Virtual machines & images
Amazon EC2 hibernation vs Azure VM hibernation
EC2 hibernation maps to Azure VM hibernation.
Both save RAM to the OS disk and charge only for storage (and IPs) while hibernated.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon EC2 hibernation | Azure VM hibernation |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Suspend-to-disk for EC2. RAM is saved to the encrypted EBS root volume and restored on start, so warmed-up apps resume quickly. | Suspend-to-disk for Azure VMs. Memory is written to the OS disk and the VM is deallocated, so you pay only for disks and IPs while it's hibernated. Supported sizes and OS versions are limited. |
| Pricing model | No instance charge while hibernated. You pay for EBS storage, including the saved RAM contents. | No VM charge while hibernated. You pay for OS and data disks and for static IPs. |
| Docs | Amazon EC2 hibernation docs | Azure VM hibernation docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon EC2 hibernation pricing | Azure VM hibernation pricing |
| Exams | SOA-C03 | AZ-104 |
Key differences
- Both support only certain instance types or sizes, OS versions, and memory sizes. Check the support matrix on each side.
- On EC2, the root EBS volume must be encrypted and large enough to hold RAM, and hibernation must be enabled at launch. On Azure, hibernation must be enabled on the VM, and you must trigger it through the platform (portal, CLI, or API). Hibernating from inside the guest OS keeps the VM billed.
- EC2 Spot Instances can use hibernate as the interruption behavior. Azure Spot VMs evict with Deallocate or Delete instead.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- No instance charge while hibernated. You pay for EBS storage, including the saved RAM contents. Amazon EC2 hibernation pricing →
- Azure
- No VM charge while hibernated. You pay for OS and data disks and for static IPs. Azure VM hibernation pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate SOA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Replaces AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (SOA-C02), whose last exam day was Sep 29, 2025. Simplified Chinese and Korean versions retire after Nov 19, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate AZ-104 | Azure | Associate | current |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon EC2 hibernation?
EC2 hibernation maps to Azure VM hibernation. Both save RAM to the OS disk and charge only for storage (and IPs) while hibernated.
How does pricing compare between Amazon EC2 hibernation and Azure VM hibernation?
AWS: No instance charge while hibernated. You pay for EBS storage, including the saved RAM contents. Azure: No VM charge while hibernated. You pay for OS and data disks and for static IPs. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate (SOA-C03); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104).