RDS Extended Support: What It Costs to Stay on EOL Versions
AWS RDS Extended Support allows users to stay on end-of-life database versions for an additional fee. The pricing depends on the database engine and instance size, with costs increasing over time. This option is designed for users who need extra time to plan migrations away from older versions.
Background
- AWS RDS is Amazon's managed database service for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, etc.
- Every database engine has an "end of life" (EOL) set by its maintainer. After that, no more security patches are released.
- AWS RDS Extended Support is Amazon's paid add-on that keeps issuing critical security patches for RDS instances running engine versions that have passed EOL.
- Cost is based on instance size and engine type, typically a 2–5x premium over normal RDS pricing.
- This matters because major-version upgrades often require app testing and downtime. Extended Support buys time, but is designed as a temporary bridge — not a permanent solution.