Purchase options & licensing · AWS vs Google Cloud
Savings Plans (Compute & EC2 Instance) vs Compute flexible committed use discounts (spend-based)
Compute Savings Plans map to Compute flexible committed use discounts: a 1- or 3-year commitment to a minimum hourly spend that applies across machine series, regions, and projects.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Savings Plans (Compute & EC2 Instance) | Compute flexible committed use discounts (spend-based) |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | A 1- or 3-year $/hour spend commitment. Compute Savings Plans apply across EC2 family, size, OS, tenancy, and Region, plus Fargate and Lambda. EC2 Instance Savings Plans lock to a family in a Region for a deeper discount. | Commit to a minimum hourly spend on eligible compute for 1 or 3 years, applied across machine series, regions, and projects in the billing account. |
| Pricing model | Discounts of up to 72% vs On-Demand, depending on plan type, term, and payment option. | Discount in exchange for an hourly spend commitment for 1 or 3 years, billed whether or not you use it. |
| Docs | Savings Plans (Compute & EC2 Instance) docs | Compute flexible committed use discounts (spend-based) docs |
| Pricing page | Savings Plans (Compute & EC2 Instance) pricing | Compute flexible committed use discounts (spend-based) pricing |
Key differences
- Google is migrating spend-based CUDs to a discount-based consumption model; check the Billing console notice for your account's migration date.
- Flexible CUDs cover Compute Engine and some other services; check the eligible-SKU list before assuming Lambda/Fargate-style coverage.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Discounts of up to 72% vs On-Demand, depending on plan type, term, and payment option. Savings Plans (Compute & EC2 Instance) pricing →
- GCP
- Discount in exchange for an hourly spend commitment for 1 or 3 years, billed whether or not you use it. Compute flexible committed use discounts (spend-based) pricing →
And on Azure?
Direct match Azure's equivalent is Azure savings plan for compute. AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Savings Plans (Compute & EC2 Instance)?
Compute Savings Plans map to Compute flexible committed use discounts: a 1- or 3-year commitment to a minimum hourly spend that applies across machine series, regions, and projects.
How does pricing compare between Savings Plans (Compute & EC2 Instance) and Compute flexible committed use discounts (spend-based)?
AWS: Discounts of up to 72% vs On-Demand, depending on plan type, term, and payment option. Google Cloud: Discount in exchange for an hourly spend commitment for 1 or 3 years, billed whether or not you use it. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure savings plan for compute (direct match). AWS Compute Savings Plans map to the Azure savings plan for compute.