Cloud-native, serverless & distributed SQL
Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 vs Azure SQL Database serverless / SQL database in Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft maps Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 to Azure SQL Database serverless (and SQL database in Microsoft Fabric).
Both scale compute between limits you set and can pause when idle, but they run different engines (Aurora is MySQL or PostgreSQL; Azure SQL is SQL Server).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 | Azure SQL Database serverless SQL database in Microsoft Fabric |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available Generally available |
| What it is | Aurora capacity that scales in 0.5-ACU steps between a minimum and maximum you set, and can scale to 0 ACUs with automatic pause and resume. | A compute tier for single databases that autoscales between minimum and maximum vCores, bills compute per second, and can auto-pause after a delay you set (General Purpose). Hyperscale also has a serverless option. A transactional database in Fabric built on the Azure SQL Database engine. It's billed through Fabric capacity and automatically mirrored to OneLake for analytics. |
| Pricing model | Per ACU-hour consumed plus storage and I/O (or I/O-Optimized). | SQL serverless bills compute per vCore-second used (nothing while paused) plus storage. Fabric SQL database draws from the Fabric capacity you buy. |
| Docs | Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 docs | Azure SQL Database serverless docs SQL database in Microsoft Fabric docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 pricing | Azure SQL Database serverless pricing SQL database in Microsoft Fabric pricing |
| Exams | SAA-C03 DVA-C02 Retiring | DP-300 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Engine. For serverless PostgreSQL or MySQL on Azure, there's no autoscaling tier. Flexible servers can be stopped and resized, but they don't autoscale.
- Scaling. Aurora Serverless v2 scales in 0.5-ACU steps and can scale to 0 ACUs with automatic pause. Azure SQL serverless scales between minimum and maximum vCores, bills per second, and auto-pauses after a delay (General Purpose).
- Fabric. SQL database in Fabric runs the Azure SQL engine on shared Fabric capacity and mirrors data into OneLake automatically.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per ACU-hour consumed plus storage and I/O (or I/O-Optimized). Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 pricing →
- Azure
- SQL serverless bills compute per vCore-second used (nothing while paused) plus storage. Fabric SQL database draws from the Fabric capacity you buy. Azure SQL Database serverless pricing → SQL database in Microsoft Fabric pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate SAA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Italian version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate DVA-C02 | AWS | Associate | retiring Being updated to DVA-C03. Registration for DVA-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take DVA-C02 is Nov 30, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Database Administrator Associate DP-300 | Azure | Associate | current English version will be updated on Oct 27, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 | Azure | Expert | current English version updated Apr 17, 2026. |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon Aurora Serverless v2?
Microsoft maps Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 to Azure SQL Database serverless (and SQL database in Microsoft Fabric). Both scale compute between limits you set and can pause when idle, but they run different engines (Aurora is MySQL or PostgreSQL; Azure SQL is SQL Server).
How does pricing compare between Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 and Azure SQL Database serverless and SQL database in Microsoft Fabric?
AWS: Per ACU-hour consumed plus storage and I/O (or I/O-Optimized). Azure: SQL serverless bills compute per vCore-second used (nothing while paused) plus storage. Fabric SQL database draws from the Fabric capacity you buy. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).