Cloud MySQL: RDS vs Aurora vs Cloud SQL

Managed MySQL Is Not All the Same

Migrating to the cloud means choosing a managed MySQL service, and the differences between AWS RDS, Aurora, and GCP Cloud SQL are significant enough to affect your architecture, performance, and costs in material ways.

AWS RDS MySQL

RDS MySQL is the closest to running your own MySQL. You get familiar parameter groups, standard replication, and predictable behavior. It is the right choice when you want cloud convenience with MySQL compatibility and full control over configuration.

Aurora MySQL

Aurora rewrites the storage layer and offers impressive read scaling and failover speeds. However, it introduces behavioral differences in transaction isolation, temporary table handling, and replication lag visibility that can surprise teams migrating from standard MySQL.

GCP Cloud SQL

Cloud SQL offers strong integration with the Google ecosystem and competitive pricing. Its HA implementation uses regional persistent disks rather than replication, which affects RPO and failover characteristics differently than RDS or Aurora.

The right choice depends on your specific workload profile, existing cloud investments, and operational requirements. We help clients evaluate these tradeoffs with real benchmark data.