DTS serverless instances use pay-as-you-go billing. You are charged based on the number of DTS units (DUs) your instance actually consumes, billed hourly. This page explains how charges are calculated and answers common billing questions.
Billing method
Pay-as-you-go is the only supported billing method.
Billing rules
| Billable item | Unit price | Billing rule |
|---|---|---|
| DTS units (DUs) | As listed on the buy page (CNY per DU-hour) | DTS dynamically adjusts the number of DUs every minute based on instance workload. A bill is generated per hour. Fees are rounded to four decimal places. |
Fees depend on the following factors:
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Unit price of a DU
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Number of DUs consumed during the billing cycle
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Running duration of the instance
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Number of distributed database nodes
When DUs are adjusted multiple times within a billing cycle, DTS calculates fees using the time-weighted average number of DUs consumed, rounded to eight decimal places. A DU adjustment takes effect for billing purposes only when the adjusted DU count reaches the upper limit or the corresponding resource specifications meet performance requirements.
Check your bills for actual charges. For details, see View bills.
FAQ
How does DTS calculate the average number of DUs?
DTS uses a time-weighted average. For each minute interval during the billing cycle, DTS records the DU count in use, then divides the sum of (DUs x duration) by the total billing period length.
For example, in a 60-minute billing cycle where an instance runs at 8 DUs for 20 minutes, 4 DUs for 30 minutes, and 2 DUs for 10 minutes:
(8 x 20 + 4 x 30 + 2 x 10) / 60 = 5 DUs
Does the price on the buy page reflect the total cost of running an instance?
No. The price shown on the buy page is the rate for running an instance at 1 DU for one hour — it is the per-unit baseline rate, not your expected total cost. Actual charges depend on how many DUs your instance uses over time.
Can I estimate costs before running an instance?
No. You cannot calculate fees before running the instance because the number of DUs consumed changes dynamically. Check your bills for actual charges after the instance runs.
Am I charged when an instance is paused?
Yes. A paused serverless instance still consumes 1 DU of resources and incurs charges.