Amazon Database Migration Service vs CAST Highlight
Amazon Database Migration Service
aws.amazon.com
CAST Highlight
castsoftware.comSide by side
| Figure | Amazon Database Migration Service | CAST Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $566.67/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Cloud Migration Tools | 8.7 (#2) | 8.5 (#3) |
| Integrations | DMS integrates with CloudTrail and CloudWatch Logs, and its API and AWS CLI can automate replication task management and custom monitoring. | The CAST Highlight Extensions Marketplace lists plugins for Azure DevOps, GitHub, Jira, BitBucket, and VS Code; the product page also names Microsoft Teams, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot for instant answers. |
| Intended users | AWS describes DMS as a service for migrating and modernizing databases and analytics workloads to AWS, including migrations from self-managed databases to managed AWS databases. | CAST describes the platform for organization-wide IT portfolios, with portfolio managers administering instances and application owners contributing scans and survey answers. |
| Security | AWS DMS requires TLS 1.2 for API clients and recommends TLS 1.3; it also supports resource-based access policies and AWS PrivateLink VPC endpoints. | CAST says the SaaS platform is ISO 27001 certified and stores analysis results in a client-reserved cloud hosted on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud; source code and database scripts are not uploaded. |
Plans
Amazon Database Migration Service
- AWS Free TierFree
- AWS DMS ServerlessPriced on request
- Database Savings PlansPrice not published
- On-demand instancesPriced on request
CAST Highlight
- Complete Insights (single application)$6,800 a year
- Cloud Insights$30,800 a year
- SCA Insights$33,000 a year
- Complete Edition$44,000 a year
In their own words
Amazon Database Migration Service
Amazon Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) is a SaaS service for moving relational databases, data warehouses, NoSQL databases and other data stores to AWS or between cloud and on-premises environments. It handles one-time migrations and continuous replication, with support for both like-for-like and cross-engine moves. AWS says more than 20 databases and data warehouses can serve as source or target endpoints. DMS Schema Conversion assesses schemas and converts many code objects, including views, stored procedures and functions, while identifying work that needs manual conversion. DMS Serverless provisions and scales capacity according to transaction volume, billed hourly. Multi-AZ deployment uses redundant replication instances, and interrupted migrations can resume. API and AWS CLI support automation, while CloudTrail and CloudWatch Logs provide integrations. TLS, VPC deployment, PrivateLink and column masking are available. At least one endpoint must be Amazon RDS or EC2; on-premises-to-on-premises replication is unsupported. The AWS Free Tier offers free with credits.
CAST Highlight
CAST Highlight is SaaS software for assessing portfolios of custom business applications. Its source analysis reports software risk, complexity, and size, and surfaces application health, resiliency, technical debt, and private data risks. Cloud Insights covers cloud maturity and effort estimates, container readiness, blockers and boosters, and cloud native service recommendations. SCA Insights addresses open source security and license risks, component obsolescence, recommendations, and SBOM creation and importing. AI features identify applications for AI augmentation, recommend AI services or LLMs, and assess agent readiness, blockers, and fixes. Listed plugins include Azure DevOps, GitHub, Jira, BitBucket, and VS Code; product information also names Microsoft Teams, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot for instant answers. CAST says analysis results are stored in a client-reserved cloud and source code and database scripts need not be uploaded. A 14-day trial includes a preloaded sample portfolio. Annual subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled with 60 days’ notice. Listed annual plans range from 6800.00 USD for a single named application to 44000.00 USD for Complete Edition.