All Products
Search

This Product

    Elastic Compute Service:ECS billing FAQ

    Document Center

    Elastic Compute Service:ECS billing FAQ

    Last Updated:May 15, 2026

    FAQ about instance type billing

    FAQ about image billing

    FAQ about Elastic Block Storage billing

    FAQ about network billing

    Appendix

    Can I release an ECS instance myself?

    You can manually release pay-as-you-go instances and set an automatic release time. However, you cannot manually release subscription instances.

    Why do I receive pay-as-you-go bills? What are the charges on the bill?

    Copy the instance ID or name and look up the charges in Bill details.

    Why can't I switch from the subscription billing method to the pay-as-you-go billing method?

    You can switch an ECS instance from subscription to pay-as-you-go only if the instance is in the Running or Stopped status.

    How are image software license fees charged when you create an ECS instance or change its operating system?

    Image software license fees may apply when you create an ECS instance or change its operating system. The fees vary by image type.

    • Public images:

      • Windows Server: Fees depend on the instance type and are displayed during instance creation.

      • Red Hat Enterprise Linux/SUSE Linux Enterprise Server: Image fees apply and depend on the instance type.

      • Other public images: Free of charge.

    • Custom images: If the custom image was created from a paid image, image fees apply.

    • Shared images: If the shared image was created from a paid image, image fees apply.

    • Marketplace images: Provided by independent software vendors (ISVs). Fees are shown on the marketplace purchase page.

    • Community images: Publicly shared custom images. If created from a paid image, license fees apply when you use it to create an ECS instance.

    See Image billing.

    Are image software license fees charged when you use an imported custom image to create an ECS instance?

    • If you select Bring Your Own License (BYOL) as the license type, no image software license fees are charged.

    • If you select Alibaba Cloud Official License as the license type, Alibaba Cloud license fees are charged when you create an ECS instance.

    What fees are incurred when you create a custom image?

    Creating a custom image generates a snapshot by default, which incurs snapshot fees. Without an a Storage Capacity Unit (SCU), snapshots are billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. See Snapshot billing.

    What fees are incurred when you copy a custom image?

    Copying a custom image may incur the following fees:

    • Snapshot storage fees: Copying an image creates snapshots in the destination region. You are charged based on snapshot storage size. See Snapshot billing.

      Note

      Snapshots created by image copying are retained indefinitely, regardless of the source image snapshot retention policy.

    • No data transfer fees for cross-region image copying. Any changes to this policy will be announced in advance.

    What fees are incurred when you share a custom image?

    • A shared image does not consume the recipient's custom image quota. Alibaba Cloud does not charge for image sharing.

    • If a shared image is created from a paid image, the recipient is charged image fees when creating an ECS instance. For example, if account A shares a paid image with account B, account B pays for both the image and the instance.

    What fees are incurred when you import a custom image?

    Importing a custom image incurs the following fees:

    • Before importing, you must upload the local image file to OSS, which incurs OSS Storage fees.

    • During the import process, the image file is uploaded and downloaded in OSS, which incurs OSS Traffic fees.

    • The import process accesses OSS APIs, which incurs OSS API operation calling fees.

    • A snapshot is created automatically when you import the custom image, which incurs snapshot storage fees at pay-as-you-go rates by default. For more information, see Snapshot billing.

    How are ESSDs billed?

    After an enterprise SSD (ESSD) is created, you are charged for its storage capacity regardless of whether it is attached to an instance. ESSDs support subscription and pay-as-you-go billing.

    • Subscription: Disk capacity (GiB) × Unit price × Subscription duration

    • Pay-as-you-go: Disk capacity (GiB) × Unit price × Billing duration

    See Elastic Block Storage billing for ESSD billing rules (PL0–PL3). Prices vary by region. See the page or the ECS pricing page.

    How do I purchase standard SSDs and what are their prices?

    For supported instance families, see Instance families. Prices vary by region. See the Pricing page.

    Note

    Standard SSDs are a previous-generation disk product being phased out in some regions and zones. We recommend selecting an ESSD AutoPL disk instead.

    How are separately purchased pay-as-you-go data disks billed?

    After a data disk is created, you are charged for its storage capacity regardless of whether it is attached to an instance.

    Pay-as-you-go: Disk capacity (GiB) × Unit price × Billing duration

    See Elastic Block Storage Billing. Prices vary by region. See and Elastic Compute Service (ECS) Pricing.

    How do I view the Internet traffic usage of an ECS instance?

    1. Log on to the Expenses and Costs console.

    2. In the navigation pane on the left, choose Expenses and Costs > Bill Details.

    3. Click View Usage Details.

    4. Select a time range. The time range must be within a single calendar month. Set Commodity Name to Elastic Computing (Pay-As-You-Go) or ECS (Subscription) - International Site. Set Billable Item to Outgoing Traffic.

    5. Set Service to the Alibaba Cloud service ECS, set Metering Specification to InternetTraffic, and select the usage period. You can query and export data for only a single calendar month at a time.

    6. Click Export CSV. On the Export Record page, wait for the file status to change to Exported, and then click Download in the Actions column.

    7. Open the downloaded CSV file to view the Internet traffic usage of the ECS instance.

    How is inbound and outbound traffic billed for pay-as-you-go instances?

    Traffic between ECS instances in the same local area network and between ECS instances and other Alibaba Cloud services is free. Internet traffic is billed as follows:

    • Inbound traffic is free. Inbound traffic flows into an ECS instance, such as downloading resources from the Internet or uploading resources via an FTP client.

    • Outbound traffic is billed. Outbound traffic flows out of an ECS instance, such as providing external access or allowing users to download resources via an FTP client.

    See Public bandwidth billing.

    What is the difference between pay-by-bandwidth and pay-by-traffic?

    With pay-by-bandwidth, you are charged based on the specified bandwidth. Your actual outbound bandwidth does not exceed the specified value.

    With pay-by-traffic, you are charged based on actual traffic usage on a pay-as-you-go basis. You can set a peak outbound bandwidth to prevent high costs from traffic spikes.

    See Public bandwidth billing.

    After I switch a static public IP address to pay-as-you-go, convert it to an EIP, and then switch the EIP to subscription, why is there a price difference?

    When you switch the bandwidth billing method of a static public IP address from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-traffic, the IP address is billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. If you then convert the public IP address to an EIP and switch the EIP to subscription, the subscription fee may differ from the previous pay-by-traffic fee because the original instance discount does not apply to EIP billing method changes.

    When I request a refund for an ECS instance, will the attached EIP also be refunded?

    No. A detached EIP continues to be billed. If you no longer need the EIP, release it to stop billing.

    If I set a peak bandwidth, can I adjust it later?

    Yes. See Overview of instance upgrade and downgrade.

    Am I billed for traffic generated by a cyberattack on my ECS instance?

    Inbound Internet traffic from a cyberattack is not charged. However, any outbound Internet traffic generated is billed.

    We recommend using Security Center to enhance the security of your ECS instance.

    When I purchase a subscription ECS instance, can I select pay-by-traffic for bandwidth?

    Yes. See Create an instance using the wizard.

    For pay-by-traffic pricing, see the Cloud Product Pricing page.

    For pay-by-traffic pricing, see the Pricing page.

    For pay-by-traffic pricing, see the Pricing tab on the Elastic Compute Service product page.

    How is pay-by-traffic bandwidth billed?

    Pay-by-traffic is a pay-as-you-go billing method based on actual traffic usage. Bills are settled hourly. To prevent high costs from traffic spikes, you can set a peak bandwidth value. Maintain a sufficient account balance to avoid service interruptions.

    Can I switch the billing method for the bandwidth of a subscription ECS instance from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-traffic?

    Yes. You can switch from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-traffic by downgrading the bandwidth in real time. The number of times you can perform this operation is limited. See Modify the bandwidth of a subscription instance.

    You can also switch the bandwidth billing method by downgrading the configuration upon renewal. The new configuration takes effect in the next billing cycle.

    Can I adjust the peak bandwidth at any time?

    You can adjust the peak bandwidth at any time by downgrading it in real time. The change takes effect immediately. This operation is limited to three times per instance.

    If you downgraded the configuration of a subscription ECS instance upon renewal, you cannot upgrade or downgrade the instance before the next billing cycle starts.

    If the bandwidth of my subscription ECS instance is billed on a pay-by-traffic basis and my account has an overdue payment, can I continue to use the public bandwidth service?

    Your subscription ECS instance continues to run, but the pay-by-traffic public bandwidth service is paused, preventing Internet access. The service resumes after you settle the overdue payment. Maintain a sufficient account balance to avoid interruptions.

    If the bandwidth of my subscription ECS instance is billed on a pay-by-traffic basis, will I receive a notification when my account has an overdue payment?

    Yes. Top up your account promptly to avoid service interruptions.

    If the bandwidth of my subscription ECS instance is billed on a pay-by-traffic basis, can I upgrade the instance type after my account has an overdue payment?

    No. You must settle the overdue payment before upgrading the instance type.

    If the bandwidth of my subscription ECS instance is billed on a pay-by-traffic basis, will the public bandwidth service automatically resume after I pay the overdue bill?

    Yes. The public bandwidth service automatically resumes after you settle the payment. No manual intervention is required.

    After I switch the billing method for the bandwidth of a subscription ECS instance from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-traffic, what is the traffic price?

    You are charged for actual traffic usage, settled hourly. See ECS Pricing.