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 #6 with an average rating of 8.3. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 0.4% mindshare in SQL, compared to IBM’s 7.5% 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

199 Views
193 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Read 75 IBM Db2 Database reviews

4,188 Views
4,020 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Amazon Aurora Serverless

IBM Db2 Database

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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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: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Aurora Serverless vs. IBM Db2 Database

September 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

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Amazon Aurora Serverless is 0.4%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 7.5%, up 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	7.5%
Amazon Aurora Serverless	0.4%
Other	92.1%

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.

Read full review

Michael Raz

Consultant at Discount Bank

Efficient access path optimization and performance excellence with helpful support

IBM Db2 for zOS serves as the central database for all the core business applications in the two banks I work with. All applications use Db2 as a data server. We fully implement and utilize most of Db2's functionalities and capabilities for core banking business applications IBM Db2 has…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

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

"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."

"As part of your licensing with IBM, you get access to their case system, which lets you raise incidents related to software or hardware. This system is helpful for problem determination and quickly identifying issues."

"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."

"The solution's initial setup is straightforward."

"The most valuable feature of IBM Db2 Database is its ability to perform automatic self-management, reducing the need for manual tasks such as managing logs and folders."

"The most valuable features are with the industrial side."

"The solution has very good data compression of up to 50%. For example, if you have 50 terabytes of data, it can be reduced to 25 terabytes."

"The scalability and availability of this solution are the most valuable features."

"The structure is straightforward, consisting of the test file and the logical and physical files. You have one physical file and many logical files related to it."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

Cons

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

"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."

"The solution no longer supports POWER8."

"I would like to see some artificial intelligence brought into the solution."

"IBM Db2 Database is not ACID compliant, which would improve it. Db2 lacks Isolation, so when two people are trying to update the same field at the same time it can become stuck. Other newer databases do not have this issue, such as Microsoft SQL, Oracle DB, PostgreSQL, and SAP HANA."

"The solution's data retrieval speed could be improved, especially for heavy queries. Better optimization or indexing might also be involved."

"The backup solution lacks flexibility."

"GUI needs improvement."

"The user interface is old and needs to be improved."

"The product needs to improve its configuration and storage."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"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."

"Clients are required to purchase a license."

"We did not buy it. It came with our hardware without any complimentary maintenance. If I compare Db2 Database with Oracle Database, its price is lower than Oracle Database."

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

"We normally handle large size businesses and as far as I am aware, the license is negotiable based on the number of users and the quantitative data."

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Financial Services Firm

20%

Manufacturing Company

10%

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

Citus Data vs Amazon Aurora Serverless

Compared 100% of the time

More Amazon Aurora Serverless Competitors

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 36% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 19% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 13% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 13% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

August 2025

Download Amazon Aurora Serverless product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

September 2025

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

September 2025

Free Report: Amazon Aurora Serverless vs. IBM Db2 Database

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