Change data capture · Amazon Web Services

AWS Database Migration Service

AWS's managed service for one-time database migration and ongoing log-based change data capture replication.

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AWS DMS moves data into, out of, and between databases, supporting both one-time homogeneous/heterogeneous migrations and continuous log-based CDC replication for near-real-time synchronization. It can run as a provisioned replication instance sized by the customer, or as AWS DMS Serverless, which autoscales capacity measured in Data Capacity Units (DCUs) so there is no instance to size for variable workloads. Common sources and targets include Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and AWS targets like Redshift, S3 and Kinesis. As a native AWS service it integrates tightly with other AWS data tools and IAM, but does not offer the in-flight stream transformation capabilities of dedicated CDC platforms like Striim.

At a glance

Vendor Amazon Web Services
Pricing model Usage-based
Free tier Yes
Deployment Cloud
Open source No
Best for AWS-native teams needing managed database migration or CDC replication without operating dedicated infrastructure.

Pricing

Billed hourly for provisioned replication instances, or per Data Capacity Unit-hour for DMS Serverless; Free Tier and sign-up credits available for new usage.

Plan Price Notes
Instance-based Hourly, by instance class (e.g. T2/T3/C5/R5/R6i) On-demand, no long-term commitment; Database Savings Plans available for discounted committed usage
DMS Serverless Billed per Data Capacity Unit-hour (1 DCU = 2GB RAM) Autoscaled capacity, pay only for capacity used
Free Tier 750 hours/month of dms.t3.micro (Single-AZ) for 12 months Plus 50GB included storage; new accounts after July 2025 get sign-up credits instead

Prices read from the vendor's own page on September 21, 2026. Vendors change prices; check the source before you budget.

Features

  • Log-based CDC replication
  • One-time homogeneous and heterogeneous migration
  • Serverless, autoscaling capacity option
  • Schema conversion tool (AWS SC) included at no charge
  • Broad source/target database support
  • Native integration with AWS IAM and networking

Integrations

Profile last reviewed September 21, 2026

Alternatives

Debezium Open-source distributed platform for log-based change data capture, streaming database changes into Apache Kafka. Qlik Replicate Log-based change data capture and replication engine for moving data from enterprise databases and mainframes with minimal source impact. Striim Real-time data integration platform combining log-based CDC with in-flight stream processing, available self-hosted or as managed cloud.

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Terms to know

Change data capture (CDC) A technique for detecting and streaming only the rows that changed in a source system, instead of reloading everything. Data pipeline The automated sequence of steps that moves data from source systems to a destination, transforming it along the way.

Related guides

How to choose a change data capture tool Pick CDC by how it reads the source log, who has to operate it, and whether you actually need sub-second delivery or just a fresh warehouse table.