Amazon Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB)
Database as a service (DBaaS) providers
Database software
Serial number database software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is Amazon Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB)
Amazon Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB) is a fully managed ledger database service on AWS designed to store application data with an immutable, cryptographically verifiable change history. It targets teams that need an auditable system of record for transactions and state changes (for example, financial ledgers, supply chain events, and asset or inventory provenance). QLDB uses a centralized, append-only journal and provides SQL-like querying via PartiQL, with built-in verification of data integrity. It is not a blockchain network; it is a managed database service with ledger-style immutability and audit features.
Immutable, append-only journal
QLDB records all changes in an append-only journal and maintains a complete history of revisions. This supports audit trails and point-in-time reconstruction of data state without building custom history tables. The immutability model is built into the service rather than implemented at the application layer.
Cryptographic verification built in
QLDB provides cryptographic digest and verification capabilities so applications can validate that the journal history has not been altered. This reduces the need for external integrity tooling when proving data lineage and change authenticity. It is useful for compliance-oriented workflows that require tamper-evidence.
Managed AWS operations model
As a DBaaS offering, QLDB offloads infrastructure provisioning, patching, and service availability management to AWS. It integrates with common AWS identity and access controls and fits organizations already standardizing on AWS services. This can shorten time-to-deploy compared with self-managed database software for similar audit requirements.
AWS-only deployment and lock-in
QLDB runs only on AWS and uses service-specific APIs and operational concepts. Migrating to another cloud or to self-managed database software typically requires data export and application changes. This can be a constraint for multi-cloud strategies or strict portability requirements.
Not a general-purpose database
QLDB is optimized for ledger-style workloads with immutable history, not for broad database patterns such as complex analytics, full-text search, or wide ecosystem extensions. Teams may still need additional databases for reporting, search, or event streaming use cases. This increases architectural complexity when QLDB is used as one component among several data stores.
Limited fit for serial tracking
While QLDB can model serial numbers and provenance, it is not purpose-built serial number database software with domain workflows (for example, receiving, warranty, returns, or manufacturing execution). Organizations may need to build significant application logic and user interfaces on top of the ledger. For many serial tracking programs, a higher-level application platform may be more efficient than a ledger database.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Pay-as-you-go Free tier/trial: No QLDB-specific free tier or time-limited trial found. (AWS Free Tier provides 100 GB/month aggregated outbound data transfer, but this is not a QLDB-specific free tier.)
Usage rates (as stated on the AWS QLDB pricing page):
- Write I/O requests: $0.70 per 1,000,000 write requests (USD).
- Read I/O requests: $0.136 per 1,000,000 read requests (USD).
- Journal (ledger) storage: $0.03 per GB-month.
- Indexed storage: $0.25 per GB-month.
- Data transfer: follows standard AWS data-transfer rules. Data transferred between QLDB and other AWS services within the same AWS Region is $0.00 per GB.
Example costs (from AWS pricing examples):
- Example 1 total: $73.06/month (illustrative mix of read/write I/O and 30 GB journal + 30 GB indexed storage).
- Example 2 total: $320.14/month (illustrative mix: heavier I/O and 2 TB journal + 600 GB indexed storage).
Discount options: No discount program or reserved/committed pricing listed on the QLDB pricing page. Contact AWS sales for enterprise pricing or migration assistance.
Notes: AWS states QLDB pricing is billed only for the storage and I/O your ledger consumes, with no minimums; however, AWS also indicates Amazon QLDB is no longer available for new customer registrations (see AWS pricing page notice).
Seller details
Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Seattle, Washington, USA
2006
Subsidiary
https://aws.amazon.com/
https://x.com/awscloud
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon-web-services/
