ApsaraMQ for RocketMQ supports three billing methods: subscription, pay-as-you-go, and serverless. Each method suits different workload patterns and cost priorities. Select a billing method based on your traffic volume, usage predictability, and budget.
Instance editions
ApsaraMQ for RocketMQ instances are available in the following editions:
Primary editions: Standard Edition, Professional Edition, and Enterprise Platinum Edition.
Sub-category editions: Cluster Edition and Standalone Edition (no longer available for purchase).
For feature comparisons and use cases, see Instance selection.
Billing methods
The following table compares the three billing methods.
| Billing method | How it works | Best for | Supported editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay upfront for a computing specification and subscription duration. Other resources are billed based on actual usage. | Stable, high-volume production workloads where long-term commitment reduces cost. | Standard, Professional, Enterprise Platinum |
| Pay-as-you-go | Billed hourly based on the selected computing specification, starting after instance creation. Other resources are billed based on actual usage. | Short-term workloads such as special marketing activities and end-to-end stress testing that require timeliness. You can convert to subscription after the workload stabilizes. | Standard, Professional, Enterprise Platinum |
| Serverless | All resources are billed based on actual usage. A bill is generated at the end of each one-hour billing cycle. | Workloads with unpredictable traffic or where capacity is difficult to estimate in advance. | Standard, Professional |
To convert a pay-as-you-go instance to subscription, see Change the billing method from pay-as-you-go to subscription.
Supported regions
Serverless instances are available in specific regions only. For the full list, see Supported regions.
Serverless instances that use shared or dedicated billing are available in the following regions: China (Hangzhou), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Beijing), China (Shenzhen), Singapore, Germany (Frankfurt), US (Virginia), and US (Silicon Valley).
Billable items for subscription and pay-as-you-go instances
Subscription and pay-as-you-go instances share the same billable items. The difference is how computing fees are charged:
Subscription: Upfront payment based on the computing specification and subscription duration.
Pay-as-you-go: Hourly billing based on the computing specification, starting after instance creation.
The following diagram shows the billable items for subscription and pay-as-you-go instances.
Billable items for serverless instances
The following diagram shows the billable items for serverless instances.
Change the billing method
Only pay-as-you-go instances support billing method conversion:
Pay-as-you-go to subscription: Supported. See Change the billing method from pay-as-you-go to subscription.
Subscription to other methods: Not supported.
Serverless to other methods: Not supported.
Upgrade or downgrade instance configurations
You can adjust instance configurations to match changing workload requirements. For details, see Upgrade or downgrade instance configurations.
References
Billable items -- Billing rules and unit prices for each billable item.
Billing of serverless instances -- Pricing details for serverless instances.
Overdue payments -- Resource status and policies when payments are overdue.
Renewal rules and methods -- Renew a subscription instance.
Refund rules and unsubscription process -- Unsubscribe from a subscription instance.
FAQ about sales, billing, and instance upgrades and downgrades -- Common billing questions.