Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for Db2 is a fully managed commercial database that makes it easier to set up, operate, and scale Db2 databases in the cloud. Pricing for Amazon RDS for Db2 works as follows:

  • Pay only for what you use. This includes database instance and allocated storage.
  • Instance pricing is based on hourly rates using On-Demand Instances.
  • No minimum fee or commitment is needed to get started.
  • Db2 licensing fees are not included in the price of Amazon RDS for Db2. You can either Bring Your Own License (BYOL) or subscribe to hourly Db2 licenses from IBM through the AWS Marketplace. Both BYOL and hourly licensing are available in Standard and Advanced Editions. Learn more about hourly licenses for Standard and Advanced Edition on AWS Marketplace. 
  • If you subscribe to hourly licensing, the Db2 licensing fee shows up under the AWS Marketplace section of your bill.

You can contact sales to obtain a pricing quote that might factor in additional savings. Qualified customers may be eligible for promotional credits, AWS investment through AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP), unique programs, and discounts.

Pricing model

With Amazon RDS for Db2, you can use your existing Db2 database software license under the BYOL model or you can subscribe to hourly licenses through the AWS Marketplace. Both the BYOL model and licensing through the AWS Marketplace support Standard and Advanced Edition licenses.

To run a DB instance under the BYOL model, you must have the appropriate IBM database license (with Software Subscription and Support) for the DB instance class and IBM database edition that you wish to run. Go to the IBM licensing policy to learn more.

For customers who have seasonal or unpredictable workloads, another licensing option is to pay only for what you use by subscribing to hourly licenses through the AWS Marketplace. To run a DB instance through the AWS Marketplace, simply go to the Amazon RDS Console, create a RDS for Db2 database, and select License through AWS Marketplace in the License drop down.

Amazon RDS for Db2 offers On-Demand Instances for Single-AZ and Multi-AZ deployments. Pricing is at the per DB instance-hour consumed. Note that partial DB instance-hours are billed in 1-second increments with a 10-minute minimum charge following a billable status change (such as creating, starting, or modifying the DB instance class).

On-Demand Instance pricing
Amazon RDS for Db2 On-Demand Instances let you pay for compute capacity by the hour. With no long-term commitments or upfront fees, you have the flexibility to turn your instances on and off as needed. It also frees you from the complexity and cost of forecasting and managing database capacity.

    • Single-AZ Deployment
    • The following pricing applies to a DB Instance deployed in a Single Availability Zone.

    • Multi-AZ Deployment
    • When you run your DB Instance as a Multi-AZ deployment for enhanced data durability and availability, Amazon RDS 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.

    • Single-AZ Deployment
    • The following pricing applies to a DB Instance deployed in a Single Availability Zone. The fees below do not include Db2 license costs. Your license fees will be charged by IBM through the AWS Marketplace as indicated in the AWS Marketplace pages for Standard and Advanced Editions. The Db2 licensing fees show up under the AWS Marketplace section on your AWS bill.

    • Multi-AZ Deployment
    • When you run your DB Instance as a Multi-AZ deployment for enhanced data durability and availability, Amazon RDS 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.

      The fees below do not include Db2 license costs. Your license fees will be charged by IBM through AWS Marketplace as indicated in the AWS Marketplace pages for Standard and Advanced Editions. The Db2 licensing fees show up under the AWS Marketplace section on your AWS bill.

T3 CPU Credits

Amazon RDS for Db2 T3 DB instances run in Unlimited mode, which means that you will be charged if your average CPU use 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 AWS Regions and is not covered by Reserved Instances.

Database storage costs

For each DB instance class, you can select up to 64 TiB of associated storage capacity for your primary dataset with Amazon RDS for Db2.

General purpose (SSD) storage costs

  • Single-AZ Deployment
  • The following pricing 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 Db2 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.

Provisioned IOPS (SSD) storage costs

Provisioned IOPS volumes are a premium storage class designed to meet the needs of your most I/O intensive workloads, including workloads that require high performance, low latency, or high throughput. With Provisioned IOPS, you can scale from 1,000 IOPS to 256,000 IOPS and 100 GiB to 64 TiB of storage.

You will be billed for the IOPS and storage you provision. Note that the maximum realized IOPS will vary by database workloads.

  • Single-AZ Deployment
  • The following pricing 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 Db2 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 Db2 from the internet and up to 100 GB of free data transfer out from Amazon RDS for Db2 to the internet each month (aggregated across all AWS services and Regions, except China and GovCloud).

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

Except as otherwise noted, our prices are exclusive of applicable taxes and duties, including value-added tax (VAT) and applicable sales tax. For customers with a Japanese billing address, use of AWS is subject to Japanese Consumption Tax. Learn more on the AWS Consumption Tax FAQs page.

FAQs

How much does Amazon RDS for Db2 cost per month?

The monthly cost varies by use case and database needs. Key considerations include Region, instance type, and storage needs.

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

How does pricing work for Amazon RDS for Db2?

Amazon RDS for Db2 pricing consists of two main components: instance type and storage needs. Under instance type, key factors include size and number of instances needed to support your data needs and deployment options (Single-AZ and Multi-AZ). Instance pricing is based on usage per hour, whereas storage pricing is based on provisioned GiB per month.

How am I charged for Amazon RDS for Db2?

Instance pricing is calculated from the time the instance is created to the time the instance is deleted. Instances are billed in 1-second increments with a 10-minute minimum charge following a billable status change (such as creating, modifying, or deleting an instance).

For example:

  • If you create an r6.large instance at 1:00:00 PM, modify the instance to an r6.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 r6.large pricing and 1,200 seconds (20 minutes) at r6.xlarge pricing.
  • If you create an r6.large instance at 3:00:00 PM and delete it at 3:06:00 PM, the 10-minute minimum applies, and you will be charged for 600 seconds (10 minutes) at r6.large pricing.

Do I need to pay for licenses separately?

Amazon RDS for Db2 supports the BYOL model and hourly licenses through the AWS Marketplace. The BYOL model allows you to use your existing Db2 licenses to run Amazon RDS for Db2. You can also license through the AWS Marketplace and pay an hourly rate per core.

Where are costs for licenses through the AWS Marketplace located on my AWS bill?

Unlike other licensing types available on Amazon RDS, hourly licenses through the AWS Marketplace are not included under the Amazon RDS section of your bill. Rather, they will show up under the AWS Marketplace section.

How can I reduce my Amazon RDS for Db2 costs?

Some ways to reduce your Amazon RDS for Db2 costs are to right size and optimize your database instances and assess your licensing (Standard and Advanced Edition) options. Additionally, you may also subscribe to hourly licenses through AWS Marketplace. This allows you to pay only for what you use. You might also be eligible for additional discounts and promotional credits. Reach out to your account team or customer support team for help with optimizing your database costs and performance.