This topic describes the specifications and pricing of , including billing methods, billing items, and the pricing of compute nodes, storage space, data backups, and SQL Explorer.
Billing methods
PolarDB supports the following billing methods:
- Subscription
If you use the subscription billing method, you must pay for a compute cluster when you create the cluster. The compute cluster consists of one primary node and one read-only node. You are charged for the consumed storage space by hour. The charges are deducted from your account balance on an hourly basis.
- Pay-as-you-go
If you use the pay-as-you-go billing method, you pay for the resources after you use them. You are charged for the compute clusters and the consumed storage space by hour. The charges are deducted from your account balance on an hourly basis.
Billing items
The following table describes the billing items of PolarDB clusters.
| Billing item | Description |
| Compute cluster that has a primary node and one or more read-only nodes | Subscription or pay-as-you-go. |
| Storage space |
|
| SQL Explorer | After you enable SQL Explorer, the billing method is specified as pay-as-you-go. For more information, see ️SQL Explorer. |
| Back up data | In PolarDB, the backup feature is available for free. You are charged for only the storage of backup files. For more information, see Overview. |
Compute node pricing
All the nodes in PolarDB clusters are dedicated nodes. The CPU, memory, storage, and I/O resources allocated to a node are dedicated to this node. This improves the stability and reliability of the node. The following table describes the node specifications that are available in PolarDB.
| Node type | CPU and memory | Maximum storage capacity | Maximum number of connections | Internal bandwidth | Maximum number of IOPS | I/O bandwidth |
| polar.pg.x4.medium | 2 cores 8 GB | 5 TB | 400 | 1 Gbps | 16,000 | 1 Gbps |
| polar.pg.x4.large | 4 cores 16 GB | 10 TB | 800 | 10 Gbps | 64,000 | 4 Gbps |
| polar.pg.x4.xlarge | 8 cores 32 GB | 10 TB | 1,600 | 10 Gbps | 128,000 | 8 Gbps |
| polar.pg.x8.xlarge | 8 cores 64 GB | 30 TB | 3,200 | 10 Gbps | 160,000 | 10 Gbps |
| polar.pg.x8.2xlarge | 16 cores 128 GB | 50 TB | 6,400 | 10 Gbps | 256,000 | 16 Gbps |
| polar.pg.x8.4xlarge | 32 cores 256 GB | 50 TB | 12,800 | 10 Gbps | 384,000 | 24 Gbps |
| polar.o.x8.8xlarge | 64 cores 512 GB | 100 TB | 25,600 | 10 Gbps | 409,600 | 24 Gbps |
| polar.pg.x8.12xlarge | 88 cores 710 GB | 100 TB | 36,000 | 25 Gbps | 512,000 | 32 Gbps |
- A cluster that has 2 CPU cores and 8 GB memory provides the basic specifications that are required in tests, trials, and other light load scenarios. We recommend that you do not use the clusters of this type in heavy-load production environments. In production environments, we recommend that you use a cluster that has 8 CPU cores and 32 GB memory or higher specifications.
- If you have higher storage requirements, you can submit a ticket to contact after-sales services to increase the maximum storage capacity to 100 TB.
- The preceding table lists the prices of a single node. By default, a PolarDB cluster consists of a primary node and a read-only node.
- You can select a node type for the primary node when you create a cluster. The same type will be automatically applied to read-only nodes.
- The maximum number of input/output operations per second (IOPS) is a theoretical value.
- The maximum number of connections for a cluster varies based on the node specifications of the cluster. If you add nodes to a cluster, the number of connections for the cluster does not change.
- If you require higher computing performance and larger storage space, for example, 100 TB,you can submit a ticket to contact after-sales services.
Storage space pricing
Pay-as-you-go
- Chinese mainland: USD 0.00077/GB/hour
- China (Hong Kong) and regions outside China: USD 0.00085/GB/hour
Subscription
If the data size is large, we recommend that you purchase storage packages. Compared with the pay-as-you-go billing method, subscription-based storage packages offer additional discounts. Higher discounts are provided for larger storage packages. To purchase a storage package, click Purchase a storage package.
Data backup pricing
The backup and restoration features of PolarDB are free. Only storage fees are charged. In PolarDB, the storage fees are calculated based on the storage space that is occupied by the backup files of data and logs and the retention periods of these backup files.
| Backup type | Free quota | Billing method |
| Level-1 backups | Used database storage space × 50% You can view the used database storage space of a cluster on the Overview page of the cluster in the PolarDB console. | Storage fee per hour = (Total physical storage of level-1 backups - Free quota) × Unit price per hour
For example, if the total physical storage of level-1 backups is 700 GB and the used database storage space is 1,000 GB, the storage fee per hour is USD 0.0928. The fee is calculated based on the following formula: [700 GB - (1,000 GB × 50%)] × USD 0.000464 = USD 0.0928. |
| Level-2 backups | None | Storage fee per hour = Total physical storage of level-2 backups × Unit price per hour For example, if the total physical storage of level-2 backups is 1,000 GB, the storage fee per hour is USD 0.0325. The fee is calculated based on the following formula: 1,000 GB × USD 0.0000325 = USD 0.0325. |
| Log backup | 100 GB | Storage fee per hour = (Total physical storage of log backups - 100 GB) × Unit price per hour For example, if the total physical storage of log backups is 1,000 GB, the storage fee per hour is USD 0.02925. The fee is calculated based on the following formula: (1,000 GB - 100 GB) × USD 0.0000325 = USD 0.02925. |
SQL Explorer pricing
You are charged for SQL Explorer based on the storage space that is consumed by audit logs.
- Chinese mainland: USD 0.0013/GB/hour
- China (Hong Kong) and regions outside China: USD 0.0019/GB/hour
FAQ
- What is the price if I add a read-only node?
The price of a read-only node is the same as that of the primary node. For more information, see Compute node pricing.
- Is the storage capacity doubled after I add a read-only node?
No, the storage capacity is not doubled after you add a read-only node. PolarDB uses an architecture where computing is decoupled from storage. The read-only nodes that you purchase are used for computing. If you add read-only nodes to your cluster, the storage capacity of the cluster does not change.
Storage resources are provisioned in a serverless architecture. Therefore, you do not need to specify the storage capacity when you create clusters. The storage capacity of the clusters is automatically increased when the amount of data increases. You are charged for only the storage space that you use. The maximum storage capacity for each cluster varies based on the cluster specifications. If you need to increase the maximum storage capacity, upgrade your cluster specifications. For more information, see Change the specifications of a cluster.