Choose an EC2 commitment that fits your workload
On this page
Compare recurring eligible usage with candidate Savings Plans rates before approval. Choose Compute for broad flexibility, EC2 Instance for one family and Region, or a Reserved Instance when its configuration and capacity scope match. Skipping this can leave you paying for unused coverage or the wrong capacity.
What you need first
- Tool
- Use the manual worksheet below in a text editor or on paper. It compares usage and AWS offer details without commands or resource changes. Start with hourly usage records and the exact offers under review.
- Access
- No cloud permissions are needed to fill in the worksheet. Ask an authorized AWS billing or cloud colleague for read-only usage, existing commitment coverage, and offer details for the accounts under review.
- If you do not use that tool
- Give that colleague the account list, Regions, and completed billing periods. Request hourly eligible usage after existing commitments, valued at candidate Savings Plans rates, plus offer terms and whether Savings Plans sharing is enabled.
Why this is worth a look
Unused commitments can still cost you money. Savings Plans terms cannot change after purchase. Partial Upfront and No Upfront Reserved Instances bill per hour throughout the term whether used or not, while All Upfront requires full payment at the start. AWS recommends Savings Plans over Reserved Instances, but the plans differ in flexibility. Size a Savings Plan with applicable rates, not On-Demand spend, or you can commit more than the workload needs.
Run this check
CHECKLISTComplete these manual steps with usage records and candidate AWS offers. Compare discount coverage and capacity needs without buying or changing anything.
Execution surface: text editor or paper; manual, read-only review.
Access: no cloud permissions for this worksheet. Obtain account results from an authorized AWS billing or cloud colleague.
Scope: list accounts and Regions. Include EC2 and, for Compute Savings Plans, eligible Fargate and Lambda usage.
Time window: record the completed billing periods reviewed. Include low-use hours, weekends, and seasonal lows where available.
Units: record hourly usage in its service units. Value Savings Plan commitment and eligible usage at candidate Savings Plans rates in USD/hour. Record upfront payments separately.
[ ] Record scope, review period, and whether Savings Plans sharing is enabled. Do not count other accounts' usage without confirming sharing.
[ ] Apply existing EC2 Reserved Instance coverage first, then existing Savings Plans. Record remaining eligible usage hour by hour.
[ ] Value remaining usage at candidate Savings Plans rates. Record a recurring low-use level and compare it with the proposed USD/hour commitment.
[ ] Record expected changes in family, size, Region, operating system, tenancy, and service during the proposed term.
[ ] Compare Compute Savings Plans across EC2 families, sizes, Regions, operating systems, and tenancy, including eligible Fargate and Lambda usage. Compare EC2 Instance Savings Plans within one family and Region, with size, operating system, and tenancy flexibility.
[ ] State whether capacity in a specific Availability Zone is required. A regional Reserved Instance does not reserve capacity; a zonal one reserves it in its specified zone.
[ ] For a Reserved Instance, record instance family and size, Region, operating system, tenancy, and regional or zonal scope. Regional size flexibility applies only to Amazon Linux/Unix with default tenancy. Zonal discounts require the specified family, size, and zone.
[ ] For Reserved Instances, compare one-year and three-year terms and All Upfront, Partial Upfront, and No Upfront options. For Savings Plans, record the exact offered term, payment option, and USD/hour commitment.
[ ] Record the candidate choice and missing usage or offer details. Hold approval if recurring eligible usage or required capacity match is unclear.How to confirm it
- 01
Check what still needs coverage
Request hourly usage after existing commitments for the accounts and periods under review. AWS applies EC2 Reserved Instances first, then EC2 Instance Savings Plans before Compute Savings Plans. Confirm sharing before counting usage from other accounts.
- 02
Choose the flexibility you need
Mark expected workload changes before choosing a plan. Compute Savings Plans cover eligible EC2 usage across families, sizes, Regions, operating systems, and tenancy, plus Fargate and Lambda. EC2 Instance Savings Plans allow size, operating system, and tenancy changes within the chosen family and Region.
- 03
Check capacity separately
Confirm whether a specific Availability Zone needs reserved capacity. A zonal Reserved Instance reserves capacity there and limits its discount to that zone, family, and size. A regional Reserved Instance does not reserve capacity, and its discount applies across Availability Zones in the Region.
- 04
Compare the amount and terms
Complete the worksheet before approval. Compare recurring eligible usage at candidate Savings Plans rates with the proposed USD/hour commitment, rather than using On-Demand spend. Record the exact term and payment option for each offer so finance can compare upfront payments and ongoing obligations.
Before making changes
Treat historical usage as a planning assumption, not a promise of future demand. This worksheet assumes complete hourly records and correct existing coverage for the selected accounts. Regional Reserved Instance size flexibility applies only to Amazon Linux/Unix Reserved Instances with default tenancy. Verify each Savings Plan offer's term and payment option instead of assuming it has the same choices as a Reserved Instance.