Elasticsearch vs DynamoDB

The search engine that thinks it's a database meets aws's nosql powerhouse that scales like a dream but makes you think in keys and indexes. Here's our take.

Elasticsearch

Nice Pick

The search engine that thinks it's a database. Great for logs, but good luck with transactions.

Pros

• Blazing-fast full-text search and analytics
• Scalable and distributed by design
• Rich ecosystem with Kibana for visualization

Cons

• Not ACID-compliant, so avoid for transactional data
• Can be resource-hungry and complex to tune

DynamoDB

AWS's NoSQL powerhouse that scales like a dream but makes you think in keys and indexes.

Pros

• Serverless architecture with automatic scaling
• Single-digit millisecond latency for most operations
• Built-in backup and point-in-time recovery
• Seamless integration with other AWS services

Cons

• Pricing can be unpredictable with high throughput
• Limited query flexibility compared to relational databases

The Verdict

Use Elasticsearch if: You want blazing-fast full-text search and analytics and can live with not acid-compliant, so avoid for transactional data.

Use DynamoDB if: You prioritize serverless architecture with automatic scaling over what Elasticsearch offers.

The Bottom Line

Elasticsearch wins

The search engine that thinks it's a database. Great for logs, but good luck with transactions.