Estimate your monthly AWS DynamoDB expenses accurately and optimize your cloud spending.
DynamoDB Cost Estimator
Average number of reads per second you anticipate. (On-Demand mode is handled differently, this is for Provisioned).
Average number of writes per second you anticipate. (On-Demand mode is handled differently, this is for Provisioned).
Total size of your data stored in DynamoDB, including indexes.
Estimated gigabytes transferred out of AWS to the internet per month.
Estimated gigabytes used for backups (e.g., PITR, on-demand backups).
US East (N. Virginia)
US East (Ohio)
US West (N. California)
US West (Oregon)
Asia Pacific (Mumbai)
Asia Pacific (Singapore)
Asia Pacific (Sydney)
Asia Pacific (Tokyo)
Canada (Central)
Europe (Frankfurt)
Europe (Ireland)
Europe (London)
Europe (Paris)
South America (São Paulo)
Select the AWS region where your DynamoDB table is located, as pricing varies.
Formula Used: Total Monthly Cost = (Provisioned RCU Cost) + (Provisioned WCU Cost) + (Storage Cost) + (Data Transfer Cost) + (Backup Storage Cost)
Key Assumptions:
– Pricing based on selected region.
– Assumes 730 hours in a month.
– Storage pricing per GB-month.
– RCU/WCU pricing per million request units.
– Data Transfer Out pricing per GB.
– Backup storage pricing per GB-month.
– This calculator is for *Provisioned Capacity Mode*. On-Demand mode has different pricing structures.
Cost Breakdown Over Time (30 Days)
Understanding and Calculating DynamoDB Costs
What is a DynamoDB Cost Calculator?
A DynamoDB cost calculator is an essential tool for developers, system administrators, and financial planners who utilize Amazon Web Services (AWS) DynamoDB. It allows users to estimate their monthly expenses associated with running DynamoDB tables. By inputting various parameters such as provisioned read/write capacity units, data storage volume, data transfer, and backup usage, the calculator provides a projected cost. This helps in budgeting, optimizing resource allocation, and making informed decisions about service configurations to control cloud expenditure. Understanding your potential DynamoDB cost is crucial for managing AWS bills effectively.
Who should use it:
Developers planning new applications or features that will heavily rely on DynamoDB.
DevOps and Cloud Engineers responsible for managing AWS infrastructure and costs.
Financial Analysts and Project Managers needing to budget for cloud services.
Existing DynamoDB users looking to optimize their current spending.
Common misconceptions about DynamoDB costs:
"DynamoDB is always expensive." While it can be costly if not managed properly, DynamoDB offers various pricing models (Provisioned vs. On-Demand) and features like auto-scaling that can significantly reduce costs when configured correctly. A precise DynamoDB cost calculator can reveal these optimizations.
"On-Demand is always cheaper." On-Demand is simpler and avoids over-provisioning but can be more expensive for predictable, high-throughput workloads compared to optimized Provisioned capacity.
"Storage cost is negligible." For large datasets, storage can become a significant portion of the total DynamoDB cost, especially when considering indexes and backup storage.
"Data transfer costs are minor." If your application involves significant data retrieval to external services or users over the internet, these costs can add up quickly.
DynamoDB Cost Formula and Mathematical Explanation
The total monthly cost of using DynamoDB is a sum of several components, each with its own pricing structure. Our DynamoDB cost calculator uses the following general formula for Provisioned Capacity mode:
Let's break down the primary components for Provisioned Capacity:
Provisioned Read Capacity Unit (RCU) Cost:
An RCU supports one strongly consistent read per second or two eventually consistent reads per second for an item up to 4 KB in size.
Pricing is typically per million Read Request Units (RRUs), often tiered.
Formula: (Provisioned RCUs * 730 hours/month * Price per million RCU) / 1,000,000
Provisioned Write Capacity Unit (WCU) Cost:
A WCU supports one write per second for an item up to 1 KB in size.
Pricing is typically per million Write Request Units (WRUs).
Formula: (Provisioned WCUs * 730 hours/month * Price per million WCU) / 1,000,000
Data Storage Cost:
Charged per GB-month. This accounts for the actual data stored, including secondary indexes.
Formula: Average Data Storage (GB) * Price per GB-month
Data Transfer Out Cost:
Charged per GB for data transferred from DynamoDB to the internet. Data transfer within the same AWS region is often free.
Formula: Monthly Data Transfer Out (GB) * Price per GB transferred out
Backup Storage Cost:
Includes costs for Point-In-Time Recovery (PITR) and on-demand backups.
Charged per GB-month.
Formula: Monthly Backup Storage (GB) * Price per GB-month for backups
Note: This calculator primarily focuses on these core components for Provisioned mode. Other features like DynamoDB Streams, Global Tables, Accelerator (DAX), and certain data retrieval patterns (e.g., Scan operations over large datasets) can incur additional costs not explicitly detailed here but influence overall DynamoDB cost. On-Demand mode has a per-request pricing model which is different.
Variable Explanations Table
DynamoDB Cost Calculation Variables
Variable
Meaning
Unit
Typical Range/Notes
Provisioned RCUs
Average number of read requests per second your application needs, provisioned in advance.
RCU/second
1+ (depends on workload)
Provisioned WCUs
Average number of write requests per second your application needs, provisioned in advance.
WCU/second
1+ (depends on workload)
Average Data Storage
The total amount of data stored in your DynamoDB table and its indexes.
GB
0.1 GB to Terabytes+
Monthly Data Transfer Out
Amount of data transferred from DynamoDB to the internet per month.
GB
0 GB to Terabytes+
Backup Storage
Total storage consumed by backups (PITR, On-Demand).
GB
0 GB to Terabytes+
AWS Region
Geographical location of the DynamoDB service.
N/A
Pricing varies significantly by region.
Hours per Month
Assumed number of hours in a month for capacity calculations.
Hours
Typically 730 (24 * 30)
Practical Examples (Real-World Use Cases)
Let's illustrate how the DynamoDB cost calculator works with practical scenarios:
Example 1: High-Traffic Web Application
Scenario: A popular e-commerce website uses DynamoDB for its product catalog and user sessions. They anticipate consistent traffic.
Inputs:
Provisioned RCUs: 500
Provisioned WCUs: 200
Average Data Storage: 150 GB
Monthly Data Transfer Out: 500 GB
Backup Storage: 200 GB (for PITR)
AWS Region: US East (N. Virginia)
Calculation (Illustrative prices for US East – N. Virginia, may vary):
Interpretation: This example highlights that for a provisioned setup, write capacity and data transfer can be significant cost drivers. This user might explore optimizing write patterns or negotiating potential volume discounts if applicable, or simply accept this cost for guaranteed performance. Using our DynamoDB cost calculator shows that provisioned capacity for predictable loads can be managed.
Example 2: Small IoT Data Ingestion Service
Scenario: A startup is building an IoT platform that ingests sensor data periodically. Traffic is spiky but overall low.
Inputs:
Provisioned RCUs: 20
Provisioned WCUs: 30
Average Data Storage: 20 GB
Monthly Data Transfer Out: 10 GB
Backup Storage: 30 GB
AWS Region: Europe (Ireland)
Calculation (Illustrative prices for Europe – Ireland, may vary):
Interpretation: For low-volume applications, the primary costs are typically write operations and storage. This user might consider using DynamoDB On-Demand mode if their traffic is highly unpredictable and spikes significantly, potentially simplifying cost management, although a DynamoDB cost calculator for On-Demand would be needed for direct comparison. This example shows that a well-managed small-scale DynamoDB setup can be very cost-effective.
How to Use This DynamoDB Cost Calculator
Using our DynamoDB cost calculator is straightforward:
Input Provisioned Capacity: Enter your expected average Read Capacity Units (RCUs) and Write Capacity Units (WCUs) per second. If you're unsure, start with estimates based on your application's expected load or monitor existing usage. For highly variable workloads, consider DynamoDB On-Demand mode (this calculator is primarily for Provisioned).
Estimate Storage: Input the total expected size of your data in Gigabytes (GB), including any secondary indexes.
Factor in Data Transfer: Estimate the total GB of data you expect to transfer out of AWS to the internet monthly. Data transfer within AWS regions is typically free.
Include Backup Storage: Add the estimated GB of storage used for backups, such as Point-In-Time Recovery (PITR) or manual snapshots.
Select Region: Crucially, choose the AWS region where your DynamoDB table resides, as pricing differs significantly between regions.
Calculate: Click the "Calculate Cost" button.
Review Results: The calculator will display your estimated total monthly cost, broken down into key components (RCU, WCU, Storage, Data Transfer, Backup).
Interpret: Analyze the breakdown to understand which factors contribute most to your DynamoDB cost. This can guide optimization efforts.
Copy & Save: Use the "Copy Results" button to easily share or save the details.
Reset: Use the "Reset" button to clear all fields and start over.
Decision-making guidance: The results can help you decide whether to stick with Provisioned capacity, switch to On-Demand, adjust your provisioned units, or implement data management strategies to reduce storage or transfer costs.
Key Factors That Affect DynamoDB Results
Several factors significantly influence your monthly DynamoDB cost:
Provisioned Capacity Units (RCU/WCU): The most direct cost. Over-provisioning leads to wasted money, while under-provisioning causes throttling and poor application performance. Choosing between Provisioned and On-Demand modes is a major decision point. Our DynamoDB cost calculator helps visualize this for Provisioned mode.
Data Storage Size: As your data grows, so does the storage cost. This includes the main table data and all secondary indexes. Archiving or deleting old data can reduce this cost. AWS S3 lifecycle policies might be relevant for older data.
Data Transfer Out Rates: Transferring data from AWS to the internet incurs charges. Applications serving large amounts of data globally or to many users can see significant data transfer costs. Caching data closer to users can mitigate this.
AWS Region: DynamoDB pricing varies notably by region. More popular or geographically distant regions might have higher rates for capacity and storage. Always verify pricing for your specific region.
Backup and Restore Strategy: While essential for disaster recovery, PITR and on-demand backups consume storage and incur costs. Regularly review your backup retention policies to ensure they align with your recovery needs without overspending.
Global Tables: Using DynamoDB Global Tables for multi-region replication enhances availability and performance but significantly increases costs due to replicated writes and inter-region data transfer.
DynamoDB Streams: Enabling Streams for event processing adds a cost per stream record, which can accumulate for high-volume write operations.
On-Demand vs. Provisioned Mode: On-Demand mode offers flexibility but generally has a higher per-request cost than optimized Provisioned capacity. Provisioned requires careful capacity planning but can be more cost-effective for predictable workloads.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: How accurate is the DynamoDB cost calculator?
A: This calculator provides an estimate based on the inputs you provide and standard AWS pricing for the selected region. Actual costs may vary due to fluctuating traffic, specific DynamoDB features used (like Streams or Global Tables), and AWS price changes. It's a planning tool, not a final bill.
Q2: Does this calculator include On-Demand mode pricing?
A: Primarily, this calculator is configured for Provisioned Capacity Mode. On-Demand mode has a different pricing structure (per read/write request) and is generally simpler but can be more expensive for consistently high workloads. For accurate On-Demand estimates, you'd need a calculator tailored to that model.
Q3: What are request units (RCU/WCU) in DynamoDB?
A: Read Capacity Units (RCUs) and Write Capacity Units (WCUs) are measures of throughput capacity. An RCU allows one read of up to 4KB per second (strongly consistent) or two (eventually consistent). A WCU allows one write of up to 1KB per second. Exceeding provisioned units leads to throttling.
Q4: How is DynamoDB storage cost calculated?
A: Storage is charged per GB-month. This includes your table data, attribute updates, and any secondary indexes. The calculator estimates this based on your provided average storage size.
Q5: Is data transfer *within* AWS regions free for DynamoDB?
A: Yes, data transfer from DynamoDB to other AWS services *within the same AWS region* is generally free. Charges apply only when data is transferred *out* of AWS to the internet.
Q6: How can I reduce my DynamoDB costs?
A: Strategies include: optimizing your application's read/write patterns, using DynamoDB auto-scaling to adjust provisioned capacity dynamically, choosing the right pricing mode (Provisioned vs. On-Demand), deleting unused data or indexes, leveraging caching, and selecting cost-effective AWS regions.
Q7: What are DynamoDB backup costs?
A: AWS offers Point-In-Time Recovery (PITR) and on-demand backups. Both consume storage, which is billed on a per GB-month basis. The cost varies by region. PITR storage costs are typically a fraction of the table data cost.
Q8: Does DynamoDB have a free tier?
A: Yes, AWS offers a limited free tier for DynamoDB, which includes a certain amount of free storage, read capacity units, and write capacity units per month for the first 12 months of your AWS account. Our calculator is primarily for usage beyond the free tier.