AWS RDS vs Cloudflare D1: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for AWS RDS and Cloudflare D1 side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Cloudflare D1 leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
AWS RDS
Managed relational database service
Best for you if:
- • You want fully managed
Cloudflare D1
Serverless SQL database at the edge
Best for you if:
- • You want generous free tier with 5 million reads/day and 5 GB storage
| At a Glance | AWS RDS | Cloudflare D1 |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan | Free plan |
Category | Data & Databases Cloud & Infrastructure | Data & Databases Cloud & Infrastructure |
Rating | 4.3/5 G2 4.5 · Capterra 4.7 · SourceForge 2.2 1,130 reviews | 4.5/5 G2 4.5 696 reviews |
Free plan | n/a | Yes |
Watch out for | Backup storage overage | Workers CPU that runs the query is billed on Workers pricing, on top of D1 rows (official FAQ). |
Choose AWS RDS or Cloudflare D1?
Choose AWS RDS if
- You want fully managed
- You want multiple databases
Choose Cloudflare D1 if
- You want generous free tier with 5 million reads/day and 5 GB storage
- You want no egress charges unlike most cloud databases
In-Depth Analysis
AWS RDS
Managed relational database service
AWS RDS pricing is generally fair and highly flexible, especially with its robust Free Tier and On-Demand options.
Watch out
Backup storage overage
Strengths
- Pro: Fully managed
- Pro: Multiple databases
- Pro: High availability
Weaknesses
- Con: AWS lock-in
- Con: Can be expensive
Key features
Cloudflare D1
Serverless SQL database at the edge
Workers Free includes 5M reads/day, 100k writes/day, and 5 GB.
Watch out
Workers CPU that runs the query is billed on Workers pricing, on top of D1 rows (official FAQ).
Strengths
- Pro: Generous free tier with 5 million reads/day and 5 GB storage
- Pro: No egress charges unlike most cloud databases
- Pro: Scale-to-zero means no cost when inactive
- Pro: Time Travel provides built-in disaster recovery
- Pro: Seamless integration with Cloudflare Workers ecosystem
Weaknesses
- Con: 10 GB maximum per individual database
- Con: SQLite compatibility means no full PostgreSQL/MySQL feature set
- Con: Tightly coupled to Cloudflare Workers ecosystem
- Con: Not suited for single large monolithic databases
- Con: Relatively new product with evolving feature set
Key features
Plans and prices: AWS RDS vs Cloudflare D1
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AWS RDS |
| aws.amazon.com/rds read Oct 14, 2026 |
| Cloudflare D1 |
| developers.cloudflare.com/d1/platform/pricing read Oct 31, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on AWS RDS pricing and Cloudflare D1 pricing.
Key Takeaways
AWS RDS
- Choose if you want managed relational database service
Cloudflare D1
- Higher user rating: 4.5/5 vs 4.3/5
What the data shows
On the data below, Cloudflare D1 leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Cloudflare D1 has the higher user rating (4.3/5 from 1,130 reviews for AWS RDS, 4.5/5 from 696 reviews for Cloudflare D1).
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do AWS RDS and Cloudflare D1 compare in 2026?
On the data below, Cloudflare D1 leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Cloudflare D1 has the higher user rating (4.3/5 from 1,130 reviews for AWS RDS, 4.5/5 from 696 reviews for Cloudflare D1). Both have a free plan.
What are AWS RDS and Cloudflare D1 used for?
AWS RDS: Managed relational database service. Cloudflare D1: Serverless SQL database at the edge.
What does AWS RDS cost vs Cloudflare D1?
AWS RDS has no public paid-plan price on file. Cloudflare D1 has no public paid-plan price on file. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 31, 2026.
What's the main difference between AWS RDS and Cloudflare D1?
AWS RDS's main strength: fully managed. Cloudflare D1's main strength: generous free tier with 5 million reads/day and 5 GB storage.