Is Amazon EC2 t2.micro free for life?

4
votes

I am a bit confused with the wording of Amazon EC2 T2 micro instances when it comes to pricing. They say you get 750 hours free each month.

Micro instances are eligible for the AWS free usage tier. For the first 12 months following your AWS sign-up date, you get up to 750 hours of micro instances each month. When your free usage tier expires or if your usage exceeds the free tier restrictions, you pay standard, pay-as-you-go service rates.

But I see my account being charged for an EC2 instance, does this mean that free tier is valid only for 12 months of signing up for the service or is it free for life?

Thanks

2
amazon-web-servicesamazon-ec2
No, it is free "For the first 12 months following your AWS sign-up date", as it clearly states in the text you have quoted in your question. - Mark B

2 Answers

6
votes

If you qualify for the AWS Free Tier, you can use Amazon EC2 t2.micro instance for up to 750 hours per month and pay no additional charges for the Amazon EC2 instance (during the 12 months). After 12 month you are not eligible for free usage

Please find the pricing model here after the free tier usage

2
votes

Assuming you are still in your first 12Months it could be that you are charged because of;

  • Running 750 T2.Micro instances for more then an hour a month = above free tier.
    • Running 100 T2.Micro instances for more then 75 hours a month = above free tier.
    • etc etc.

If you are using AWS for longer than 12 months of sign-up date, then see above answers.