

No data available

DB2

Overview

Amazon Aurora Serverless is a flexible, on-demand database service that automatically scales based on application needs. It removes the need for database management, allowing businesses to focus on innovation and efficiency.

This database service provides automatic rescaling of compute capacity, which makes it uniquely suited to unpredictable workloads and applications with variable demand. It integrates seamlessly with existing AWS services and supports both MySQL and PostgreSQL, ensuring high availability and durability while reducing costs associated with over-provisioning of resources. Aurora Serverless dynamically adjusts capacity, providing a cost-effective and reliable solution for cloud-native applications and serverless architectures.

What are the key features of Amazon Aurora Serverless?

Automatic Scaling: Instantly adjusts capacity in response to demand.
Managed Infrastructure: Offloads database maintenance and management tasks.
High Availability: Provides multi-AZ support to ensure uptime and reliability.
MySQL and PostgreSQL Compatibility: Supports migrations and existing applications.
Pay-Per-Use: Charges are based on the exact resources utilized.

What benefits can be found in reviews of Amazon Aurora Serverless?

Cost Savings: Helps significantly reduce infrastructure expenses.
Operational Efficiency: Frees up time for the IT team for strategic projects.
Scalability: Easily accommodates fluctuating application demands.
Integration: Works seamlessly with AWS services, enhancing service reach.
Resiliency: Robust data protection features contribute to data security.

Amazon Aurora Serverless has been widely adopted across industries such as ecommerce and online media, where demand can vary greatly and unpredictably. For instance, ecommerce platforms benefit from auto-scaling during peak shopping seasons, ensuring uninterrupted service without incurring unnecessary costs during off-peak periods. Similarly, media companies leverage its auto-scaling capabilities to manage traffic spikes during events or breaking news.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

DB2 Enterprise for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is the ideal data server for the most demanding workloads. New XML support is designed to help firms minimize the time and effort it takes to persist and use their XML data reducing development costs and improving business agility.

IBM

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Knorr-Bremse, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Australian Government Department of Defence, SCHWENK Zement, Friedhelm Loh Group, YAZAKI Europe Limited, Ekornes ASA, Baldor Electric, VSN Systemen BV, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, PLANSEE Group, TE Connectivity, Hansgrohe SE, Openmatics, University of Toronto

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Aurora Serverless vs. IBM Db2 Database

December 2025

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