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Managed Database

Amazon RDS for MySQL Releases

Track Amazon RDS MySQL version support, Aurora vs RDS comparison, version lag vs upstream, upgrade paths, and parameter group compatibility.

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.

5.7
8.0
8.4 LTS
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Active
Maint
Active
Maint
Active
Maint
Active / LTS
Maintenance
Today

Upgrade Paths

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

MySQL 5.7 MySQL 8.0 High Difficulty
Est. 4-8 hours including testing

Breaking Changes

  • Default auth changed (caching_sha2_password)
  • GROUP BY no longer implicitly sorts
  • New reserved words (RANK, GROUPS, LATERAL, etc.)
  • utf8 now aliases to utf8mb4 (4-byte unicode)
  • Query optimizer changes (may change query plans)
  • Removed query cache entirely
  • InnoDB internal changes affect crash recovery

Migration Notes

Run the MySQL Upgrade Checker (mysqlsh util.checkForServerUpgrade()) before upgrading. Fix all reported issues. Test your application thoroughly on a restored snapshot running 8.0. The auth change breaks many older client libraries. Set default_authentication_plugin=mysql_native_password temporarily if clients cannot upgrade. Plan for query performance regression testing.

MySQL 8.0 MySQL 8.4 LTS Low-Medium Difficulty
Est. 1-2 hours

Breaking Changes

  • Some deprecated features removed
  • Default settings changes for security
  • Group Replication improvements may change behavior

Migration Notes

A smoother upgrade than 5.7→8.0. The 8.0→8.4 path maintains compatibility. Test with a snapshot, verify parameter groups, upgrade. The main benefit is the 8.4 LTS lifecycle (supported until 2032).

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 MySQL 5.7 Critical High Extended $$ Paid ext. Critical Community EOL, paying for extended — upgrade to 8.0/8.4 NOW
Amazon RDS for MySQL 8.0 (early) Medium Low Active Active Medium Update to latest 8.0 patch
Amazon RDS for MySQL 8.0 (latest) Low Low Active Active Low Supported — consider 8.4 LTS migration
Amazon RDS for MySQL 8.4 LTS None Low Active Active Low Current LTS — recommended for new instances

RDS MySQL follows upstream Oracle EOL plus AWS extended support. 5.7 is on borrowed time. Assessed March 2026.

RDS MySQL Version Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature differences across major versions.

Feature 5.7 8.0 8.4 LTS
Default auth native_password caching_sha2 caching_sha2
Window functions No Yes Yes
CTEs No Yes Yes
JSON improvements Basic Enhanced Enhanced
Invisible indexes No Yes Yes
Query cache Available Removed Removed
Group Replication Basic Enhanced Enhanced
Blue-green deploy Yes Yes Yes
Support end (RDS) Extended $$ Apr 2027 Apr 2032

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Health Status

Overall support health

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

EOL Countdown

Next end-of-life date

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

Latest Version

Current stable release

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

CVE Status

Known vulnerabilities

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Amazon RDS for MySQL releases and lifecycle.

What is the difference between RDS MySQL and Aurora MySQL?
RDS MySQL is standard MySQL on managed EC2. Aurora MySQL is a cloud-native rewrite: 5x read throughput, automatic storage scaling to 128TB, up to 15 read replicas with <20ms replication lag, and ~30 second failover. Aurora costs ~20% more. Aurora MySQL is compatible with MySQL 5.7 and 8.0. Choose Aurora for production workloads needing HA and read scaling. Choose RDS MySQL for dev/staging or cost-sensitive workloads.
How do I upgrade RDS MySQL major versions?
RDS performs in-place major version upgrades. The instance is unavailable during the upgrade (10-30 min for small DBs, longer for large ones). You cannot skip major versions. The 5.7→8.0 upgrade is the most significant. Always test with a snapshot restore first. Use blue-green deployments for zero-downtime upgrades. Check the pre-upgrade validation logs for incompatibilities.
When does MySQL 5.7 reach EOL on RDS?
MySQL 5.7 community support ended October 2023. AWS extended RDS support for 5.7 but charges extra (Extended Support pricing since February 2024). AWS will eventually auto-upgrade remaining 5.7 instances to 8.0. If you are still on 5.7, upgrade to 8.0 now to avoid extended support charges and the eventual forced upgrade.
What are the biggest risks upgrading from MySQL 5.7 to 8.0?
The 5.7→8.0 upgrade is the most breaking MySQL upgrade in years. Key risks: default authentication changed (mysql_native_password → caching_sha2_password), GROUP BY implicit sorting removed, reserved word additions (RANK, GROUPS, etc. now reserved), utf8 now aliases to utf8mb4, and query optimizer changes that can slow down some queries. Run the MySQL Upgrade Checker utility before upgrading.
What is MySQL 8.4 LTS on RDS?
MySQL 8.4 is the first LTS release under MySQL's new versioning model. It gets 5 years of Premier Support + 3 years Extended. On RDS, 8.4 is available and will be the recommended version for long-lived deployments. The non-LTS "Innovation" releases (8.1, 8.2, 8.3) have shorter support windows and are not recommended for production on RDS.
Should I use RDS MySQL or RDS MariaDB?
Use MySQL if you need Aurora compatibility, MySQL-specific features (Group Replication, MySQL Shell), or your application is certified for MySQL. Use MariaDB if you want Galera Cluster compatibility, Columnstore engine, or prefer the MariaDB community direction. Both are excellent on RDS. MySQL has broader enterprise certification. MariaDB has more open-source community momentum.

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