TiDB Cloud Essential Now Available in Public Preview on AWS and Alibaba Cloud

TiDB Cloud Essential is our new plan for teams that need a stronger balance of scalability, performance, and security than TiDB Cloud Starter, without the full enterprise surface area of TiDB Cloud Dedicated. Starting today, you can now provision fixed Request Capacity Units (RCUs) for predictable performance, grow instantly when you need more headroom, and adopt enterprise‑grade controls like DB audit logging and richer in‑app metrics.

Essential is designed for production apps that have grown beyond freemium limits or dev‑only workflows, but do not yet require every TiDB Cloud Dedicated capability.

TiDB Cloud Essential: What You Get

• Provisioned Request Capacity Units with auto-scaling: pick an initial RCU level for steady performance and raise it in seconds as demand spikes. Provisioned RCUs keep performance predictable and cost visibility clear.
• On‑demand storage, snapshot/backup options: scale storage independently. Automated backups include PITR with retention up to 30 days by default (TiDB Cloud Starter’s freemium default is 1 day).
• More enterprise features built‑in: DB Audit Log, richer in‑app metrics and observability, public and private connections, Import, and TiCDC (Q4 2025) for change data capture. It also adds built‑in Data Migration (DM) in the console, similar to what TiDB Cloud Dedicated offers today.

Where is TiDB Cloud Essential Available?

• AWS: the same 5 regions available for TiDB Cloud Starter are enabled for TiDB Cloud Essential at launch.
• Alibaba Cloud: Tokyo, Singapore, Jakarta, and Mexico.

We will continue to add regions based on demand and provider readiness.

Typical Use Cases

• SaaS multi‑tenant applications that need predictable throughput, per‑tenant isolation patterns, and auditability.
• Web3 and event‑driven services that blend online transactions with streaming or batch pipelines via TiCDC and Import.
• Production workloads that have outgrown dev‑tier limits and need 30‑day backups and deeper metrics without moving all the way to TiDB Cloud Dedicated.

Getting Started

1. Create an instance. In the TiDB Cloud console, choose Essential, pick your cloud and region, select an initial RCU, and set your connectivity (public or private).
2. Migrate your data. Use BR for full data load or restore, then use TiCDC for ongoing replication and a short cutover window. For MySQL‑compatible sources, you can also use the built‑in DM flow directly from the console.
3. Estimate RU/RCU and right‑size. Start from the default RCU profile, run a representative workload, and watch the in‑app metrics to understand request rates and latency. Increase RCUs instantly if you need more throughput; you can tune downward during quieter periods.
4. Set protection policies. Confirm your automated backup schedule and PITR window (up to 30 days in TiDB Cloud Essential) before opening production traffic.

Quick Pricing Overview

• Starts from $500/month for roughly 2,000 RCUs.
• You pay for the RCUs you provision, with the ability to scale out instantly as needed.
• Storage is on‑demand, metered separately.

For complete details, see pricing and the Essential documentation.

How Does TiDB Cloud Essential Fit with Other Deployment Options?

TiDB Cloud Starter	TiDB Cloud Essential	TiDB Cloud Dedicated
Best for prototypes and apps with minimal operational and security needs, including scale‑to‑zero and the lowest entry cost.	Best when you need predictable performance, richer metrics, auditability, and 30‑day backups at an approachable price.	Best for applications that require full enterprise capabilities and the broadest control surface.

What’s Next

• Join the conversation in Slack or Discord and tell us what you build.
• Opt in to product updates in the console to get notified as we add regions and features during public preview.
• Send feedback directly in‑product from the TiDB Cloud Essential instance view; we read every report.