This post is maintained by Bytebase, an open-source database governance platform that can manage MySQL hosted in any providers. We update the post every year.
This concise guide compares pricing across seven major MySQL hosting providers: AWS RDS, AWS Aurora, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database for MySQL, DigitalOcean, PlanetScale, and Aiven. Assuming you're familiar with these services, we'll focus on pricing structures, cost comparisons, and recommendations for different use cases.
Pricing Comparison Tables
Basic Monthly Pricing Comparison
| Provider | Entry-Level | Mid-Range | Enterprise-Level | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS RDS MySQL | $12.41 (db.t4g.micro: 2 vCPU, 1 GiB) | $99.28 (db.m6g.large: 2 vCPU, 8 GiB) | $794.24 (db.m6g.4xlarge: 16 vCPU, 64 GiB) | $200 credits (new accounts) |
| AWS Aurora MySQL | $59.86 (db.t4g.medium: 2 vCPU, 4 GiB) | $211.70 (db.r6g.large: 2 vCPU, 16 GiB) | $1,693.60 (db.r6g.4xlarge: 16 vCPU, 128 GiB) | $200 credits (new accounts) |
| Google Cloud SQL | $11.32 (db-f1-micro: 0.2 vCPU, 0.6 GiB) | $122.49 (db-n1-standard-2: 2 vCPU, 7.5 GiB) | $980.03 (db-n1-standard-16: 16 vCPU, 60 GiB) | Yes (90 days) |
| Azure MySQL | $14.60 (B1ms: 1 vCPU, 2 GiB) | $99.28 (GP_Gen5_4: 4 vCPU, 16 GiB) | $794.24 (GP_Gen5_32: 32 vCPU, 128 GiB) | Yes (12 months) |
| DigitalOcean | $15.15 (1 vCPU, 1 GiB) | $60.90 (2 vCPU, 4 GiB) | $244.35 (6 vCPU, 16 GiB) | No |
| Aiven | Free (2 vCPU, 1 GiB) | $110 (Startup tier: 2-4 vCPU, 4-8 GiB) | $435 (Premium tier: 4-8 vCPU, 16-32 GiB) | Yes |
| PlanetScale | $39 (1/8 vCPU, 1 GiB) - includes 1 primary and 2 replicas | $179 (1 vCPU, 8 GiB) - includes 1 primary and 2 replicas | $999 (8 vCPU, 32 GiB) - includes 1 primary and 2 replicas | No |
Entry-level options provide the most economical starting point, with Google Cloud SQL and AWS RDS offering the lowest prices. DigitalOcean, PlanetScale, and Aiven provide more predictable performance at this tier compared to the burstable instances from hyperscalers. Notably, Aiven offers a completely free tier suitable for development.
PlanetScale has a locally-attached NVMe offering which has a much better price to performance ratio, but we have chosen not to include it here as the specs aren't directly comparable to their network-attached storage product.
AWS Aurora is the most expensive option at every tier, while DigitalOcean stays the most economical as you scale. PlanetScale looks pricier at first glance, but its numbers include a 3-node HA cluster (1 primary + 2 replicas across 3 AZs); the hyperscaler numbers roughly double once you add HA.
Storage Pricing
| Provider | Storage Type | Price per GB-month | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS RDS MySQL | General Purpose SSD (gp3) | $0.115 | 3,000 IOPS baseline |
| AWS RDS MySQL | Provisioned IOPS SSD (io1) | $0.125 + $0.10/IOPS | Up to 256,000 IOPS |
| AWS Aurora MySQL | Aurora Storage | $0.10 | Auto-scaling, distributed |
| Google Cloud SQL | SSD | $0.17 | Scales with instance |
| Google Cloud SQL | HDD | $0.09 | Lower performance |
| Azure MySQL | General Purpose | $0.115 | Included IOPS based on size |
| Azure MySQL | Business Critical | $0.25 | Higher performance |
| DigitalOcean | SSD | Included in plan | Varies by plan |
| Aiven | SSD | Included in plan | Varies by plan |
| PlanetScale | General Purpose | $0.50 | Scales with instance |
| PlanetScale | NVMe | Included | Extreme performance; No IOPS limits |
Storage pricing varies significantly between unbundled (AWS, Google, Azure) and bundled (DigitalOcean, Aiven) approaches. For high-performance workloads, AWS's provisioned IOPS offers the most control but at premium pricing. Google Cloud SQL has the highest SSD pricing, while Aurora offers good value with its distributed storage system.
Network Transfer Pricing
| Provider | Inbound | Outbound (Same Region) | Outbound (Different Region) | Outbound to Internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS RDS/Aurora | Free | Free | $0.01-$0.02/GB | $0.09-$0.15/GB |
| Google Cloud SQL | Free | Free | $0.01-$0.08/GB | $0.08-$0.15/GB |
| Azure MySQL | Free | Free | $0.01-$0.05/GB | $0.05-$0.12/GB |
| DigitalOcean | Free | Free | N/A | $0.01/GB (after 1TB) |
| Aiven | Free | Free | Included | Included |
| PlanetScale | Free | Free | Included | Included |
Network transfer costs become significant for applications with heavy data movement, especially across regions or to the internet. DigitalOcean offers the most economical outbound internet transfer, while Aiven includes all network transfer in their base pricing, eliminating this variable cost component.
High Availability and Backup Pricing
| Provider | High Availability Setup | Backup Storage | Point-in-Time Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS RDS MySQL | 2x instance cost | Free up to 100% of DB storage | Included |
| AWS Aurora MySQL | Built-in (minimal additional cost) | Free up to 100% of DB storage | Included |
| Google Cloud SQL | 2x instance cost | 7 backups free, then $0.08/GB-month | Included |
| Azure MySQL | 1.5-2x instance cost | Included for 7-35 days based on tier | Included |
| DigitalOcean | Additional cost for standby nodes | Included in plan | Included |
| Aiven | Included in Business/Premium tiers | Included in plan | Included |
| PlanetScale | Included (1 primary + 2 replicas) | 2x daily backups included | Not available |
High availability configurations significantly impact total cost, effectively doubling the price for most providers except Aurora (which has built-in HA) and Aiven (which includes it in higher tiers). PlanetScale MySQL/Vitess clusters come with HA and 3 nodes by default. Backup costs are generally included with limitations, with Google Cloud SQL being the only provider to charge after a certain threshold.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Long-Term Commitments
| Provider | Commitment Options | Maximum Discount | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | 1-3 year Reserved Instances | 62% | Limited to specific instance |
| Google Cloud | 1-3 year Committed Use | 57% | Flexible across instance types |
| Azure | 1-3 year Reserved Capacity | 55% | Limited to specific instance |
| DigitalOcean | None | N/A | Pay-as-you-go only |
| Aiven | Annual commitments | Custom pricing | Limited flexibility |
| PlanetScale | Annual commitments | Discounts for consumption and AWS/GCP Marketplace | Custom |
For predictable, stable workloads, commitment-based discounts from major cloud providers offer substantial savings. AWS provides the highest potential discount but with less flexibility than Google's commitment model.
Serverless and Variable Workloads
| Provider | Serverless Option | Minimum Cost | Scaling Granularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Aurora | Aurora Serverless v2 | Pay per ACU-second | 0.5 ACU increments (scales to zero) |
| Azure | None (burstable tiers only) | Full instance cost | N/A |
| Google Cloud | None (only auto storage scaling) | Full instance cost | N/A |
| DigitalOcean | None | Full instance cost | N/A |
| Aiven | None | Full instance cost | N/A |
| PlanetScale | None | Full instance cost | N/A |
For variable or unpredictable workloads, AWS Aurora Serverless v2 offers the most mature consumption-based model, and it can now scale to zero during idle periods. For MySQL-compatible (not drop-in MySQL) serverless, TiDB Cloud is also worth a look.
Regional Availability and Data Residency
| Provider | Number of Regions | Data Residency Controls | Regional Pricing Variations |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS RDS/Aurora | 27+ regions | Strong | 10-30% variation |
| Google Cloud SQL | 24+ regions | Strong | 5-20% variation |
| Azure MySQL | 30+ regions | Strong | 5-25% variation |
| DigitalOcean | 8 regions | Limited | Uniform pricing |
| Aiven | 90+ regions (via cloud providers) | Strong | Uniform pricing |
| PlanetScale | 18 regions (via cloud providers) | Strong | 5-20% variation |
Regional availability directly impacts data sovereignty compliance. The hyperscalers offer the most comprehensive regional coverage, while Aiven leverages underlying cloud providers to offer the widest deployment options with consistent pricing across regions.
Conclusion
The MySQL hosting market in 2026 offers diverse pricing models catering to different priorities:
- AWS and Google Cloud provide granular control with complex pricing structures.
- Azure balances feature richness with moderate pricing complexity.
- DigitalOcean emphasizes simplicity and predictability at the expense of some flexibility.
- Aiven offers multi-cloud flexibility with straightforward pricing but at a premium for higher tiers.
- PlanetScale starts at a higher price, but includes high availability by default and offers better price to performance options with locally-attached NVMe.
References
Official Pricing Pages
- AWS RDS MySQL Pricing
- AWS Aurora Pricing
- Google Cloud SQL Pricing
- Azure Database for MySQL Pricing
- DigitalOcean Managed Databases Pricing
- Aiven MySQL Pricing
- PlanetScale Pricing
Cost Optimization Guides
- AWS RDS Cost Optimization
- Google Cloud SQL Cost Optimization
- Azure MySQL Cost Optimization
- Multi-Cloud Database Strategy Guide