PolarDB allows you to purchase compute nodes by using the following two billing methods: pay-as-you-go and subscription.The pricing varies based on different billing methods. You can apply storage plans to compute nodes that use these two billing methods.
Comparison
The following table describes differences between these two billing methods.
| Billing method | Description | Benefit | Scenario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | You are charged for the actual computing capacities that you use. Fees are deducted from your account on an hourly basis. | Flexible | Scenarios where workloads are light, infrequently change, and have small fluctuations. |
| Subscription | You must pay for the computing capacities for several months in advance when you create a cluster. | Cost-effective | Scenarios where workloads are heavy, infrequently change, and have small fluctuations. |
Note
- For more information about flexibility and comparison of the billing methods, see Comparison.
- If you do not purchase a storage plan when you use the preceding two billing methods, you are charged for the storage that you use on a pay-as-you-go basis. To store a large amount of data, we recommend that you purchase storage plans to offset the fees. This is more cost-effective. For more information, see Billing method 1: pay-as-you-go.