Amazon Web Services → Microsoft Azure
Azure equivalent of Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances
EC2 Reserved Instances map to Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances).
About Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances
| Provider | Amazon Web Services |
|---|---|
| Status | Generally available |
| What it is | A 1- or 3-year billing discount for a specific instance configuration. Standard RIs can be modified and resold on the RI Marketplace. Convertible RIs can be exchanged. Purchases can't be cancelled. |
| Documentation | docs.aws.amazon.com |
| Pricing | Official pricing page |
Azure mappings (1)
| Capability | Azure equivalent | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Reserved instances | Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances) | Direct match |
Purchase options & licensing(1)
Reserved instances Direct match
EC2 Reserved Instances map to Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances). Both are 1- or 3-year discounts tied to a VM configuration and region, and both providers now steer flexible workloads toward savings plans.
- Flexibility. Regional EC2 RIs (Linux, default tenancy) have instance size flexibility within a family. Azure reservations have instance size flexibility within a size group.
- Changing your mind. EC2 Standard RIs can be modified and sold on the RI Marketplace, and Convertible RIs can be exchanged. Neither can be cancelled. Azure reservations can be cancelled (subject to a USD 50,000 per 12-month cap) or traded in for a savings plan.
- Policy change. From Feb 1, 2027, new Azure reservations for services covered by savings plans (including VMs) can't be exchanged, and older ones keep one final exchange.