Dynamodb Pricing Calculator

Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service that provides fast and predictable performance with seamless scalability. While its performance and availability are top-tier, understanding and managing DynamoDB pricing can be a challenge due to its multiple cost components. This is where a DynamoDB Pricing Calculator comes in.

🧮 What Is the DynamoDB Pricing Calculator?

The DynamoDB Pricing Calculator is a tool that helps users estimate their monthly AWS costs based on expected usage patterns. It calculates expenses based on:

• Read and Write Throughput (Provisioned or On-Demand)
• Data Storage
• Data Transfer
• On-Demand Backup and Restore
• DynamoDB Streams
• Global Tables

This tool is essential for developers, architects, and finance teams planning or managing DynamoDB workloads.

🛠️ How to Use the DynamoDB Pricing Calculator

Using the calculator is straightforward. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Choose Throughput Mode

• On-Demand: Pay per request (best for unpredictable workloads).
• Provisioned: Specify capacity units (best for stable workloads).

Step 2: Input Read and Write Operations

• Enter your estimated read and write requests per second.
• Choose eventual or strongly consistent reads (this affects cost).

Step 3: Add Storage Estimate

• Enter your estimated storage in GB.

Step 4: Include Optional Services

• Enable or disable:
  • DynamoDB Streams
  • Global Tables (multi-region replication)
  • On-Demand Backup and Restore
  • Data Transfer (outbound)

Step 5: Get Estimated Monthly Cost

• The calculator will break down and show:
  • Total monthly cost
  • Cost per feature (storage, reads, writes, etc.)

💰 DynamoDB Pricing Components Explained

Understanding DynamoDB pricing is key to estimating costs accurately.

1. Read and Write Capacity

a. On-Demand Mode

• Write request: $1.25 per million writes
• Read request: $0.25 per million reads

b. Provisioned Mode

• Write capacity unit (WCU): $0.0065 per hour
• Read capacity unit (RCU): $0.00065 per hour

Notes:

• 1 RCU = one strongly consistent read per second for 4 KB item
• 1 WCU = one write per second for 1 KB item

2. Data Storage

• $0.25 per GB-month (indexed data)

3. DynamoDB Streams

• $0.02 per 100,000 read request units

4. Global Tables

• Charges include:
  • Replicated write requests
  • Data transfer between regions

5. On-Demand Backup and Restore

• Backup: $0.10 per GB-month
• Restore: $0.15 per GB

6. Data Transfer

• Inbound (into AWS): Free
• Outbound (to internet):
  • First 1 GB: Free
  • Up to 10 TB: $0.09/GB
  • Rates decrease with volume

📘 Pricing Formula Breakdown

Here are simplified formulas to estimate cost:

1. Provisioned Throughput

• Monthly RCU = RCUs × 0.00065 × 730 hours
• Monthly WCU = WCUs × 0.0065 × 730 hours

2. On-Demand

• Reads = Read requests per month ÷ 1,000,000 × $0.25
• Writes = Write requests per month ÷ 1,000,000 × $1.25

3. Storage Cost

• Storage = Total GB × $0.25/month

4. Stream Cost

• Stream reads = (# reads ÷ 100,000) × $0.02

5. Backup Cost

• Backup = Total GB × $0.10/month

📊 Example Calculation

Scenario:

• Throughput Mode: On-Demand
• Reads: 20 million/month
• Writes: 5 million/month
• Storage: 50 GB
• Backup: 50 GB
• No Global Tables, Streams

Cost Calculation:

• Reads: 20M ÷ 1M × $0.25 = $5.00
• Writes: 5M ÷ 1M × $1.25 = $6.25
• Storage: 50 × $0.25 = $12.50
• Backup: 50 × $0.10 = $5.00

Total Monthly Cost = $28.75

🔍 When to Use Which Mode?

🧠 Tips to Optimize DynamoDB Costs

• Use On-Demand only when necessary; provisioned saves money for predictable traffic.
• Batch reads/writes to reduce request count.
• Store small, efficient items—pricing is size-sensitive.
• Compress data if possible.
• Archive cold data elsewhere (e.g., S3) to save on storage.
• Use Auto Scaling in provisioned mode to adjust capacity dynamically.
• Avoid excessive backups—keep only necessary snapshots.
• Monitor usage with AWS CloudWatch to find cost spikes.

🔄 Calculator Use Cases

• Startups estimating early-stage traffic
• DevOps budgeting multi-region databases
• Finance teams forecasting AWS usage
• Developers comparing provisioned vs on-demand costs
• Cloud architects optimizing DynamoDB configurations

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is the DynamoDB Pricing Calculator free?

Yes, it’s completely free to use.

2. Does it support both pricing models?

Yes, both on-demand and provisioned throughput models are included.

3. How accurate are the estimates?

Very accurate when usage estimates are entered correctly.

4. Can I include DynamoDB Streams in the calculation?

Yes, you can input stream reads to estimate cost.

5. Does it include backup and restore?

Yes, you can enter backup and restore storage to calculate those costs.

6. How do I estimate RCUs and WCUs?

Estimate based on item size and expected reads/writes per second.

7. Can I compare On-Demand vs Provisioned?

Yes, just run the calculator twice—once for each mode.

8. Does the calculator work for Global Tables?

Yes, it supports replicated write costs and data transfer.

9. How do I convert traffic to request units?

• 1 read = 4 KB item read (eventual)
• 1 write = 1 KB item write

10. Are storage and throughput billed separately?

Yes, they are separate cost components.

11. Can I simulate a billing spike?

Yes, increase inputs like writes or add streams to see impact.

12. What happens if I exceed provisioned throughput?

You get throttled unless auto-scaling is enabled.

13. Can I use this calculator offline?

No, it requires internet to run.

14. Is AWS’s official calculator the same?

This calculator simplifies what AWS provides for DynamoDB-specific estimates.

15. Can I export results?

Yes, some calculators allow CSV or PDF export.

16. How often should I recalculate costs?

Monthly, or when workload changes.

17. Can I include data transfer between AWS services?

Yes, outbound transfer is estimated, but internal AWS transfers are often free.

18. Is this for enterprise or personal use?

Both! It supports small to large-scale users.

19. Does the calculator show cost trends?

Some advanced versions can track previous inputs for comparison.

20. Can I use this in AWS Free Tier?

Yes, but Free Tier limits (25 RCUs, 25 WCUs, 25 GB storage) apply.

📌 Conclusion

The DynamoDB Pricing Calculator empowers developers, startups, and enterprises to accurately estimate and control their AWS costs. With DynamoDB's flexible performance and pricing model, this tool ensures you make informed decisions based on real usage patterns.