What's the Difference Between AWS Direct Connect and AWS VPN?
Compare AWS Direct Connect and AWS VPN side by side — features, pricing, and ideal use cases to help you choose the right product.
Compare side-by-side
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Comparisons
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AWS Direct Connect
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AWS VPN
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Category
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Networking, Hybrid connectivity |
Networking, VPN |
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Description
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Dedicated network connection to AWS |
Encrypted network access to AWS resources |
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Best for
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Key features
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Pricing model
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Port hours + data transfer out |
Pay per VPN connection hour + data transfer |
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Free tier
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No |
No |
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Expert take
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“Direct Connect provides dedicated bandwidth that does not traverse the public internet, giving you consistent latency and throughput. Use a private VIF for VPC traffic and a transit VIF to reach multiple VPCs through Transit Gateway over a single connection.” |
“Site-to-Site VPN creates encrypted tunnels between your network and AWS over the internet. It works as a quick-start option or as Direct Connect backup for redundancy.” |
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Product page
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When to use AWS Direct Connect or AWS VPN
Use AWS Direct Connect when:
- Hybrid cloud
- Data migration
- Real-time data feeds
- Disaster recovery
Learn more about AWS Direct Connect »
Use AWS VPN when:
- Site-to-site connectivity
- Remote access
- Hybrid cloud
- Branch office connectivity
Next steps with AWS for Networking
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