This topic describes the billable items and pricing of Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch (ES).
Billable items
When you use an ES cluster, you are billed for the following items:
ES cluster fees: Fees are charged based on the cluster configuration and usage duration. These fees are incurred when you create an ES cluster or modify its configuration.
Basic configuration fees: These fees are based on the specifications of the selected instance, including node specifications (CPU type and specifications), the number of nodes, and the node storage space.
Advanced feature fees (optional):
Features of the Kernel-enhanced Edition, such as Indexing Service and Openstore intelligent hybrid storage
AI model service (exclusive to Vector Search Edition)
Logstash component billing: You are charged for using Logstash components.
Comparison of billing methods
Billing method | Description | Scenarios |
Pay-as-you-go | A pay-as-you-go model that is billed hourly. It supports flexible scaling and has no long-term commitment. You can change the billing method from pay-as-you-go to subscription. | Short-term testing, temporary services, and scenarios with fluctuating traffic |
Subscription | An upfront payment model that offers lower prices. Resources are reserved for a long term to save costs. You can change the billing method from subscription to pay-as-you-go. | Stable services and scenarios with predictable resource usage |
Billing rules
ES cluster fees - Basic configuration fees
Billable item | Billing formula |
Instance node specifications (CPU and memory specifications of computing resources) |
Note Elastic nodes are billed on a pay-as-you-go basis, regardless of whether the ES instance uses the subscription or pay-as-you-go billing method. |
Node storage space |
|
ES cluster fees - Advanced feature fees (Optional, billed only when used)
Fees for advanced features of the Kernel-enhanced Edition (Supported only by Kernel-enhanced Edition instances)
AI model service fees (Supported only by Vector Search Edition)
This edition provides built-in model services, such as multi-modal data parsing, chunking, vectorization, query analysis, reranking, and Large Language Models (LLMs). You can use these services after you enable them. Enabling the model services is free of charge (models are sourced from the AI Search Open Platform), and you are billed on a pay-as-you-go basis for the number of calls. For more information, see AI model billing methods and billable items.
How to check prices
During purchase: On the ES buy page, click View Details in the lower-right corner to view the total price of the instance and the price details for each node.
Instance prices may vary based on factors such as the region and subscription duration, even for instances with the same specifications. Make sure to configure the instance as required before you check the price.
During usage: In the Expenses and Costs center, you can view your usage details.
Logstash component billing
Billable item | Billing formula |
Instance type (CPU and memory specifications of computing resources) |
|
Storage space |
|
In the bottom-right corner of the Logstash purchase page, to view the price details for the instance.
Instance prices may vary based on factors such as the region and subscription duration, even for instances with the same specifications. Make sure to configure the instance as required before you check the price.