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Key takeaways
1
Learn how to use the Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer to compare Amazon EC2 pricing in a few simple steps.
2
Search and filter AWS public pricing by instance type, AWS Region, operating system, tenancy, payment option, and commitment term.
3
Sort pricing results to quickly evaluate different EC2 pricing scenarios.
4
Understand the pricing information displayed for each EC2 instance before making purchasing decisions.
AWS pricing is transparent, but finding the information you need isn’t always quick.
If you’re evaluating Amazon EC2 for a new deployment or reviewing existing infrastructure, you’ll often need to compare pricing across different Regions, operating systems, tenancy options, commitment terms, and payment models.
While AWS provides comprehensive pricing documentation, answering a simple question like “Which pricing option is best for this instance?” can involve switching between multiple pricing resources and manually comparing the results.
The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer was built to simplify that process.
Instead of browsing separate pricing resources, the explorer brings AWS public catalog pricing into a single interface where you can search, filter, sort, and compare pricing across multiple AWS services.
The tool currently supports Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon OpenSearch, helping you evaluate pricing without leaving the page.
In this article, we’ll focus on Amazon EC2 and show you how to use the AWS Pricing Explorer to find an instance type, apply filters, understand the pricing information displayed, and compare different purchasing scenarios before making commitment decisions.
If you’re evaluating Amazon EC2 for a new deployment or reviewing existing infrastructure, you’ll often need to compare pricing across different Regions, operating systems, tenancy options, commitment terms, and payment models.
While AWS provides comprehensive pricing documentation, answering a simple question like “Which pricing option is best for this instance?” can involve switching between multiple pricing resources and manually comparing the results.
The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer was built to simplify that process.
Instead of browsing separate pricing resources, the explorer brings AWS public catalog pricing into a single interface where you can search, filter, sort, and compare pricing across multiple AWS services.
The tool currently supports Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon OpenSearch, helping you evaluate pricing without leaving the page.
In this article, we’ll focus on Amazon EC2 and show you how to use the AWS Pricing Explorer to find an instance type, apply filters, understand the pricing information displayed, and compare different purchasing scenarios before making commitment decisions.
Why Use AWS Pricing Explorer?
AWS pricing documentation is the authoritative source for Amazon EC2 pricing and purchasing options. If you need official pricing information or want to purchase Reserved Instances or Savings Plans, AWS documentation should always be your primary reference.
The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer is designed for a different purpose: making AWS public pricing easier to explore and compare.
Instead of navigating multiple AWS pricing resources, you can:
The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer is designed for a different purpose: making AWS public pricing easier to explore and compare.
Instead of navigating multiple AWS pricing resources, you can:
| Provider | Budget capability | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Cost and usage budgets, forecast alerts, and RI/Savings Plans tracking | AWS says Budgets information is updated up to three times daily. |
| Azure | Actual- and forecast-cost alerts with configurable thresholds | Cost data is typically available within 8–24 hours, and budgets are evaluated every 24 hours. Budgets do not stop resource consumption. |
| Google Cloud | Budget alerts plus programmatic notifications; eligible services can use Spend Caps in preview | Alerts-only budgets do not automatically cap usage. Spend Caps have separate eligibility and enforcement behavior. |
The AWS Pricing Explorer doesn’t replace AWS documentation, it complements it by helping you research and compare AWS public pricing more efficiently before making infrastructure or purchasing decisions.
How to Use the AWS Pricing Explorer to Compare EC2 Pricing
The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer is designed to help you explore AWS public pricing through a single interface. Instead of navigating multiple pricing resources, you can search for an EC2 instance, apply filters, sort results, and compare pricing information in just a few steps.
For this walkthrough, you’ll need:
For this walkthrough, you’ll need:
- A modern web browser
- Internet access
- No AWS account
- No login or registration
Step 1: Open the AWS Pricing Explorer
Open the Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer in your browser.
The homepage opens with Amazon EC2 selected by default and displays a searchable table of AWS public pricing.
Across the top of the page, you’ll also find tabs for Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon OpenSearch, allowing you to switch between supported AWS services without leaving the explorer.
Below the service tabs is a filter bar that helps you narrow down pricing results before reviewing the pricing table.
The homepage opens with Amazon EC2 selected by default and displays a searchable table of AWS public pricing.
Across the top of the page, you’ll also find tabs for Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon OpenSearch, allowing you to switch between supported AWS services without leaving the explorer.
Below the service tabs is a filter bar that helps you narrow down pricing results before reviewing the pricing table.
Step 2: Search or Filter Your EC2 Instance
The filter bar helps you quickly narrow the results to match the workload you’re evaluating.
Depending on your requirements, you can filter pricing using:
Depending on your requirements, you can filter pricing using:
| Filter | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Search |
Find a specific instance type such as m7i.large or c7g.xlarge.
|
| Instance Type | Display pricing for a selected EC2 instance family or size. |
| Region | View pricing for a specific AWS Region. |
| OS | Filter by operating system supported by the instance. |
| Tenancy | Compare Shared or Dedicated tenancy pricing. |
| Upfront Option | Choose the Reserved Instance payment option. |
| Term Length | Filter pricing by commitment duration. |
| Offering Class | View Standard or Convertible Reserved Instance pricing. |
| Preinstalled Software | Filter instances based on included software licenses. |
For example, if you’re evaluating m7i.large instances running Linux in US East (N. Virginia), you can use the search box together with the Region and OS filters to quickly narrow the results.
As you apply filters, the pricing table updates automatically, making it easier to focus on the instances that match your requirements.
As you apply filters, the pricing table updates automatically, making it easier to focus on the instances that match your requirements.
Step 3: Understand the Pricing Table
Once you’ve filtered the results, the pricing table displays both instance specifications and pricing information for each matching EC2 instance.
In addition to pricing, you’ll see details such as:
Rather than switching between multiple AWS pricing resources, you can review this information from a single screen and sort the table to help identify the results most relevant to your workload.
In addition to pricing, you’ll see details such as:
- Instance type
- vCPUs
- Memory
- Storage configuration
- Network performance
- AWS Region
Rather than switching between multiple AWS pricing resources, you can review this information from a single screen and sort the table to help identify the results most relevant to your workload.
Tip:
Click any column heading to sort the results. For example, you can sort by hourly pricing or monthly cost to quickly identify lower-cost options for your selected filters.
Understanding the EC2 Pricing Columns
The AWS Pricing Explorer displays multiple pricing columns so you can evaluate different purchasing options for the same Amazon EC2 instance from a single view.
While the hourly prices may look similar at first glance, each column represents a different way of purchasing compute capacity from AWS. Understanding these pricing models helps you choose the option that best fits your workload and budget.
The three primary pricing columns you’ll encounter are:
While the hourly prices may look similar at first glance, each column represents a different way of purchasing compute capacity from AWS. Understanding these pricing models helps you choose the option that best fits your workload and budget.
The three primary pricing columns you’ll encounter are:
- On-Demand $/hr
- Reserved $/hr
- Savings Plan $/hr
On-Demand Pricing
On-Demand is AWS’s standard pay-as-you-go pricing model. You pay only for the compute capacity you use without making a long-term commitment.
This purchasing option is best suited for:
For current rates and billing details, refer to the Amazon EC2 On-Demand Pricing documentation.
This purchasing option is best suited for:
- Development and testing
- Short-lived workloads
- Applications with unpredictable usage
- Temporary environments
For current rates and billing details, refer to the Amazon EC2 On-Demand Pricing documentation.
Reserved Pricing
The Reserved $/hr column shows pricing associated with Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances (RIs).
Reserved Instances provide discounted pricing in exchange for a commitment, with pricing varying based on factors such as:
If you’re unfamiliar with Reserved Instances or want to understand purchasing options in more detail, AWS provides comprehensive documentation covering Standard and Convertible Reserved Instances.
Reserved Instances provide discounted pricing in exchange for a commitment, with pricing varying based on factors such as:
- Commitment term
- Payment option
- Offering class
- AWS Region
- Operating system
- Tenancy
If you’re unfamiliar with Reserved Instances or want to understand purchasing options in more detail, AWS provides comprehensive documentation covering Standard and Convertible Reserved Instances.
Savings Plan Pricing
The Savings Plan $/hr column shows pricing available through AWS Savings Plans.
Savings Plans also offer discounted pricing through a usage commitment, but they’re designed to provide greater flexibility than Reserved Instances for many workloads.
Using the Pricing Explorer, you can review Savings Plan pricing alongside On-Demand and Reserved pricing without switching between different AWS resources, making it easier to evaluate different purchasing scenarios.
To learn more about Savings Plans and supported services, see the official AWS documentation.
Savings Plans also offer discounted pricing through a usage commitment, but they’re designed to provide greater flexibility than Reserved Instances for many workloads.
Using the Pricing Explorer, you can review Savings Plan pricing alongside On-Demand and Reserved pricing without switching between different AWS resources, making it easier to evaluate different purchasing scenarios.
To learn more about Savings Plans and supported services, see the official AWS documentation.
Additional Pricing Information
Besides hourly pricing, the Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer includes several columns that help you evaluate the overall cost of running an EC2 instance.
| Column | What it helps you understand |
|---|---|
| On-Demand /mo | Estimated monthly cost based on the published hourly rate. |
| Savings vs On-Demand | The potential reduction compared with the On-Demand rate. |
| Upfront Cost | Any upfront payment associated with the selected purchasing option, where applicable. |
Together, these columns provide additional context when comparing different purchasing options for long-running workloads.
Best Practice
Don’t focus on a single pricing column in isolation.
Before making a purchasing decision, review the pricing together with your workload’s expected usage, deployment Region, operating system, tenancy requirements, and commitment horizon. Small changes to these parameters can affect the pricing shown in the explorer.
Don’t focus on a single pricing column in isolation.
Before making a purchasing decision, review the pricing together with your workload’s expected usage, deployment Region, operating system, tenancy requirements, and commitment horizon. Small changes to these parameters can affect the pricing shown in the explorer.
How to Compare EC2 Pricing Effectively
After you’ve filtered the results and understand the pricing columns, use these best practices to compare pricing more accurately.
1. Compare like-for-like configurations
Before comparing two instances, make sure they’re using the same:
- AWS Region
- Operating system
- Tenancy
- Commitment term
- Payment option
2. Look beyond the hourly rate
The lowest hourly price isn’t always the best choice.
Review:
Review:
- Hourly pricing
- Monthly estimate
- Upfront cost
- Savings compared to On-Demand
3. Compare instance specifications
Price should always be considered alongside instance specifications.
Use the explorer to review:
Use the explorer to review:
- vCPUs
- Memory
- Storage
- Network performance
4. Validate before purchasing
The AWS Pricing Explorer is designed to help you research and compare AWS public pricing efficiently.
Before purchasing Reserved Instances or Savings Plans, always verify pricing using the official AWS pricing documentation, as AWS may update pricing or purchasing options over time.
Before purchasing Reserved Instances or Savings Plans, always verify pricing using the official AWS pricing documentation, as AWS may update pricing or purchasing options over time.
Conclusion
Comparing Amazon EC2 pricing is more than finding the lowest hourly rate. It is about understanding how different purchasing options, Regions, and commitment terms affect your overall cloud costs.
The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer simplifies that process by bringing AWS public pricing into one place, making it easier to research, compare, and evaluate pricing before making infrastructure or purchasing decisions.
As your cloud environment evolves, revisit your pricing assumptions regularly. AWS frequently introduces new instance families, expands regional availability, and updates purchasing options. So periodically reviewing your pricing strategy can help ensure you’re choosing the most appropriate option for your workloads.
The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer simplifies that process by bringing AWS public pricing into one place, making it easier to research, compare, and evaluate pricing before making infrastructure or purchasing decisions.
As your cloud environment evolves, revisit your pricing assumptions regularly. AWS frequently introduces new instance families, expands regional availability, and updates purchasing options. So periodically reviewing your pricing strategy can help ensure you’re choosing the most appropriate option for your workloads.
Modern platforms shift cloud cost optimization from analysis to execution managing commitment decisions instead of just recommending them. Usage.ai is a clear example.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AWS Pricing Explorer free to use?
Yes. The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer is publicly available and does not require an AWS account or login to explore AWS public pricing.
Can I compare pricing across AWS Regions?
Yes. Use the Region filter to view published pricing for different AWS Regions and compare how pricing varies for the same EC2 instance.
Does the AWS Pricing Explorer only support Amazon EC2?
No. In addition to Amazon EC2, the explorer also supports Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon OpenSearch, allowing you to explore pricing across multiple AWS services from one interface.
Do I still need the AWS Pricing Calculator?
Yes. The Usage.ai AWS Pricing Explorer helps you research and compare public pricing, while the AWS Pricing Calculator is designed to estimate the cost of an entire cloud architecture, including compute, storage, networking, and other AWS services.
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