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Key takeaways
1
Seven days can still cost $0: Standard can cover recent troubleshooting at no added retention cost.
2
Longer retention can stay on Standard: You may not need Advanced just for more history.
3
Check detailed metrics: Per-query metrics are configurable in Standard.
4
Advanced costs more: Pay for it only when you need its extra diagnostics.
5
Look beyond monitoring: Sizing, Extended Support, and commitments can matter more.
RDS Performance Insights cost questions now lead to CloudWatch Database Insights pricing. AWS ended the separate Performance Insights console experience on July 31, 2026 and migrated users to Database Insights.
For RDS MySQL, Standard mode can retain detailed database and per-query metrics for up to seven days at no additional cost when that collection is enabled. Paid Standard retention from 1 to 24 months remains available. Advanced mode costs $0.0125 per vCPU-hour for provisioned RDS instances in AWS’s US East pricing example. AWS explains how to configure Database Insights and detailed metrics for RDS.
For many MySQL teams, Standard is enough. Advanced is worth paying for only when you need features such as fleet-wide views, per-query statistics, slow-query analysis, on-demand performance analysis, or OS process analysis. AWS documents the Standard and Advanced feature differences.
Standard remains the default mode. In Standard, detailed per-query and database-counter metrics can be enabled when you create or modify a DB instance or Multi-AZ DB cluster. AWS enables that collection by default on newly created databases, but teams can turn it off later. When enabled, retention defaults to seven days and can be extended from 1 to 24 months for an additional charge. AWS documents these detailed-metrics controls.
Advanced enables detailed metrics by default and adds deeper diagnostics. Enhanced Monitoring is required for OS process analysis. RDS MySQL does not support Database Insights execution-plan analysis. That feature is currently limited to supported PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server configurations documented by AWS. Check current Database Insights feature support.
For RDS MySQL, Standard mode can retain detailed database and per-query metrics for up to seven days at no additional cost when that collection is enabled. Paid Standard retention from 1 to 24 months remains available. Advanced mode costs $0.0125 per vCPU-hour for provisioned RDS instances in AWS’s US East pricing example. AWS explains how to configure Database Insights and detailed metrics for RDS.
For many MySQL teams, Standard is enough. Advanced is worth paying for only when you need features such as fleet-wide views, per-query statistics, slow-query analysis, on-demand performance analysis, or OS process analysis. AWS documents the Standard and Advanced feature differences.
What changed after July 31, 2026
AWS moved Performance Insights users to CloudWatch Database Insights while preserving flexible retention and pricing for Standard mode. Existing Performance Insights API parameters continue to work with Database Insights, so infrastructure workflows do not need to be rewritten solely because the console experience changed.Standard remains the default mode. In Standard, detailed per-query and database-counter metrics can be enabled when you create or modify a DB instance or Multi-AZ DB cluster. AWS enables that collection by default on newly created databases, but teams can turn it off later. When enabled, retention defaults to seven days and can be extended from 1 to 24 months for an additional charge. AWS documents these detailed-metrics controls.
Advanced enables detailed metrics by default and adds deeper diagnostics. Enhanced Monitoring is required for OS process analysis. RDS MySQL does not support Database Insights execution-plan analysis. That feature is currently limited to supported PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server configurations documented by AWS. Check current Database Insights feature support.
Warning:
Database Insights support depends on engine, AWS Region, and instance class. For RDS MySQL, several small burstable classes, including db.t2.micro, db.t2.small, db.t3.micro, db.t3.small, db.t4g.micro, and db.t4g.small, are not supported. Advanced feature availability also varies by Region.
CloudWatch Database Insights pricing
| Option | Retention | Pricing model | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, included | Up to 7 days | No additional retention charge | Recent troubleshooting |
| Standard, extended | 1 to 24 months | FMR plus AMR per vCPU-hour | Longer query history |
| Advanced | See RDS configuration note below | $0.0125 per vCPU-hour in US East example | Fleet and deeper diagnostics |
AWS’s CloudWatch pricing documentation uses $0.002054 per vCPU-hour for the first month of Standard paid retention and $0.000086 per vCPU-hour for each additional configured month in its pricing example. Rates can vary by Region.
Standard paid retention:
Calculation block
Standard paid retention:
vCPUs × hours × [FMR rate + (additional months × AMR rate)]
Advanced:
vCPUs × hours × Advanced rate
Using a 730-hour budgeting month, a 2-vCPU instance with one month of Standard retention is approximately $3.00:
2 × 730 × $0.002054 = $2.99884
The same instance on Advanced is approximately $18.25:
2 × 730 × $0.0125 = $18.25
For three months of Standard retention on a 4-vCPU instance:
4 × 730 × [$0.002054 + (2 × $0.000086)] = about $6.50 per month
These calculations are illustrative, not guaranteed bills. Actual charges depend on Region, billable hours, API usage, configuration, and separately billed CloudWatch Logs.
For a broader cost model, the RDS pricing calculator guide separates monitoring from compute, storage, backups, and lifecycle-support charges.
The general CloudWatch Database Insights documentation says Advanced supports 1 to 24 months of detailed metric retention at no additional retention cost. The RDS-specific configuration page is more restrictive operationally: the RDS console requires a 15-month retention setting for Advanced, while the CLI and API require at least 465 days.
For RDS MySQL configuration, follow the RDS-specific procedure for the interface you use. Do not assume that every value described on the general CloudWatch page can be entered through the RDS console, CLI, or API.
Longer retention is useful when you need recurring seasonal comparisons, quarter-over-quarter analysis, long-running query regressions, or a longer capacity-planning record. Standard paid retention handles those use cases without requiring Advanced-only diagnostics.
If the real problem is database sizing rather than history, review CPU, memory and swap, connections, and I/O before paying for a more expensive monitoring mode. The RDS MySQL right-sizing guide covers that workflow.
For a broader cost model, the RDS pricing calculator guide separates monitoring from compute, storage, backups, and lifecycle-support charges.
Advanced retention needs extra care
AWS documentation currently gives two different descriptions of Advanced retention.The general CloudWatch Database Insights documentation says Advanced supports 1 to 24 months of detailed metric retention at no additional retention cost. The RDS-specific configuration page is more restrictive operationally: the RDS console requires a 15-month retention setting for Advanced, while the CLI and API require at least 465 days.
For RDS MySQL configuration, follow the RDS-specific procedure for the interface you use. Do not assume that every value described on the general CloudWatch page can be entered through the RDS console, CLI, or API.
Is seven days enough for MySQL?
For many MySQL teams, yes. Seven days generally covers recent incident investigation, a performance regression after a deployment, wait-event analysis, and identification of high-load SQL while the problem is still active.Longer retention is useful when you need recurring seasonal comparisons, quarter-over-quarter analysis, long-running query regressions, or a longer capacity-planning record. Standard paid retention handles those use cases without requiring Advanced-only diagnostics.
If the real problem is database sizing rather than history, review CPU, memory and swap, connections, and I/O before paying for a more expensive monitoring mode. The RDS MySQL right-sizing guide covers that workflow.
Which tier do you actually need?
| Your requirement | Recommended choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Recent DB Load, SQL, and wait troubleshooting | Standard with detailed metrics | Seven days may be enough |
| More than 7 days, no Advanced-only feature | Standard with paid retention | Flexible 1 to 24 month history |
| Fleet-wide views or on-demand analysis | Advanced | Advanced-only diagnostics |
| OS process analysis | Advanced plus Enhanced Monitoring | Enhanced Monitoring is required |
| RDS MySQL execution plans | Neither | Not supported for RDS MySQL |
Illustrative fleet example
Assume a three-instance RDS MySQL Multi-AZ DB cluster with 4 vCPUs per instance, for 12 vCPUs total, and use a 730-hour budgeting month.Standard with three months of retention:
12 × 730 × [$0.002054 + (2 × $0.000086)] = about $19.50 per month
Advanced:
12 × 730 × $0.0125 = $109.50 per month
The Advanced premium makes sense only when the team actually needs its additional diagnostics. For a Multi-AZ DB cluster, AWS also requires the DB instances to use the same Performance Insights and Enhanced Monitoring settings when Advanced is enabled. AWS documents the Advanced configuration requirements.
Check these settings now
The Performance Insights transition has already happened, so the useful question is whether your current Database Insights configuration matches what you intend to pay for. The Advanced premium makes sense only when the team actually needs its additional diagnostics. For a Multi-AZ DB cluster, AWS also requires the DB instances to use the same Performance Insights and Enhanced Monitoring settings when Advanced is enabled. AWS documents the Advanced configuration requirements.Check these settings now
The Performance Insights transition has already happened, so the useful question is whether your current Database Insights configuration matches what you intend to pay for. Check these six items: Check these six items:Mode: Confirm whether each relevant DB instance or Multi-AZ DB cluster is using Standard or Advanced.
Detailed metrics: In Standard, verify whether detailed per-query and database-counter metric collection is enabled.
Retention: Confirm seven days or the paid Standard period your investigations actually require.
Region: Verify that the Advanced feature you need is supported in that AWS Region.
Instance class: Confirm the RDS MySQL class supports Database Insights.
Log exports: If you use slow-query analysis or view database logs in Database Insights, include CloudWatch Logs costs in the model.
AWS documents the detailed-metrics controls for Standard and notes that Advanced feature availability differs by Region.
Enabling or disabling detailed per-query and database-counter metrics does not require downtime, a reboot, or a failover. MySQL Performance Schema is a separate setting. Turning Performance Schema on or off requires a reboot. AWS documents both behaviours.
You do not need Advanced simply because you use Enhanced Monitoring. You need both when you want Advanced OS process analysis. For broader infrastructure costs, compare monitoring with the RDS MySQL Multi-AZ cost guide and RDS Reserved Instance guide rather than optimising the monitoring line item in isolation.
MySQL 5.7 reached RDS end of standard support on February 29, 2024 and entered Year 3 Extended Support pricing on March 1, 2026. MySQL 8.0 reached RDS end of standard support on July 31, 2026 and entered Extended Support pricing on August 1, 2026.
For MySQL 8.4, AWS currently lists April 30, 2029 as the community end-of-life date and July 31, 2029 as the RDS end-of-standard-support date. That distinction matters for RDS lifecycle and commitment planning. AWS maintains the current RDS for MySQL lifecycle schedule.
Extended Support is a separate surcharge, so buying an RDS Reserved Instance does not eliminate it. If lifecycle support is the larger avoidable cost, upgrade first. The RDS Extended Support pricing guide explains the current lifecycle charges and upgrade considerations.
Before making broader RDS cost decisions, right-size the workload and confirm that usage is stable.
The RDS RI savings discussed in this guide are AWS pricing benefits. At Usage.ai, we help reduce the management and commitment risk around eligible RDS usage through our Flex Insured Commitment Program.
Eligible workloads can achieve up to 57% savings on covered cloud spend, on average. Our fee is based on realized savings, and eligible Flex Commitments may include cashback protection under current program terms. Review the Flex Commitment eligibility requirements before applying the program.
Enabling or disabling detailed per-query and database-counter metrics does not require downtime, a reboot, or a failover. MySQL Performance Schema is a separate setting. Turning Performance Schema on or off requires a reboot. AWS documents both behaviours.
Database Insights vs Enhanced Monitoring
Database Insights focuses on database activity: DB Load, SQL, waits, users, and performance context. Enhanced Monitoring provides operating-system-level visibility. They are complementary rather than substitutes.You do not need Advanced simply because you use Enhanced Monitoring. You need both when you want Advanced OS process analysis. For broader infrastructure costs, compare monitoring with the RDS MySQL Multi-AZ cost guide and RDS Reserved Instance guide rather than optimising the monitoring line item in isolation.
MySQL versions can add another charge
Database Insights pricing is separate from RDS Extended Support. As of September 2026, MySQL 5.7 and MySQL 8.0 are only available under RDS Extended Support on RDS, while MySQL 8.4 remains under standard support.MySQL 5.7 reached RDS end of standard support on February 29, 2024 and entered Year 3 Extended Support pricing on March 1, 2026. MySQL 8.0 reached RDS end of standard support on July 31, 2026 and entered Extended Support pricing on August 1, 2026.
For MySQL 8.4, AWS currently lists April 30, 2029 as the community end-of-life date and July 31, 2029 as the RDS end-of-standard-support date. That distinction matters for RDS lifecycle and commitment planning. AWS maintains the current RDS for MySQL lifecycle schedule.
Extended Support is a separate surcharge, so buying an RDS Reserved Instance does not eliminate it. If lifecycle support is the larger avoidable cost, upgrade first. The RDS Extended Support pricing guide explains the current lifecycle charges and upgrade considerations.
What most MySQL teams should do
If Database Insights is mainly for incident response, start with Standard and pay for longer retention only when you genuinely need more history. Move to Advanced only when your team needs its additional diagnostic features.Before making broader RDS cost decisions, right-size the workload and confirm that usage is stable.
The RDS RI savings discussed in this guide are AWS pricing benefits. At Usage.ai, we help reduce the management and commitment risk around eligible RDS usage through our Flex Insured Commitment Program.
Eligible workloads can achieve up to 57% savings on covered cloud spend, on average. Our fee is based on realized savings, and eligible Flex Commitments may include cashback protection under current program terms. Review the Flex Commitment eligibility requirements before applying the program.
Frequently asked questions
Is RDS Performance Insights still available in 2026?
The separate Performance Insights console experience ended on July 31, 2026. AWS migrated Performance Insights users to CloudWatch Database Insights. Existing Performance Insights API parameters remain available for Database Insights workflows.
Is Database Insights Standard free?
Standard can retain detailed database and per-query metrics for up to seven days at no additional retention cost when collection is enabled. Retention from 1 to 24 months is available for an additional charge.
Are detailed per-query metrics automatic in Standard?
Do not assume they are always on. AWS enables detailed per-query and database-counter metrics by default when creating new databases, but Standard allows the collection to be disabled later. Verify the setting on the DB instance or Multi-AZ DB cluster you are troubleshooting.
How much does Database Insights Advanced cost for RDS MySQL?
AWS's current US East pricing example lists $0.0125 per vCPU-hour for provisioned RDS instances. A 4-vCPU instance running for an illustrative 730-hour month is about $36.50 before separately billed log or related CloudWatch charges.
Does enabling Database Insights require a restart?
Enabling or disabling detailed per-query and database-counter metrics does not require downtime, a reboot, or a failover. Changing MySQL Performance Schema is separate and does require a reboot.
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