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Key takeaways
1
Amazon RDS Free Tier benefits depend on your AWS account model. Either the legacy 12-month Free Tier or the Free/Paid account plans introduced on July 15, 2025.
2
Only eligible database engines, configurations, and usage qualify. Features like Multi-AZ, additional storage, and optional services can incur charges immediately.
3
New AWS accounts receive promotional credits that can be applied to eligible Amazon RDS and Amazon Aurora usage.
4
Review your workload before Free Tier benefits or promotional credits end to avoid unexpected charges.
The Amazon RDS Free Tier helps eligible AWS customers get started with managed relational databases at little or no cost. However, what’s covered depends on your AWS account’s Free Tier model, database configuration, and whether your usage stays within the applicable limits.
This guide explains who qualifies for the Amazon RDS Free Tier, what’s included, what isn’t, and how to avoid unexpected charges as your database usage grows.
This guide explains who qualifies for the Amazon RDS Free Tier, what’s included, what isn’t, and how to avoid unexpected charges as your database usage grows.
Which AWS RDS Free Tier Applies to You?
The Amazon RDS Free Tier available to you depends primarily on when your AWS account was created.
| AWS account | Amazon RDS Free Tier |
|---|---|
| Created before July 15, 2025 | Traditional 12-month Free Tier with monthly usage allowances for eligible Amazon RDS resources. |
| Created on or after July 15, 2025 | Choose between a Free account plan and Paid account plan, both of which include promotional AWS credits for eligible AWS services, including Amazon RDS. |
Under the traditional 12-month Free Tier, eligible Amazon RDS resources are covered through fixed monthly usage allowances. As long as your deployment stays within those limits, eligible compute, storage, and backup usage generally won’t incur additional charges.
For newer AWS accounts, eligible Amazon RDS charges consume promotional AWS credits instead of monthly resource allowances.
Before launching an Amazon RDS instance, verify which Free Tier model applies to your account and review the latest AWS Free Tier documentation. Review the latest AWS Free Tier page.
For newer AWS accounts, eligible Amazon RDS charges consume promotional AWS credits instead of monthly resource allowances.
Before launching an Amazon RDS instance, verify which Free Tier model applies to your account and review the latest AWS Free Tier documentation. Review the latest AWS Free Tier page.
What Does the Amazon RDS Free Tier Include?
The Amazon RDS Free Tier benefits available to you depend on your AWS account’s Free Tier model. Accounts using the traditional 12-month Free Tier receive fixed monthly usage allowances, while accounts using AWS’s newer account plans use promotional AWS credits for eligible Amazon RDS charges.
Regardless of the model, only eligible Amazon RDS resources qualify. Unsupported configurations or usage beyond the applicable limits are billed at standard Amazon RDS pricing.
For AWS accounts created before July 15, 2025, the traditional Amazon RDS Free Tier includes the following monthly benefits for the first 12 months after account creation:
Regardless of the model, only eligible Amazon RDS resources qualify. Unsupported configurations or usage beyond the applicable limits are billed at standard Amazon RDS pricing.
For AWS accounts created before July 15, 2025, the traditional Amazon RDS Free Tier includes the following monthly benefits for the first 12 months after account creation:
| Resource | Free Tier allowance |
|---|---|
| DB instance usage | Up to 750 hours of eligible micro DB instance usage per month |
| Database storage | Up to 20 GB of General Purpose SSD (gp2) storage |
| Automated backup storage | Up to 20 GB of automated backup storage |
Note:
The traditional Free Tier documentation references 20 GB of General Purpose SSD (gp2) storage. AWS now recommends gp3 for most new Amazon RDS deployments. Always verify the latest Free Tier eligibility and supported storage types before creating a database.
These limits are intended for learning, development, testing, and proof-of-concept workloads rather than production deployments.
For AWS accounts created on or after July 15, 2025, eligible Amazon RDS usage consumes promotional AWS credits instead of monthly resource allowances. The amount of free usage depends on your database configuration, AWS Region, and remaining promotional credit balance.
Also read: RDS vs Self-Managed Database on EC2
For AWS accounts created on or after July 15, 2025, eligible Amazon RDS usage consumes promotional AWS credits instead of monthly resource allowances. The amount of free usage depends on your database configuration, AWS Region, and remaining promotional credit balance.
Also read: RDS vs Self-Managed Database on EC2
Which Amazon RDS Database Engines Are Eligible?
Under the traditional 12-month Amazon RDS Free Tier, eligible database engines include:
Always review the latest Amazon RDS pricing and AWS Free Tier documentation before launching a database, as supported engines and Free Tier benefits may change over time.
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- MariaDB
- Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition
Always review the latest Amazon RDS pricing and AWS Free Tier documentation before launching a database, as supported engines and Free Tier benefits may change over time.
Does the Free Tier Cover Multiple Databases?
Yes, but the limits are shared across your AWS account, not applied to each database individually.
For example, under the traditional 12-month Free Tier, the 750 instance hours per month are shared across all eligible Amazon RDS instances.
For example, under the traditional 12-month Free Tier, the 750 instance hours per month are shared across all eligible Amazon RDS instances.
- Running one eligible DB instance continuously for a month generally stays within the allowance.
- Running multiple eligible instances at the same time consumes the shared limit more quickly.
FinOps Tip:
If multiple developers need separate databases, monitor aggregate instance hours, storage, and backup usage to avoid exceeding the shared Free Tier limits.
What Isn't Included in the Amazon RDS Free Tier?
The traditional 12-month Amazon RDS Free Tier covers only eligible DB instances, storage, and automated backups within the monthly limits. Features outside these allowances are billed separately.
For accounts created on or after July 15, 2025, eligible charges for these features may be offset using promotional AWS credits while credits remain available, subject to AWS’s current Free Tier terms.
| Feature | Traditional 12-month Free Tier | Free account plan / Paid account plan |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-AZ deployments | Not included | Eligible charges may consume promotional AWS credits |
| Amazon Aurora | Not included | Eligible Aurora usage may consume promotional AWS credits |
| Read Replicas | Not included | Eligible charges may consume promotional AWS credits |
| Provisioned IOPS (io1/io2) storage | Not included | Eligible charges may consume promotional AWS credits |
| Storage beyond included limits | Not included | Eligible charges may consume promotional AWS credits |
| Backup storage beyond the no-charge allowance | Not included | Eligible charges may consume promotional AWS credits |
| RDS Proxy | Not included | Eligible charges may consume promotional AWS credits |
| Public IPv4 addresses | Not included | Standard public IPv4 charges apply where applicable |
| Cross-Region snapshot copies | Not included | Eligible charges may consume promotional AWS credits |
The presence of Free Tier benefits or promotional credits doesn’t mean an entire Amazon RDS deployment is free. Optional features, production configurations, and usage beyond the applicable limits can still generate charges.
FinOps Tip:
Before creating an Amazon RDS database, review the entire deployment, not just the DB instance class. Storage configuration, Multi-AZ, read replicas, backup retention, RDS Proxy, and public IPv4 usage can all affect your monthly bill.
How Amazon RDS Free Tier Billing Works
The way Amazon RDS Free Tier billing works depends on your AWS account’s Free Tier model.
For AWS accounts created before July 15, 2025, AWS applies the traditional 12-month Free Tier by tracking eligible DB instance hours, storage, and automated backup usage against the monthly Free Tier limits. Usage beyond those limits is billed at the standard Amazon RDS rates.
For AWS accounts created on or after July 15, 2025, eligible Amazon RDS charges consume promotional AWS credits instead of fixed monthly resource allowances. Charges are billed at standard Amazon RDS rates only after promotional credits are no longer available or no longer apply.
For AWS accounts created before July 15, 2025, AWS applies the traditional 12-month Free Tier by tracking eligible DB instance hours, storage, and automated backup usage against the monthly Free Tier limits. Usage beyond those limits is billed at the standard Amazon RDS rates.
For AWS accounts created on or after July 15, 2025, eligible Amazon RDS charges consume promotional AWS credits instead of fixed monthly resource allowances. Charges are billed at standard Amazon RDS rates only after promotional credits are no longer available or no longer apply.
Example: Shared Usage Under the Traditional Free Tier
The following example illustrates how the traditional Free Tier works.
| Resource | Usage | Free Tier status |
|---|---|---|
| DB Instance 1 | Runs continuously for the month | Covered within the 750-hour monthly allowance |
| DB Instance 2 | Runs continuously alongside DB Instance 1 | Combined usage exceeds 750 hours, resulting in billable compute |
| Database storage | 18 GB (gp2) | Covered under the 20 GB allowance |
| Automated backups | 12 GB | Covered under the applicable Free Tier allowance |
Although the storage and backup usage remain within the Free Tier limits, running two eligible DB instances continuously causes the shared monthly compute allowance to be exceeded. The additional DB instance hours are billed at the standard On-Demand rate.
FinOps Tip:
Monitor Amazon RDS usage with AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, and AWS Billing and Cost Management. Tracking compute, storage, and backup usage throughout the month can help identify unexpected cost increases before they appear on your bill.
What Happens After the Amazon RDS Free Tier Ends?
When your Amazon RDS Free Tier benefits end, what happens next depends on your AWS account model.
- Traditional 12-month Free Tier: Eligible Amazon RDS resources continue running and are billed at the standard On-Demand rates unless you stop or delete them.
- Free account plan: The plan ends when six months have passed since account creation or your promotional credits are exhausted, whichever comes first. To continue using AWS services, you must upgrade to a Paid account plan. Any remaining eligible promotional credits may continue to apply until their stated expiration date.
Amazon RDS Free Tier Exit Checklist
Before your Free Tier benefits end, review the following areas to avoid unnecessary costs.
| Review area | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| DB instance size | Ensure the selected instance class still matches your workload. |
| Storage utilization | Remove unused data and review storage growth before paying for additional capacity. |
| Deployment type | Confirm whether your workload really requires Multi-AZ or other production features. |
| Backup retention & snapshots | Retained backups and manual snapshots continue to consume storage and may incur charges. |
| Idle databases | Stop or delete databases that are no longer needed. Remember that stopped RDS instances automatically restart after 7 consecutive days, and storage, backup storage, and Provisioned IOPS charges continue while stopped. |
| Public IPv4 addresses | Publicly accessible RDS instances may incur standard public IPv4 charges. Verify that a public IP is required. |
| Monitoring features | Review optional services such as RDS Proxy, Enhanced Monitoring, and Performance Insights to ensure they still provide value. |
Should You Consider Reserved DB Instances or Database Savings Plans?
If your Amazon RDS workloads continue running after Free Tier benefits end, commitment discounts may reduce your long-term compute costs.
Before purchasing any commitment, review your database utilization and expected growth to ensure the commitment matches your long-term usage patterns.
- Reserved DB Instances are suited to stable, predictable RDS deployments and apply to specific DB instance attributes.
- AWS Database Savings Plans provide a flexible, usage-based commitment that applies across eligible database services, including eligible Amazon RDS usage, without requiring you to reserve a specific DB instance configuration.
Before purchasing any commitment, review your database utilization and expected growth to ensure the commitment matches your long-term usage patterns.
FinOps Tip:
Treat the end of the Free Tier as a planning milestone. Rightsizing databases, removing unused resources, and evaluating commitment discounts after your workload stabilizes can improve long-term cost efficiency.
Example: Estimating Amazon RDS Costs After the Free Tier
Suppose a development team continues running the following deployment after its Free Tier benefits end:
- One continuously running Single-AZ Amazon RDS MySQL DB instance
- 30 GB of General Purpose SSD (gp3) storage
- Automated backups within the no-charge backup storage allowance
- DB instance compute at the standard On-Demand rate
- Database storage
- Backup storage only if it exceeds the applicable no-charge allowance
- Any optional features enabled, such as Multi-AZ, RDS Proxy, or Provisioned IOPS storage
FinOps Tip:
Review your Amazon RDS usage regularly with AWS Cost Explorer. Rightsizing DB instances, removing unused databases, and evaluating commitment discounts can help reduce ongoing costs.
This example highlights an important FinOps principle: the end of the Free Tier doesn’t necessarily make Amazon RDS expensive.
Unexpected costs usually result from infrastructure changes such as storage growth, production-grade configurations, or unused resources that remain running after development is complete.
Unexpected costs usually result from infrastructure changes such as storage growth, production-grade configurations, or unused resources that remain running after development is complete.
Optimize Amazon RDS Costs with Usage.ai
The Amazon RDS Free Tier is a great way to get started with managed databases on AWS. As production workloads grow, however, choosing the right Reserved DB Instances or AWS Database Savings Plans and keeping those commitments aligned with changing usage becomes increasingly difficult.
Usage.ai continuously analyzes Amazon RDS usage alongside the rest of your AWS environment to identify commitment opportunities and optimize coverage as workloads evolve.
With Flex Insured Commitments, teams can capture up to 69% savings available through Amazon RDS Reserved DB Instances without taking on the full risk of long-term commitments.
If a commitment ever costs more than the equivalent on-demand usage, Cashback Protection covers the difference, helping organizations maximize savings while retaining the flexibility to adapt as infrastructure changes.
Usage.ai continuously analyzes Amazon RDS usage alongside the rest of your AWS environment to identify commitment opportunities and optimize coverage as workloads evolve.
With Flex Insured Commitments, teams can capture up to 69% savings available through Amazon RDS Reserved DB Instances without taking on the full risk of long-term commitments.
If a commitment ever costs more than the equivalent on-demand usage, Cashback Protection covers the difference, helping organizations maximize savings while retaining the flexibility to adapt as infrastructure changes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amazon RDS free forever?
No. Amazon RDS is not a permanently free service. Eligible AWS customers receive Free Tier benefits for a limited period or promotional AWS credits, depending on when their AWS account was created. Once your Free Tier benefits expire or your promotional credits are exhausted, Amazon RDS usage is billed at the standard on-demand rates.
Does the Amazon RDS Free Tier include Amazon Aurora?
No. Amazon Aurora has a separate pricing model and is not included in the traditional Amazon RDS Free Tier. If you deploy an Aurora cluster, you should expect charges based on Aurora compute, storage, and other applicable pricing components.
What database engines are supported under the Amazon RDS Free Tier?
The traditional Amazon RDS Free Tier supports eligible configurations for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition. Eligibility depends on the database engine, edition, licensing model, and deployment configuration.
What happens if I exceed the Amazon RDS Free Tier limits?
If your database exceeds the applicable Free Tier limits, the additional usage is billed at the standard Amazon RDS on-demand rates.
Common reasons include running multiple database instances, exceeding the included storage or backup allocation, enabling Multi-AZ deployments, or using features that are not covered by the Free Tier.
How can I monitor my Amazon RDS costs?
AWS provides several tools to help monitor Amazon RDS spending, including AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Billing and Cost Management, and AWS Budgets. Reviewing these regularly allows you to track database usage, identify cost trends, and receive alerts before charges increase unexpectedly.
AWS Budgets and AWS Cost Anomaly Detection can also help notify you when Amazon RDS spending exceeds expected levels.
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