Amazon RDS for SQL Server is a fully managed commercial database that simplifies SQL Server deployments in the cloud. Here’s how pricing for Amazon RDS for SQL Server works:

  • Amazon RDS for SQL Server is free to try up to 750 hours per month on select Single-AZ instance databases.
  • There is no minimum fee or commitment to get started with Amazon RDS for SQL Server. Pay for only what you use.
  • Amazon RDS for SQL Server pricing is available by the hour using On-Demand Instances or purchase Reserved Instances at a discounted rate.
  • Amazon RDS for SQL Server provides a selection of instance types optimized to fit different relational database use cases. See Previous Generation Instances for older instance types that are not listed here.
  • SQL Server licensing fees is included in the price of Amazon RDS for SQL Server.

Qualified customers may receive promotional credits, AWS Investment through AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP), unique SQL Server programs, or other discounts for Amazon RDS for SQL Server. Contact sales to learn about these programs and obtain a pricing quote. Your savings await.

 

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Licensing option

Amazon RDS for SQL Server is a License Included (LI) model only. Under the License Included model, pricing is inclusive of software, underlying hardware resources, and Amazon RDS management capabilities. SQL Server Database software has been licensed by AWS, so you do not need to purchase SQL Server licenses separately.

Amazon RDS for SQL Server supports Web, Express, Standard, and Enterprise licensing editions.

Pricing models

Amazon RDS for SQL Server has two pricing models: On-Demand Instances and Reserved Instances.

Single-AZ and Multi-AZ deployments are offered for both pricing models. Pricing is at the per DB instance-hour consumed. Note, partial DB instance-hours are billed in one-second increments with a 10-minute minimum charge following a billable status change (e.g., create, start, or modify the DB instance class).

On-Demand and Reserved Instances are available across all License Included options: Web, Express, Standard, and Enterprise.

  • The following tables show Amazon RDS for SQL Server price per hour for Single-AZ vs Multi-AZ by Region for the latest instance types and licensing edition.

    • Express (Single-AZ)
    • Web (Single-AZ)
    • Standard (Single-AZ)
    • Standard (Multi-AZ)

    • When you run your DB instance as a Multi-AZ deployment for enhanced data durability and availability, Amazon RDS for SQL Server provisions and maintains a standby in a different Availability Zone for automatic failover in the event of a scheduled or unplanned outage. Learn more about Multi-AZ deployments.

    • Enterprise (Single-AZ)
    • Enterprise (Multi-AZ)

    • When you run your DB instance as a Multi-AZ deployment for enhanced data durability and availability, Amazon RDS for SQL Server provisions and maintains a standby in a different Availability Zone for automatic failover in the event of a scheduled or unplanned outage. Learn more about Multi-AZ deployments.

    T3 CPU Credits

    Amazon RDS for SQL Serever T3 DB instances run in Unlimited mode, which means that you will be charged if your average CPU utilization over a rolling 24-hour period exceeds the baseline of the instance. CPU Credits are charged at $0.144 per vCPU-Hour. The CPU Credit pricing is the same for all T3 instance sizes across all Regions and is not covered by Reserved Instances.

  • The following tables show the price per hour for Single-AZ vs. Multi-AZ by Region for the latest instance types and licensing edition.

    * This is the average monthly payment over the course of the Reserved Instance term. For each month, the actual monthly payment will equal the actual number of hours in that month multiplied by the hourly usage rate or number of seconds in that month multiplied by the hourly usage rate divided by 3600, depending on the Amazon RDS for SQL Server instance type you run. The hourly usage rate is equivalent to the total average monthly payments over the term of the Reserved Instance divided by the total number of hours (based on a 365 day year) over the term of the Reserved Instance.

    ** Effective hourly pricing helps you calculate the amount of money a Reserved Instance will save you over on-demand pricing. When you purchase a Reserved Instance, you are billed for every hour during the entire Reserved Instance term you select, regardless of whether the instance is running. The effective hourly price shows the amortized hourly instance cost. This takes the total cost of the Reserved Instance over the entire term, including any upfront payment, and spreads it out over each hour of the Reserved Instance term.

Database storage costs

For each DB instance class, Amazon RDS for SQL Server provides you the ability to select up to 16 TB of associated storage capacity for your primary data set.

    • Single-AZ Deployment

    • The pricing below applies to a DB instance deployed in a Single Availability Zone.

    • Multi-AZ Deployment (one standby)

    • When you run your DB instance as a Multi-AZ deployment for enhanced data durability and availability, Amazon RDS for SQL Server provisions and maintains a standby in a different Availability Zone for automatic failover in the event of planned or unplanned outages. Learn more about Multi-AZ deployments.

    • Single-AZ Deployment
    • Multi-AZ Deployment (one standby)

    • When you run your DB instance as a Multi-AZ deployment for enhanced data durability and availability, Amazon RDS for SQL Server provisions and maintains a standby in a different Availability Zone for automatic failover in the event of planned or unplanned outages. Learn more about Multi-AZ deployments.

    • Single-AZ Deployment
    • Multi-AZ Deployment

    • When you run your DB instance as a Multi-AZ deployment for enhanced data durability and availability, Amazon RDS for SQL Server provisions and maintains a standby in a different Availability Zone for automatic failover in the event of planned or unplanned outages. Learn more about Multi-AZ deployments.

Backup storage costs

Data transfer costs

AWS customers receive free data transfer ‘in’ to Amazon RDS for SQL Server from the Internet, and up to 100 GB of free data transfer ‘out’ from Amazon RDS SQL Server to the Internet each month (in aggregate across all AWS Services and Regions, except China and GovCloud).

  • The pricing below is based on data transferred “in” and “out” of Amazon RDS SQL Server.

Visit the main Amazon RDS page for additional transfer fees and terms. 

FAQs

How much does Amazon RDS for SQL Server cost per month?

The monthly cost varies on a case by case basis. To help estimate your cost, use the pricing calculator to get a rough estimate by simply entering your Region, instance type, licensing edition, and storage needs.

For a more customized pricing quote, please contact an AWS database specialist for assistance. Our AWS database specialists can assist with cost optimization opportunities based on proven best practices, as well as eligibility for additional promotional credits, SQL Server programs, or other discounts.

How am I charged for Amazon RDS SQL Server?

Instance pricing is calculated from the time the instance is created to the time the instance is deleted. Instances are billed in one second increments with a 10 minute minimum charge (following a billable status change such as creating, modifying, or deleting an instance. View RI billing in the AWS Console.

For example:

  • If you create an r5.large instance at 1:00:00 PM, modify the instance to an r5.xlarge at 1:30:00 PM and delete the instance at 1:50:00 PM, you will be charged for 1,800 seconds (30 minutes) at r5.large pricing and 1,200 seconds (20 minutes) at r5.xlarge prices.
  • If you create an r5.large instance at 3:00:00 PM and delete it at 3:06:00PM, the 10 minute minimum applies, and you will be charged for 600 seconds (10 minutes) at r5.large pricing.

Do I need to pay for licenses separately?

There is no need to pay for licenses separately. The Amazon RDS for SQL Server price includes the software license, underlying hardware resources, and Amazon RDS management capabilities.

Do Amazon RDS for SQL Server prices include taxes?

Except as otherwise noted, Amazon RDS for SQL Server prices are exclusive of applicable taxes and duties, including VAT and applicable sales tax. For customers with a Japanese billing address, use of AWS is subject to Japanese Consumption Tax.

How can I reduce my Amazon RDS for SQL Server cost?

To lower your monthly Amazon RDS for SQL Server costs, there are several options you can explore, including optimization and rightsizing your instances, evaluating your licensing edition (Standard vs Enterprise), and leveraging Reserved Instances for predictable production workloads. You may also be eligible for additional discounts and promotional credit. For further inquiry, please contact your account team or customer support team who can help you optimize your database cost and performance.

Can I modify my Reserved Instance terms after purchasing?

No, modifications of Reserved Instance terms cannot be made in Amazon RDS for SQL Server after purchasing. You cannot change Region, DB Engine, DB Edition, DB Instance Class, Deployment Type and term length after you purchase your Reserved Instances. See more details on the Reserved Instance page.

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