Purchase options & licensing
Amazon EC2 Spot Instances vs Azure Spot Virtual Machines
EC2 Spot Instances map to Azure Spot Virtual Machines.
Both are steeply discounted spare capacity that can be reclaimed, but the warning time and eviction options differ.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon EC2 Spot Instances | Azure Spot Virtual Machines |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Spare EC2 capacity at a steep discount that can be interrupted with a two-minute notice, plus rebalance-recommendation signals. | Unused Azure capacity at a discount, evicted when Azure needs capacity or the price exceeds your max price. The eviction policy is Deallocate (the default) or Delete. Scheduled Events gives up to 30 seconds of notice, best effort. |
| Pricing model | Spot prices vary by instance type and AZ based on long-term supply and demand. Billing is per second. Savings Plans and RIs don't apply. | Spot prices vary by size and region. You pay the lower of the current Spot price or your max price. Reservations and the savings plan don't apply. |
| Docs | Amazon EC2 Spot Instances docs | Azure Spot Virtual Machines docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon EC2 Spot Instances pricing | Azure Spot Virtual Machines pricing |
| Exams | CLF-C02 SAA-C03 SOA-C03 | AZ-104 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Notice. EC2 gives a two-minute interruption notice plus an earlier "rebalance recommendation" signal. Azure gives up to 30 seconds via Scheduled Events, best effort.
- Eviction behavior. EC2 can terminate, stop, or hibernate. Azure can Deallocate (default; disks kept and billed) or Delete.
- Price cap. Both let you set a max price. Azure can also evict when the price rises above your cap. With a cap of -1, Azure evicts only for capacity.
- Scaling. Both integrate with scale groups (ASG mixed instances policy and capacity rebalancing; VMSS Spot priority mix and instance mix) and with Batch and Kubernetes node pools.
- Neither side's Spot capacity is covered by an SLA.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Spot prices vary by instance type and AZ based on long-term supply and demand. Billing is per second. Savings Plans and RIs don't apply. Amazon EC2 Spot Instances pricing →
- Azure
- Spot prices vary by size and region. You pay the lower of the current Spot price or your max price. Reservations and the savings plan don't apply. Azure Spot Virtual Machines pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 | AWS | Foundational | current Italian and German versions retire after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate SAA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Italian version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| 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 |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 | Azure | Expert | current English version updated Apr 17, 2026. |
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 Spot Instances?
EC2 Spot Instances map to Azure Spot Virtual Machines. Both are steeply discounted spare capacity that can be reclaimed, but the warning time and eviction options differ.
How does pricing compare between Amazon EC2 Spot Instances and Azure Spot Virtual Machines?
AWS: Spot prices vary by instance type and AZ based on long-term supply and demand. Billing is per second. Savings Plans and RIs don't apply. Azure: Spot prices vary by size and region. You pay the lower of the current Spot price or your max price. Reservations and the savings plan don't apply. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02); AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate (SOA-C03); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).