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Amazon Redshift
What Amazon Redshift is
Amazon Redshift is a cloud data warehouse for SQL analytics across data warehouses and data lakes. It offers provisioned and serverless deployment options, and AWS says its options scale to petabytes of data and support thousands of concurrent users. Redshift can query Apache Iceberg, Apache Hudi, and Delta Lake tables, as well as open file formats in Amazon S3, using read-only SQL.
For data ingestion, Zero-ETL integrations connect Redshift with Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, Amazon DynamoDB, and enterprise applications. Streaming ingestion can connect to Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka. AWS lists compatible BI and ETL tools including QuickSight, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Alteryx, Jupyter Notebook, Informatica, dbt, MicroStrategy, and Looker. The Redshift Data API supports languages and platforms covered by the AWS SDK, including Python, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, and C++.
Security controls include encryption in transit and at rest, row and column access controls, and dynamic data masking. Redshift also integrates with AWS IAM Identity Center for single sign-on and CloudTrail for API call auditing. AWS states that a Multi-AZ Redshift data warehouse offers a 99.99% SLA. The cloud service is available through API and web platforms; its use cases include dashboarding, application development, data sharing, and ETL jobs.
Who it suits
Redshift suits teams that need SQL analytics across warehouse and data lake data, with provisioned or serverless deployment choices. Its listed workloads include dashboards, application development, data sharing, and ETL jobs.
What it does well
- Offers both provisioned and serverless deployment options.
- Queries Iceberg, Hudi, Delta Lake, and open file format data in S3.
- Zero-ETL integrations connect Aurora, RDS, DynamoDB, and enterprise applications.
- Streaming ingestion supports Kinesis Data Streams and Amazon MSK.
- Includes row and column access controls and dynamic data masking.
What to know first
- There is no free plan.
- Storage and other usage can be charged separately from starting rates.
- Serverless on-demand pricing has a 60-second minimum charge.
Limits
There is no free plan. Provisioned and Serverless on-demand options list starting rates, while storage and other usage may be charged separately; Serverless has a 60-second minimum charge.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Provisioned | On-demand pricing; partial hours are billed in one-second increments · Provisioned cluster capacity · On-demand hourly billing · Managed storage billed separately for RG and RA3 nodes | $0.54 a month |
| Serverless | 60-second minimum charge · 4-1024 RPUs | $1.50 a month |
| Provisioned on-demand | Hourly; no commitments; actual cost depends on node type and number of nodes. · Starts at stated rate · storage and other usage may be billed separately | $0.54 a month |
| Redshift Serverless on-demand | RPU-hours billed per second, with a 60-second minimum charge; no compute charge during idle periods. · Starts at stated rate · storage and other usage may be billed separately | $1.50 a month |
As aws.amazon.com lists them, read 20 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the Amazon Redshift website.
- Start with the free trial.
- Choose Provisioned or Serverless deployment.
- Select the on-demand option that fits your workload and review applicable storage and usage charges.
- Connect through the API or web platform and use the Redshift Data API or a listed compatible tool.
Verdict
Choose Amazon Redshift if you need cloud SQL analytics across warehouses and data lakes, with streaming ingestion and a broad set of listed BI and ETL integrations. Review the usage based charges and separate storage costs when comparing its provisioned and serverless options.
Questions
Does Amazon Redshift have a free plan or trial?
It has no free plan, and a free trial is listed.
How much does Amazon Redshift cost?
The listed pricing note is From $0.54. Provisioned on-demand starts at $0.54 a month, and Redshift Serverless on-demand starts at $1.50 a month; storage and other usage may be billed separately.
What deployment options are available?
Redshift offers provisioned and serverless deployment options. The listed plans include Provisioned and Serverless on-demand options.
Which platforms and programming languages are supported?
The listed platforms are API and web. The Data API supports languages and platforms supported by the AWS SDK, including Python, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, and C++.
Can Redshift query data lakes and ingest streaming data?
It supports read-only SQL queries on Apache Iceberg, Apache Hudi, and Delta Lake tables and open file formats in S3. Streaming ingestion can connect with Kinesis Data Streams and Amazon MSK.
Which integrations are listed?
Zero-ETL integrations include Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, Amazon DynamoDB, and enterprise applications. Compatible BI and ETL tools include QuickSight, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Alteryx, Jupyter Notebook, Informatica, dbt, MicroStrategy, and Looker.
Facts from Amazon Redshift's own pages
- API
- The Redshift Data API supports programming languages and platforms supported by the AWS SDK, including Python, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, and C++. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Availability
- AWS states that a Multi-AZ Redshift data warehouse offers a 99.99% SLA. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- BI and ETL integrations
- AWS lists QuickSight, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Alteryx, Jupyter Notebook, Informatica, dbt, MicroStrategy, and Looker among compatible tools. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Data ingestion
- Zero-ETL integrations connect Redshift with Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, Amazon DynamoDB, and enterprise applications. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Data lake queries
- Redshift supports read-only SQL queries on Apache Iceberg, Apache Hudi, and Delta Lake tables and open file formats in Amazon S3. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Deployment
- It offers provisioned and serverless deployment options. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- No · aws.amazon.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Free trial
- The pricing page says first-time Redshift Serverless users are eligible for a $300 credit that expires after 90 days; in regions without Serverless, provisioned clusters have a two-month trial, subject to stated usage limits. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Identity and auditing
- Redshift integrates with AWS IAM Identity Center for single sign-on and AWS CloudTrail for auditing API calls. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Intended workloads
- AWS describes use cases including dashboarding, application development, data sharing, and ETL jobs. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Scale
- AWS says Redshift options scale to petabytes of data and support thousands of concurrent users. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Security
- Redshift supports encryption in transit and at rest, row- and column-level access controls, and dynamic data masking. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- Streaming
- Streaming ingestion can connect with Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
- What it does
- Amazon Redshift is a cloud data warehouse for SQL analytics across data warehouses and data lakes. · aws.amazon.com, 29 Sept 2026
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