Purchase options & licensing
Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances vs Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances)
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.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances | Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances) |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | From Feb 1, 2027, reservations bought for services covered by savings plans (VMs, App Service, SQL Database, and more) can't be exchanged. Older reservations keep one final exchange. Cancellations stay capped at USD 50,000 per rolling 12 months. |
| 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. | A 1- or 3-year commitment to a VM size family in a region, with instance size flexibility. Discounts apply automatically to matching usage. |
| Pricing model | All, Partial, or No upfront, with 1- or 3-year terms. Standard RIs discount more than Convertible. | Paid upfront or monthly for 1- or 3-year terms. The discount applies automatically to matching running VMs every hour. |
| Docs | Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances docs | Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances) docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances pricing | Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances) pricing |
| Exams | CLF-C02 SAA-C03 SAP-C02 Retiring | AZ-900 AZ-104 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- 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.
- Capacity. Zonal EC2 RIs also reserve capacity in an AZ. Azure reservations are billing-only, so use on-demand capacity reservations for guaranteed capacity.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- All, Partial, or No upfront, with 1- or 3-year terms. Standard RIs discount more than Convertible. Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances pricing →
- Azure
- Paid upfront or monthly for 1- or 3-year terms. The discount applies automatically to matching running VMs every hour. Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances) 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 Solutions Architect – Professional SAP-C02 | AWS | Professional | retiring Being updated to SAP-C03. Registration for SAP-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take SAP-C02 is Nov 16, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 | Azure | Fundamentals | current |
| 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 Reserved Instances?
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.
How does pricing compare between Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances and Azure Reservations (Reserved VM Instances)?
AWS: All, Partial, or No upfront, with 1- or 3-year terms. Standard RIs discount more than Convertible. Azure: Paid upfront or monthly for 1- or 3-year terms. The discount applies automatically to matching running VMs every hour. 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 Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).