Amazon RDS for SQL Server is the managed SQL Server service: AWS runs the database engine, patching, backups, and high availability, and you pay per instance-hour. The pricing looks opaque because AWS does not publish per-hour rates on its marketing pricing page (it directs to the Pricing Calculator), but the structure is straightforward once you see the three levers that set the number: the edition, the deployment option, and the instance class. This page is the 2026 reference for how RDS for SQL Server is priced, as distinct from the one-off cost of migrating to it.
Pricing verification
The RDS for SQL Server instance-hour is the product of three choices, and they compound. The edition sets the licence premium baked into the rate. The deployment option (Single-AZ or Multi-AZ) sets whether you pay for one instance or two. The instance class sets the compute. Of the three, the edition usually moves the number most.
The three RDS for SQL Server pricing levers and their effect
| Lever | Options | Effect on the instance-hour |
|---|---|---|
| Edition | Express / Web / Standard / Enterprise | Largest single driver; Enterprise often several times Standard for the same class |
| Deployment | Single-AZ / Multi-AZ | Multi-AZ roughly doubles the instance cost (primary plus synchronous standby) |
| Instance class | db.t3 / db.m5 / db.m6i / db.r5 / db.r6i and larger | Scales with vCPU and memory; the compute portion of the rate |
Edition is the first decision because it sets the licence cost baked into every instance-hour.
Amazon RDS for SQL Server editions (License Included)
| Edition | Licence cost | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express | None (free edition) | Dev/test, very small workloads | Capped compute and storage; no production HA |
| Web | Light | Public-facing web applications | Licence terms restrict to web-facing use |
| Standard | Moderate | Most production workloads | Full Multi-AZ HA; the production default |
| Enterprise | High (often several times Standard) | Large-scale, advanced HA and features | Online indexing, advanced features, highest licence premium |
The edition rule of thumb
License Included bundles the SQL Server licence into the hourly rate, so there is no separate Microsoft licence to buy, track, or true-up. It is the simpler option and the cheaper option for most estates that do not have active Software Assurance to bring across. Bring Your Own Media (BYOM) lets you bring existing SQL Server licences with Software Assurance into RDS through Microsoft's License Mobility programme, for Enterprise, Standard, and Developer editions.
BYOM only pays back when you hold substantial existing entitlement with Software Assurance. For estates without that entitlement, License Included is both cheaper and far simpler, and it avoids the compliance burden of tracking licence mobility. The break-even is an entitlement question, not an instance-size question: if you already own the licences with active Software Assurance, bring them; if you do not, let AWS bundle them.
The instance-hour (compute plus licence) is the bulk of an RDS for SQL Server bill, but it is not the whole bill. The additional charges are:
Charges on top of the RDS for SQL Server instance-hour
| Charge | Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Provisioned storage | Per GB-month (gp3 or io1/io2) | Sized to the database; gp3 is the cost-effective default |
| Provisioned IOPS | Per IOPS-month above baseline | Only where the workload needs guaranteed IOPS |
| Backup storage | Per GB-month beyond free allowance | Free up to the provisioned database size; extra retention is charged |
| Snapshot export to S3 | Per GB exported | Optional; only if exporting snapshots for analytics or archival |
| Data transfer out | Per GB at standard rates | Outbound to internet or cross-Region |
For most production instances these add up to a minority of the bill; the instance-hour dominates. The practical implication: optimising RDS for SQL Server cost is mostly about right-sizing the instance class, choosing the correct edition, and deciding Multi-AZ only where availability genuinely requires it, rather than chasing storage or backup savings.
A structural illustration (not a quote) of how the levers compound for a mid-size production database. The exact dollar figures depend on Region and current AWS rates, so confirm against the AWS Pricing Calculator; the point here is the relative weight of each lever.
How the levers compound, mid-size production SQL Server on RDS (relative weighting)
| Configuration | Relative monthly cost | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, Single-AZ, mid-size class | Baseline (1.0x) | Compute plus Standard licence |
| Standard, Multi-AZ, same class | Roughly 2.0x | Synchronous standby doubles instance cost |
| Enterprise, Multi-AZ, same class | Several times baseline | Enterprise licence premium plus standby |
| Express or Web, Single-AZ, small class | Well below baseline | Free or light licence, smaller compute |
| Plus provisioned storage and backups | Add a minority on top | Sized to the database, usually under instance cost |
The lesson the weighting teaches: get the edition and the Multi-AZ decision right first, because between them they can swing the run-rate by a factor of several. The instance class and the storage choices fine-tune from there. For the live per-hour rates by Region and instance class, use the AWS Pricing Calculator or the RDS for SQL Server pricing page; for the one-off cost of getting your databases onto RDS in the first place, see the migration-cost page below.
Amazon RDS for SQL Server pricing is opaque on the surface because AWS keeps the per-hour rates off its marketing page, but the structure is simple: edition, deployment option, and instance class set the instance-hour, and storage and backups add a minority on top. Get the edition and Multi-AZ decisions right and the run-rate is predictable; get them wrong, by paying the Enterprise premium without using it or running Multi-AZ on non-critical workloads, and you double or triple the bill for no benefit.
A. RDS for SQL Server is priced per instance-hour, and the hourly rate bundles three things: the compute (the db instance class), the SQL Server licence (under License Included), and the deployment option (Single-AZ or Multi-AZ). On top of the instance-hour you pay for storage per GB-month, provisioned IOPS where used, backup storage beyond the free allowance, and data transfer out. The headline variable is the edition: Express and Web are the cheapest, Standard is the production default, and Enterprise carries a substantial licence premium. AWS publishes the live per-hour rates on the RDS for SQL Server pricing page; they vary by Region and change over time, so treat any specific figure as point-in-time.
A. RDS for SQL Server offers Express, Web, Standard, and Enterprise editions under License Included. Express is free of licence cost and capped in compute and storage, suitable for dev/test and very small workloads. Web is licence-light and intended for public-facing web applications. Standard is the production default with full HA via Multi-AZ. Enterprise adds advanced features (online indexing, advanced HA, larger scale) and carries the highest licence premium, often several times the Standard rate for the same instance class. The edition choice usually dominates the price difference more than the instance class does.
A. License Included (LI) bundles the SQL Server licence into the hourly instance rate, so there is no separate Microsoft licence to buy or track; it is the simpler and, for most estates without active Software Assurance, the cheaper option. Bring Your Own Media (BYOM) lets you bring existing SQL Server licences with Software Assurance into RDS through Microsoft's License Mobility programme, for Enterprise, Standard, and Developer editions. BYOM only pays back when you have substantial existing entitlement; otherwise License Included is usually cheaper and far simpler.
A. Multi-AZ roughly doubles the instance cost versus Single-AZ, because RDS maintains a synchronous standby replica in a second Availability Zone for automatic failover. You pay for both the primary and the standby. For production workloads that need high availability, Multi-AZ is the default and the doubling is the price of automatic failover. For dev/test and non-critical workloads, Single-AZ halves the instance cost. RDS for SQL Server supports Multi-AZ but does not support full SQL Server Always On Availability Groups; for that level of control teams run SQL Server on EC2 instead.
A. Beyond the instance-hour, RDS for SQL Server charges for: provisioned storage per GB-month (General Purpose gp3 or Provisioned IOPS io1/io2), any provisioned IOPS above the baseline, backup storage beyond the free allowance equal to your provisioned database size, snapshot export to S3 if used, and data transfer out at standard rates. For most production SQL Server instances the storage and backup charges are a minority of the bill; the instance-hour (compute plus licence) dominates, which is why the edition and instance-class choice matter most.
A. They are separate budget lines. The RDS for SQL Server run-rate (instance-hour plus storage) is the ongoing destination cost after migration. The migration cost is the one-off project spend to get there: typically $8,000 to $25,000 per database under 1 TB and $25,000 to $120,000 for larger databases, including DMS replication, validation, and cutover. This page covers the run-rate pricing; the migration-cost build is on the SQL Server to AWS RDS migration cost page.
SQL Server to RDS migration cost ->
The one-off cost of getting there
AWS DMS pricing ->
The replication tool for the migration
AWS SCT cost ->
If moving to PostgreSQL instead
Oracle to AWS ->
The Oracle equivalent
AWS migration cost calculator ->
Full migration calculator
10 hidden costs ->
Licence changes in context
Updated 2 May 2026