ScyllaDB as a DynamoDB Alternative: Frequently Asked Questions

Organizations looking to transition from AWS DynamoDB to ScyllaDB are driven by the need to reduce costs, avoid latency issues, and seek more flexibility away from cloud vendor lock-in. ScyllaDB offers two main protocols, CQL and ScyllaDB Alternator, with the latter designed to be almost a drop-in replacement for DynamoDB, albeit with some differences and the necessity for minor adjustments during migration. While ScyllaDB is not a native AWS service and may lack some newly launched DynamoDB features, it provides significant advantages like predictable low-latency performance and less infrastructure requirement. Migration typically involves data transfer from DynamoDB and application updates to connect with ScyllaDB, with tools like the ScyllaDB Migrator facilitating the process. Furthermore, ScyllaDB's caching strategy is integrated and efficient, matching the speed of DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) but with lower latencies and simplified management. Despite some missing features, ScyllaDB's open-source nature and production readiness since 2020 make it a viable alternative for organizations seeking to break free from AWS's ecosystem.