Serverless Database Costs: AWS DynamoDB vs Azure Cosmos DB
Are you tired of managing database servers? Do you want to focus on developing applications without worrying about infrastructure? Well, you're in luck because serverless databases are here to help. With serverless databases, you don't have to worry about scaling, maintenance, or uptime. In this blog post, we compare two popular serverless databases: AWS DynamoDB and Azure Cosmos DB.
AWS DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service that provides fast and predictable performance with seamless scalability. DynamoDB is a serverless database that automatically scales storage and throughput capacity to meet your application demands. DynamoDB ensures low latency by distributing data across multiple availability zones.
Costing
DynamoDB charges for provisioned throughput capacity, indexed data storage, and backup storage. DynamoDB supports two types of read/write capacity modes: On-Demand and Provisioned.
- On-Demand Capacity mode: You only pay for the read/write request units that you consume. The cost per RCU (Read Capacity Unit) is $0.00013 and for WCU (Write Capacity Unit) is $0.00065.
- Provisioned Capacity mode: You reserve capacity in advance and pay a fixed hourly rate based on the provisioned capacity. The cost is $0.00065 per hour per RCU and $0.00013 per hour per WCU.
Performance
DynamoDB provides predictable performance at any scale. However, the performance may vary based on your access pattern, partition key selection, and data size. DynamoDB guarantees a read and write latency of under 10 milliseconds.
Scalability
DynamoDB is highly scalable and can handle any amount of data and traffic. You can increase or decrease the throughput capacity with a few clicks in the AWS Management Console or API.
Azure Cosmos DB
Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database service that enables you to manage and scale your data across multiple regions with a single click. Cosmos DB supports multiple data models like document, key-value, graph, and column-family. Cosmos DB is a serverless database that automatically scales storage and throughput capacity to meet your application demands.
Costing
Cosmos DB charges for provisioned throughput capacity and storage capacity. Cosmos DB supports four types of throughput capacity: Manual, Autoscale, Provisioned, and Serverless.
- Manual or Provisioned throughput: You reserve capacity in advance and pay a fixed hourly rate based on the provisioned capacity. The cost is $0.01 per hour per 100 RU/s (Request Units per second) reserved capacity.
- Autoscale: You set the maximum throughput and Cosmos DB automatically scales up or down to meet the demand. You only pay for the actual throughput consumed. The cost is $0.008 per RU/s per month.
- Serverless: You don't have to provision any capacity in advance. Cosmos DB automatically scales up or down based on your usage. The cost is $0.016 per RU/s per hour.
Performance
Cosmos DB provides low latency and high throughput at any scale. Cosmos DB guarantees a read and write latency of less than 10 milliseconds at the 99th percentile.
Scalability
Cosmos DB is highly scalable and can handle any amount of data and traffic. You can increase or decrease the throughput capacity with a few clicks in the Azure portal or API.
Conclusion
Both AWS DynamoDB and Azure Cosmos DB are excellent serverless databases that provide fast and predictable performance, seamless scalability, and low maintenance. The choice between these two services depends on your specific use case, access patterns, data complexity, and budget. If you're an AWS customer and looking for a NoSQL database service, DynamoDB is the way to go. On the other hand, if you're an Azure customer and want a globally distributed database service, Cosmos DB is the way to go.
We hope this comparison helped you make an informed decision about choosing the right serverless database.