>But they are interested in the API, because that's what their customers are using. The API is very much a part of the product. It's effectively the UI for the

>But they are interested in the API, because that's what their customers are using. The API is very much a part of the product. It's effectively the UI for the service. Small companies like Mongo and Elastic can't compete on scale but they can compete on interface design. If it's ok for the giant providers to just take their interface design and rip it wholesale then you are cutting off the market for new database engines. Aurora and DynamoDB have been around for ages. If it's objectively superior, then why did they feel the need to make a MongoDB compatibility layer? Because despite being 'superior', people were still using MongoDB. A database engine is more than just the backend. The developer-facing side is just as important - if not more so.