Managed Database

Amazon RDS for MariaDB Releases

Track Amazon RDS MariaDB version support, MySQL vs MariaDB differences on RDS, version lag vs upstream, upgrade guidance, and Aurora MySQL comparison.

Official Site Documentation

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Total Versions

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Supported

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Latest

Version Timeline

All tracked releases with lifecycle status and EOL dates.

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Lifecycle Timeline

Visual overview of active support and maintenance windows.

10.5

10.6 LTS

10.11 LTS

11.4 LTS

2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

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Maintenance

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Upgrade Paths

Migration guidance between major versions — breaking changes, effort estimates, and tips.

10.5/10.6 10.11 LTS Low-Medium Difficulty

Est. 1-2 hours per version hop

Breaking Changes

Some deprecated syntax removed
Optimizer changes affecting query plans
InnoDB redo log format changes
Replication format improvements
Authentication plugin updates

Migration Notes

MariaDB 10.x upgrades within the same major line are relatively smooth. Test with snapshot restore, update parameter groups, upgrade. The biggest risk is optimizer changes affecting query performance. Run your slow query log analysis after upgrading.

10.11 LTS 11.4 LTS Medium Difficulty

Est. 2-4 hours including testing

Breaking Changes

Major version jump (10.x → 11.x)
Removed deprecated features from 10.x era
System variable renames
New default settings
InnoDB internal changes
Some MyISAM features deprecated

Migration Notes

The 10.x to 11.x jump is the largest MariaDB upgrade on RDS. Review the full changelog. Test extensively. Some applications may need SQL adjustments. The upgrade is still easier than MySQL 5.7→8.0 because MariaDB documented all breaking changes clearly.

Version Risk Assessment

Evaluate risk factors before choosing a version for production.

Version	EOL Risk	CVE Risk	Ecosystem	Cloud Support	Overall	Recommended Action
Amazon RDS for MariaDB 10.5 and older	Critical	High	Deprecated	Extended	Critical	Past community EOL — upgrade to 10.11 LTS
Amazon RDS for MariaDB 10.6 LTS	Medium	Low	LTS Active	Active	Medium	LTS until Jul 2027 — stable choice
Amazon RDS for MariaDB 10.11 LTS	Low	Low	LTS Active	Active	Low	Current LTS — recommended
Amazon RDS for MariaDB 11.4 LTS	None	Low	LTS Active	Active	Low	Latest LTS — recommended for new instances

RDS supports MariaDB LTS versions. Non-LTS versions are not available. AWS follows upstream MariaDB EOL. Assessed March 2026.

RDS MariaDB Version Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature differences across major versions.

Feature	10.5	10.6 LTS	10.11 LTS	11.4 LTS
Columnstore engine	Available	Available	Enhanced	Enhanced
System-versioned tables	Stable	Stable	Enhanced	Enhanced
JSON improvements	Basic	Improved	Enhanced	Enhanced
InnoDB improvements	Stable	Enhanced	Enhanced	Enhanced
Optimizer	Stable	Improved	Enhanced	Enhanced
Galera Cluster compat	4	4	4	4
Aria engine	Stable	Stable	Enhanced	Enhanced
Blue-green deploy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RDS support end (est.)	2025	2027	2028	2030

Embed Badges

Add live Amazon RDS for MariaDB status badges to your README, docs, or dashboard.

Health Status

Overall support health

![Amazon RDS for MariaDB Health Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/health/amazon-rds-mariadb.svg)

EOL Countdown

Next end-of-life date

![Amazon RDS for MariaDB EOL Countdown](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/eol/amazon-rds-mariadb.svg)

Latest Version

Current stable release

![Amazon RDS for MariaDB Latest Version](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/v/amazon-rds-mariadb.svg)

CVE Status

Known vulnerabilities

![Amazon RDS for MariaDB CVE Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/cve/amazon-rds-mariadb.svg)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Amazon RDS for MariaDB releases and lifecycle.

When should I choose RDS MariaDB over RDS MySQL?

Choose MariaDB if you want: the Aria storage engine, Columnstore for analytics, Galera Cluster compatibility, or you prefer MariaDB's development direction (more community-driven, more features like system-versioned tables). Choose MySQL if you need: Aurora compatibility, MySQL Group Replication, MySQL Shell, or your application is specifically certified for MySQL. Both are drop-in compatible for most applications.

How does MariaDB versioning differ from MySQL?

MariaDB forked from MySQL 5.5 in 2009. Versions up to MariaDB 5.5 were numerically aligned with MySQL. MariaDB 10.x diverged significantly. MariaDB 11.x (2023+) introduced a new short-lived (1 year) vs long-term (5 year) support model. On RDS, AWS supports the LTS versions: 10.6 (LTS), 10.11 (LTS), 11.4 (LTS). Non-LTS versions are not available on RDS.

How do I upgrade RDS MariaDB?

Same as RDS MySQL: in-place major version upgrade with downtime, one version at a time. Test with a snapshot restore. Parameter groups must be updated for each major version. MariaDB upgrades are generally smoother than MySQL 5.7→8.0 because MariaDB maintains better backward compatibility within the 10.x line. The 10.x→11.x jump is larger.

Is MariaDB compatible with MySQL on RDS?

MariaDB 10.x is mostly compatible with MySQL 5.7 for DML (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE). DDL and advanced features have diverged: MariaDB has different JSON handling, different replication formats, different authentication plugins, and different optimizer hints. You cannot replicate between RDS MySQL and RDS MariaDB. Migration requires a dump/restore.

Can I use Aurora with MariaDB?

No. Aurora only supports MySQL and PostgreSQL compatibility modes. There is no Aurora MariaDB. If you need Aurora's features (auto-scaling storage, 15 read replicas, fast failover) and currently use MariaDB, you need to migrate to MySQL (most queries work unchanged) or PostgreSQL.

What is MariaDB 11.4 LTS and when is it available on RDS?

MariaDB 11.4 LTS (released May 2024) is the latest long-term support release with 5 years of maintenance. It adds improvements to JSON, optimizer, and InnoDB. AWS typically adds new MariaDB LTS versions to RDS within 2-4 months of upstream GA. Check the RDS version support page for current availability.

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