Savings plans reduce the cost of pay-as-you-go elastic container instances by discounting hourly usage in exchange for a commitment to a consistent spend level over one or three years. Once a savings plan takes effect, it automatically matches and offsets eligible instances — no manual matching required.
Savings plans apply to pay-as-you-go elastic container instances only. Preemptible elastic container instances are not eligible.
Choose a plan type
Two savings plan types are available for ECI. The right choice depends on whether you prioritize flexibility or maximum savings.
| Plan type | Applies to | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| General-purpose savings plans | All pay-as-you-go elastic container instances, regardless of the ECS instance type used | Greater flexibility than ECS compute savings plans |
| ECS compute savings plans | Only elastic container instances created with a specific ECS instance type and billed by that instance type | Greater savings compared to general-purpose savings plans |
For details on savings plan rules and pricing, see Savings plans.
Purchase a savings plan
Savings plans are purchased through the Elastic Compute Service (ECS) console. The commitment amount is measured in USD/hour.
Before you purchase, decide on your hourly commitment:
If you have existing elastic container instances: Go to the Purchase recommendation page to get a system-generated recommendation based on your historical usage. Review the recommendation against your current usage trends before committing.
If you are starting fresh: Calculate the price of the instance configuration you plan to run, then determine the equivalent hourly commitment. Go to the Savings plan buy page to complete the purchase.
For full purchase instructions, see Purchase and apply savings plans.
Verify savings plan offset
After a savings plan takes effect, verify that it is correctly offsetting ECI charges in the Expenses and Costs console.
View instance bills
In the Expenses and Costs console, go to Bills > Bill Details in the navigation pane, then click the Billing Details tab. Instances whose charges are fully offset by the savings plan do not generate a separate bill line.
View savings plan coverage and utilization
In the Expenses and Costs console, go to Savings Plan > Overview in the navigation pane. The Savings Plan page shows an overview, detailed usage, and coverage metrics for your active plans.
What's next
Savings plans — review savings plan rules, term options, and effective conditions
Purchase and apply savings plans — step-by-step purchase guide