AWS RDS Pricing 2026: MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server Costs
AWS RDS pricing in 2026 varies based on the database engine you choose. This guide compares cost factors for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server-including instance types, storage, backup, and licensing-to help estimate monthly spending accurately.
AWS RDS Pricing 2026: MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server Costs
Table of Contents
- AWS RDS Pricing Basics: What Drives the Costs?
- MySQL Pricing in 2026: Affordable and Scalable
- PostgreSQL Pricing Breakdown: Robust for Analytics
- SQL Server Costs Explained: Enterprise-Grade with Licensing
- 2026 price comparison: MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server
- Storage, Backups, and Hidden Fees to Watch
- Cost Optimization Strategies for 2026
- Ready to Build Your Custom RDS Setup?
- Conclusion: Navigate 2026 with Confidence
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Last price review: 13 August 2026
Pricing methodology: AWS public Price List data checked on 13 August 2026. AWS can change prices; verify the configuration in the AWS Pricing Calculator before purchase.
Amazon RDS does not have one fixed monthly price. Your bill depends on the database engine, AWS Region, instance class, deployment type, storage, backup usage, I/O, and data transfer. In current on-demand examples, MySQL and PostgreSQL have similar compute prices because no commercial database licence is required. SQL Server can cost substantially more when its licence is included.
For a Single-AZ database running 730 hours with 100 GB of gp3 storage:
-US East (N. Virginia): about $23.18/month for MySQL or PostgreSQL on `db.t4g.micro`, $27.56/month for SQL Server Express on `db.t3.micro`, or $724.71/month for SQL Server Standard on `db.m6i.large`.
- Asia Pacific (Mumbai): about $28.43/month for MySQL or PostgreSQL on `db.t4g.micro`, $34.27/month for SQL Server Express on `db.t3.micro`, or $800.04/month for SQL Server Standard on `db.m6i.large`.
These examples exclude taxes, support, paid backup storage, extra IOPS or throughput, data transfer, monitoring, burst CPU credits, and Multi-AZ resources. They are planning examples—not quotes.
With the entry into 2026, cloud databases will be valuable in the efficient management of business as it expands its operations. The AWS RDS Pricing Guide 2026 provides a precise roadmap to the familiar engines, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server, and allows you to balance the performance and costs without any unexpected costs. Planning a new application or fine-tuning existing environments, you will know these expenses and make your investments in AWS pay off. At BM Info Trade Pvt. Ltd., we are experts in discussing companies using cloud strategy, and the guide relies on the new changes at AWS to facilitate it.
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AWS RDS Pricing Basics: What Drives the Costs?
AWS Relational Database Service (RDS) is billed through compute (instance hours), storage, backups, and data transfers. On-Demand prices are flexible, no commitments, pay as you use, whereas Reserved instances can have up to 70% in terms of savings on predictable workloads. All here are US East (N. Virginia) region, Single-AZ unless indicated, and 2026 on-demand values.
Key factors include:
● Database engine: Open-source engines, such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, are less expensive; licensed engines, such as SQL Server, have an added fee.
● Type of instance: Light loads: burstable (t4g), general-purpose (m5).
● Deployment: Multi-AZ is multiplied in case of high availability.
● Storage: The General Purpose SSD begins with a price of $0.115/GB-month.
The first 100 GB/month is free when making a backup, and the charge is $0.09/GB when transferring data out.
MySQL Pricing in 2026: Affordable and Scalable
MySQL is still a favorite in web applications and e-commerce, because it is open source, and its entry costs are minimal. The AWS RDS Pricing Guide 2026 promises to give you direct hourly fees that increase accordingly to your requirements.
Here's a snapshot of popular instance types:
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory(GiB) | Single-AZ Hourly | Multi-AZ Hourly |
| db.t4g.micro | 2 | 1 | $0.016 | $0.032 |
| db.m5.large | 2 | 8 | $0.171 | $0.342 |
In a small dev environment (db.t4g.micro with 24/7), it is approximately 11.50/month. The increase in workloads can be upgraded to m5 without giving the bank a good beating.
PostgreSQL Pricing Breakdown: Robust for Analytics
PostgreSQL is very good in data-intensive applications such as analytics and GIS, with support for JSON and also with powerful querying. The AWS RDS Pricing Guide 2026 represents the costs associated with MySQL as reflections of the open-source engines and makes the prices of these engines competitive.
Quick pricing table:
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Single-AZ Hourly | Multi-AZ Hourly |
| db.t4g.micro | 2 | 1 | $0.016 | $0.032 |
| db.m5.large | 2 | 8 | $0.192 | $0.384 |
Single-AZ is about to pay about $140/month on a medium setup (db.m5.large). Include automatic backups at no cost to ensure data security without any difficulties.
SQL Server Costs Explained: Enterprise-Grade with Licensing
In the case of Windows ecosystems and intricate transactions, SQL Server Costs in RDS have Microsoft licensing, which is more expensive but rich in features. The AWS RDS Pricing Guide 2026 brings out the possibilities (such as Express (free with option of tier-1) to Enterprise.
Example rates (License Included):
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Single-AZ Hourly | Multi-AZ Hourly |
| db.t3.micro | 2 | 1 | $0.034 | $0.068 |
| db.m5.large | 2 | 8 | $0.977 | $1.954 |
Note: Free Tier on SQL Server Express will cease on new accounts after July 2026 and promote paid options. A production db.m5.large may cost $700+/month, which may be suitable in apps with compliance-intensive heavy usage.
2026 price comparison: MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server
The table below uses on-demand, Single-AZ rates and 730 hours per month. The larger open-source comparison uses current-generation Graviton `db.m7g.large`. SQL Server Standard uses a bundled, licence-included `db.m6i.large` example so the commercial licence cost is represented.
| Engine and instance | US East hourly | US East compute/month | Mumbai hourly | Mumbai compute/month |
| MySQL `db.t4g.micro` | $0.016 | $11.68 | $0.021 | $15.33 |
| PostgreSQL `db.t4g.micro` | $0.016 | $11.68 | $0.021 | $15.33 |
| MySQL `db.m7g.large` | $0.168 | $122.64 | $0.239 | $174.47 |
| PostgreSQL `db.m7g.large` | $0.168 | $122.64 | $0.240 | $175.20 |
| SQL Server Express `db.t3.micro`, licence included | $0.022 | $16.06 | $0.029 | $21.17 |
| SQL Server Standard `db.m6i.large`, licence included | $0.977 | $713.21 | $1.078 | $786.94 |
gp3 storage used in the examples: $0.115 per GB-month in US East and $0.131 per GB-month in Mumbai. Therefore, 100 GB adds $11.50 or $13.10 per month respectively.
Storage, Backups, and Hidden Fees to Watch
In addition to instances, storage costs for SSD are 0.115/GB-month (to 64 TB). I/O requests would cost Provisioned IOPS an additional $0.20/million. AWS data transfer is free, but to the internet, it begins at $0.09/GB.
Pro tip: AWS Cost Explorer helps to monitor usage and allocate budget before over-provisioning the instance by scaling instances up each quarter.
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Cost Optimization Strategies for 2026
To maximize savings:
1. Right-size instances: Start small, monitor using CloudWatch, and scale.
2. Reserved Instances: 40-70% off 1- or 3-year lock-in.
3. Multi-AZ prudently: Just in the cases of production that require 99.99% availability.
4. Free Tier benefits: New accounts will receive 750 hours/month of micro instances of MySQL or PostgreSQL.
Such optimizations would save 30 per cent or more of bills.
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Conclusion: Navigate 2026 with Confidence
AWS RDS Pricing Guide in 2026 gives you the liberty to select MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server Costs to meet your objectives. With the attention to usage trends and AWS tools, you will roll out dependable databases without unnecessary costs. Get a helping hand on board. Partner with BM Infotrade Pvt. Ltd. and optimize your cloud journey.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How much does AWS RDS cost per month in 2026?
It depends on the engine, Region, instance, storage, availability design, and usage. A verified Single-AZ example with 100 GB gp3 storage starts around $23.18/month for MySQL or PostgreSQL `db.t4g.micro` in US East. Production configurations can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per month.
2. Is RDS for PostgreSQL more expensive than RDS for MySQL?
Not always. In the checked US East examples, the selected MySQL and PostgreSQL instances had the same on-demand rates. In Mumbai, `db.m7g.large` PostgreSQL was $0.001/hour more than MySQL. Workload efficiency and migration requirements matter more than this small difference.
3. Why is RDS for SQL Server more expensive?
Licence-included SQL Server pricing includes Microsoft database licensing in addition to AWS infrastructure. Edition and licensing model materially affect the price. SQL Server Express is inexpensive but has feature and resource limits; Standard and Enterprise are intended for more demanding workloads.
4. Does Multi-AZ double the RDS price?
A one-standby Multi-AZ design adds another database instance and corresponding infrastructure, so compute is commonly close to twice the Single-AZ compute rate. The final bill is not always exactly double because storage, I/O, backup, transfer, and three-instance Multi-AZ clusters follow their own pricing rules.
5. How much does RDS gp3 storage cost?
At the 13 August 2026 price check, Single-AZ gp3 storage for the covered engines was $0.115 per GB-month in US East and $0.131 per GB-month in Mumbai. Extra provisioned IOPS or throughput can add charges. Verify the live rate for the chosen Region.
6. Does a Reserved DB Instance reduce every RDS charge?
No. A Reserved DB Instance discounts eligible instance usage. AWS documentation states that storage, backup, and I/O costs are not covered by the reservation.
7. What is the best way to estimate RDS pricing accurately?
Start with the AWS Pricing Calculator, enter the exact Region and architecture, then compare the estimate with real CloudWatch and Cost Explorer data after deployment. Recalculate when the workload, availability design, or retention policy changes.
Methodology and sources
Rates in this article were retrieved on 13 August 2026 from the AWS public Price List offer files for Amazon RDS in US East (N. Virginia) and Asia Pacific (Mumbai). Monthly compute uses **730 hours**. Totals are in USD and exclude taxes and charges not explicitly stated.
Primary sources:
- [Amazon RDS for MySQL pricing](https://aws.amazon.com/rds/mysql/pricing/)
- [Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL pricing](https://aws.amazon.com/rds/postgresql/pricing/)
- [Amazon RDS for SQL Server pricing](https://aws.amazon.com/rds/sqlserver/pricing/)
- [AWS Pricing Calculator](https://calculator.aws/)
- [Amazon RDS Reserved DB Instances documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_WorkingWithReservedDBInstances.html)
- [Amazon RDS Multi-AZ documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/Concepts.MultiAZ.html)
- [AWS Free Tier](https://aws.amazon.com/free/)
Correction policy: If a reader finds a price or technical statement that no longer matches an official AWS source, BM Infotrade should verify it, update the article, and record the new review date.
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Anshul Goyal
Group BDM at B M Infotrade | 11+ years Experience | Business Consultancy | Providing solutions in Cyber Security, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, Digitization, Data and AI | IT Sales Leader