Amazon RDS vs IBM Db2 on Cloud comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while IBM is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 14.8% mindshare in DS, compared to IBM’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Amazon RDS

Read 58 Amazon RDS reviews

3,594 Views
3,486 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 on Cloud

Read 2 IBM Db2 on Cloud reviews

359 Views
359 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Amazon RDS

IBM Db2 on Cloud

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

Amazon RDS and IBM Db2 on Cloud are two formidable database management solutions. IBM Db2 on Cloud seems to have the upper hand due to its superior analytics and flexibility, according to user feedback.

Features: Amazon RDS is praised for its reliability, ease of use, and integration with other AWS services. IBM Db2 on Cloud is noted for its performance, flexibility, and advanced analytics capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Users suggest Amazon RDS could improve in areas like enhanced support for databases, better performance optimization, and more robust analytics features. For IBM Db2 on Cloud, users highlight the need for a more straightforward learning curve, better integration with third-party tools, and simplified deployment processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Amazon RDS is noted for its straightforward deployment process and supportive customer service. IBM Db2 on Cloud provides a reliable deployment experience but faces criticism for its complexity. IBM is appreciated for its responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: Amazon RDS is seen as cost-effective, offering good ROI with lower upfront setup costs. IBM Db2 on Cloud, while more expensive, delivers a strong ROI due to its powerful features. Users recognize the value in both but justify IBM Db2 on Cloud's higher cost due to its capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon RDS vs. IBM Db2 on Cloud Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon RDS vs. IBM Db2 on Cloud

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 RDS

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Relational Databases Tools (9th)

IBM Db2 on Cloud

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

13th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Amazon RDS is 14.8%, down from 25.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Db2 on Cloud is 2.1%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Amazon RDS	14.8%
IBM Db2 on Cloud	2.1%
Other	83.1%

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2592669

Director Software Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

Positive experiences with database services, with minor room for feature enhancements observed

I don't really see any disadvantages of Amazon RDS. With Oracle, I think AWS doesn't provide the RAC stability. If you have Oracle installed in your own data centers, you can set up various clusters and we can set up the RACs, but in Amazon RDS, we cannot have the RAC feature of Oracle. They could add that feature. Amazon RDS has limitations regarding RAC. If we talk about installing Oracle in RDS, we cannot have the RAC, but if you deploy Oracle on GCP, then there is probably the RAC feature available. I observed that around two or three years back, but I'm not sure whether they have added the RAC feature in AWS. Amazon RDS is expensive compared to GCP. GCP also has the same features, and although it is quite extensive and feature-rich, I see Amazon RDS as slightly expensive compared to other clouds.

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FarhanFarhan

Database Engineer at Meezan Bank

Multi-node architecture and it is good from a security point of view

I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. Most of the issues we faced during troubleshooting were due to specific bugs in the environment, and the only solution was to upgrade the database environment or services. But it is not easy to upgrade the database level when third-party applications are involved, as they are not always comfortable with upgrading. There should be some cumulative solution provided by IBM for their customers, just like other vendors. Upgrading to a certain version doesn't always resolve the issue. It might get resolved at the database level, but what about the other applications integrated with that database that are only compatible with older versions?

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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

"I found it to be a stable solution."

"Aurora, the RDS product, is excellent."

"The product's most valuable features are option groups, S3 integration, automated and scheduled snapshots, and cross-region replication."

"It makes it easy to administer the database. It helps to scale your database by providing Read Replicas, which reduce transaction time. It is highly available and durable which helps in disaster recovery and management."

"It significantly reduces database management overhead."

"Amazon RDS provides data encryption using services like KMS, crucial for securing high-sensitive data and meeting compliance requirements such as HIPAA or PCI DSS."

"One of the most valuable features is that it is serverless, so we don't have to worry about scaling."

"The most valuable aspect of Amazon RDS is it is on the cloud."

More Amazon RDS pros

"Multiple business departments rely on reports and predictive analysis to make decisions for future business based on their data warehouse and Db2 network analytics tool. It helps our business department make decisions."

"The reliability is the most valuable feature. It is also user-friendly."

Cons

"Amazon RDS could improve by having more sophisticated. I use other solutions that have better technology for more difficult tasks."

"Amazon cannot guarantee the stability of some extensions, and there is a need for different extensions to meet PCI requirements."

"The support team of Amazon RDS provides us with some links to go through whenever we face some issues, but it doesn't work for us."

"A lot of the features are disabled by default. The solution should enable more features. I understand this could cause challenges to management for many clients using RDS, however."

"Technical support could be better."

"Sometimes the interface has many moving parts, which is a concern."

"Amazon has a policy of automatically restarting the server every seven days."

"When you are using it for the first time, it is a little bit hard to configure. The first-time configuration is not very easy. It should be easier to configure. Its installation should also be simpler. Currently, its installation is very complex. With SQL Server, we have access to the SQL Server analysis services and reporting services, but such services are not available with Amazon RDS."

More Amazon RDS cons

"I would give their support a ten if they had more tutorials available."

"In other environments like Oracle or Teradata, they provide their own solutions for troubleshooting issues. They provide built-in AI services or autonomous databases, which I don't see in the Db2 environment."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Amazon RDS is expensive."

"if you don't know how to optimize and use your tool properly, the cost might hurt you."

"The cost of using this solution is similar to that of having your own data center."

"The platform pricing is on the higher side, but given its capabilities and ease of use, it remains competitive."

"The substantial initial credit and cost-effectiveness make Amazon an attractive option."

"It is less expensive than SQL Server. We pay based on the usage on a monthly basis."

"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."

"The solution's price is good."

More Amazon RDS pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

University

Manufacturing Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	22
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	23

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Amazon RDS?

The product's installation phase is easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon RDS?

The pricing for Amazon RDS is reasonable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Amazon RDS?

Currently, I cannot think of any major improvements. Perhaps more platforms in terms of database engine versions would be beneficial. Right now, Amazon RDS supports MySQL and PostgreSQL, but there ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Db2 on Cloud?

In other environments like Oracle or Teradata, they provide their own solutions for troubleshooting issues. They provide built-in AI services or autonomous databases, which I don't see in the Db2 e...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering IBM Db2 on Cloud?

Since I have worked with almost every product, including IBM, Teradata is far better than any other data warehouse product. It's a separate database with its own features, architecture, and working...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Db2 on Cloud?

It's a multi-node logical database clustered in three physical nodes. We use a lot of services already provided in our private cloud environment. It's a multi-node architecture.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 20% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Amazon RDS

Compared 13% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Amazon RDS

Compared 12% of the time

Redis vs Amazon RDS

Compared 3% of the time

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Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs IBM Db2 on Cloud

Compared 32% of the time

Google Cloud SQL vs IBM Db2 on Cloud

Compared 26% of the time

More IBM Db2 on Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Amazon RDS

January 2026

Download Amazon RDS product report

Buyer's Guide

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

January 2026

Download IBM Db2 on Cloud product report

Also Known As

RDS

No data available

Overview

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) is a web service that makes it easier to set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud. It provides cost-efficient, resizeable capacity for an industry-standard relational database and manages common database administration tasks.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

A fully-managed cloud SQL database. Powered by a turbo-charged Db2 engine.

IBM

Sample Customers

Edmodo

Owens-Illinois, KONE Corp., Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue, Canon Europe, Delhaize America, Wimbledon

Buyer's Guide

Amazon RDS vs. IBM Db2 on Cloud

December 2025

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