At a glance
| Supported databases | RDS, Aurora, Aurora DSQL, DynamoDB, DocumentDB, Neptune, Redshift, Redshift Serverless, Timestream, SAP HANA on EC2 |
| Backup types | Snapshots (full, incremental for most types) and continuous backups |
| Point-in-time recovery | RDS DB instances, Aurora and SAP HANA on EC2 (not RDS Multi-AZ clusters; copies lose PITR) |
| Compression and encryption | Encrypted backups with AWS KMS keys; compression not documented |
| Storage targets | AWS Backup vaults (warm and cold tiers), logically air-gapped vaults |
| Retention and automation | Backup plans, lifecycle rules, AWS Organizations policies, Vault Lock |
| Restore options | Restore to new resources, point-in-time restores, restore testing; item-level restore for Redshift |
| Deployment | Managed AWS service, per Region |
| Licensing | Pay as you go: per GB-month storage, per GB restore and cross-Region transfer |
| Cross-account and cross-Region | Supported for most database types; not for Redshift or DynamoDB without advanced features |
AWS Backup is the default choice for teams whose databases run on AWS managed services and who want one place for backup schedules, retention, cross-account and cross-Region copies and immutable vaults. It does not protect self-managed databases on other clouds or on premises (apart from SAP HANA on EC2 and VMware via a gateway), and costs scale with stored and restored gigabytes.
Overview
AWS Backup is a managed service inside your AWS account. You define backup plans (schedules, retention, lifecycle to cold storage and copy rules) and assign resources by tag or ID; AWS Backup then creates and tracks recovery points in backup vaults. Features common to all supported resources include encrypted backups, cross-account management through AWS Organizations, AWS Backup Audit Manager reports and Vault Lock for write-once, read-many retention.
For databases it supports Amazon RDS (single-AZ and Multi-AZ instances, and Multi-AZ clusters with fewer features), Aurora, Aurora DSQL, DynamoDB, DocumentDB, Neptune, Redshift and Redshift Serverless, Timestream and SAP HANA databases on EC2. Continuous backup with point-in-time restore is available for RDS DB instances, Aurora and SAP HANA on EC2, but not for RDS Multi-AZ clusters, and copies of continuous backups become snapshots. Logically air-gapped vaults are available for Aurora, Aurora DSQL, DocumentDB, Neptune, Timestream and DynamoDB (with advanced features).
Key features
- Central backup plans with schedules, retention and lifecycle to cold storage, assigned by resource tags
- Continuous backup and point-in-time restore for RDS DB instances, Aurora and SAP HANA on EC2
- Cross-Region and cross-account copies for RDS, Aurora, DocumentDB, Neptune, DynamoDB (advanced features), Timestream and SAP HANA
- Logically air-gapped vaults and Vault Lock (WORM) for ransomware-resistant copies
- Restore testing and AWS Backup Audit Manager compliance reports
- Cold storage tiers for DynamoDB (advanced features), Timestream, Aurora DSQL and SAP HANA on EC2
Integrations and ecosystem
Pros and cons
Pros
- No infrastructure to run; integrated with IAM, KMS and AWS Organizations
- One policy layer across many AWS database services
- Point-in-time restore for RDS and Aurora managed alongside snapshots
- Published per-GB prices and no minimum fee
Cons
- Covers AWS services only (plus SAP HANA on EC2 and VMware via gateway); no agents for self-managed SQL Server, Oracle or PostgreSQL on other platforms
- Feature support varies by resource type and Region, for example no PITR for RDS Multi-AZ clusters
- Costs grow with stored, copied and restored gigabytes, and RDS snapshot storage is billed under RDS
Pricing
AWS Backup has no minimum fee or setup charge; you pay for backup storage (per GB-month, warm or cold), restores (per GB), cross-Region transfer (per GB) and some extras. From the AWS Price List for US East (N. Virginia), version of 14 October 2026: DynamoDB backups (advanced features) cost 0.10 USD per GB-month warm and 0.03 USD per GB-month cold, with restores at 0.15 USD per GB (warm) and 0.20 USD per GB (cold); Timestream warm storage 0.10 USD per GB-month; SAP HANA on EC2 warm storage 0.06 USD per GB-month with restores at 0.02 USD per GB; Aurora DSQL 0.10 USD per GB-month warm and 0.03 USD cold. Logically air-gapped vault storage is 0.0242 USD per GB-month for Aurora, DocumentDB and Neptune and 0.115 USD per GB-month for DynamoDB, Timestream and Aurora DSQL. Cold storage has a 90-day minimum. RDS and Aurora snapshot storage is not in the AWS Backup price list; the pricing page points to the RDS pricing page for those charges. Prices vary by Region.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Teams running databases on AWS managed services who want centrally governed backups, retention and cross-account copies without extra software.
Typical use cases
- Organization-wide backup policies for RDS, Aurora and DynamoDB across many AWS accounts
- Copying database backups to another Region or account for disaster recovery
- Keeping immutable database backups in a logically air-gapped vault
- Point-in-time recovery for SAP HANA running on EC2
- Audit reports on backup compliance with AWS Backup Audit Manager
Who should look elsewhere
- Hybrid estates with self-managed databases on premises or other clouds, where Commvault Cloud or Veeam cover more platforms.
- Teams that only need RDS automated backups for one database; RDS handles those itself, see RDS backups explained.
Verdict
AWS Backup is the natural governance layer for databases on AWS managed services, with point-in-time restore for RDS and Aurora and strong cross-account controls. Its scope stops at AWS, so hybrid and multi-cloud estates still need a third-party product, and costs should be modelled from per-GB storage, restore and transfer rates.
Frequently asked questions
Which databases does AWS Backup support?
Amazon RDS, Aurora, Aurora DSQL, DynamoDB, DocumentDB, Neptune, Redshift, Redshift Serverless, Timestream and SAP HANA databases on EC2. Self-managed databases on EC2 are covered only through EC2 or EBS backups, except SAP HANA.
Does AWS Backup support point-in-time recovery?
Yes, through continuous backup for RDS DB instances, Aurora and SAP HANA on EC2. RDS Multi-AZ clusters do not support it, and cross-Region or cross-account copies of continuous backups become snapshots without point-in-time restore.
How much does AWS Backup cost?
There is no minimum fee. You pay per GB-month for storage, per GB for restores and per GB for cross-Region transfer. In US East (N. Virginia), DynamoDB backup storage is 0.10 USD per GB-month warm and 0.03 USD cold; RDS and Aurora snapshot storage is billed through RDS pricing.
What is a logically air-gapped vault?
A vault type that keeps backups isolated and locked, for recovery after account compromise. It is billed per GB-month, for example 0.0242 USD for Aurora, DocumentDB and Neptune in US East (N. Virginia).
Sources
- AWS Backup pricing
- AWS Price List: AWS Backup, us-east-1
- AWS Backup feature availability (developer guide)
- AWS Backup product page
Checked November 2026.
Listed in: Database Backup & Recovery.
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