Cloud Hosting Cost Estimator
Cloud infrastructure costs depend on compute resources (vCPUs and RAM), storage volume and type, network bandwidth, and usage patterns. Pricing varies significantly between providers and regions. This calculator estimates monthly costs across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform based on published on-demand pricing tiers and typical workload profiles.
Estimate Monthly Cloud Costs
Estimates are based on published on-demand list pricing as of 2024-2025 for US regions. Actual costs vary by region, negotiated discounts, free-tier eligibility, and specific instance families. Reserved pricing and sustained-use discounts can reduce costs 30-60%. This calculator provides ballpark estimates for planning purposes and does not constitute a cloud provider quote.
Cloud Cost Components
| Component | Pricing Model | Typical % of Bill |
|---|---|---|
| Compute (VMs / instances) | Per hour or per second, based on vCPUs + RAM | 50–70% |
| Storage (block / object) | Per GB per month + IOPS for premium tiers | 10–20% |
| Network egress | Per GB outbound (inbound usually free) | 5–15% |
| Managed services | Per hour, per request, or per GB (varies) | 10–30% |
Provider Comparison Overview
| Factor | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market share | ~31% | ~25% | ~11% |
| Strengths | Broadest service catalog, most regions | Enterprise integration, hybrid cloud | Data/AI, sustained-use pricing |
| Compute pricing | Competitive on reserved | Comparable, Windows licensing advantage | Automatic sustained-use discounts |
| Free tier | 12 months + always-free | 12 months + always-free | Always-free e2-micro + $300 credit |
| Egress pricing | $0.09/GB (first 10TB) | $0.087/GB (first 5TB) | $0.12/GB (first 1TB), $0.08 premium tier |
Cost Optimization Strategies
- Right-sizing: Monitor actual CPU and memory utilization. Most workloads use only 20-40% of provisioned resources. Downsize idle instances.
- Reserved instances: Commit to 1 or 3 years for steady workloads and save 30-60% vs. on-demand pricing.
- Spot/preemptible instances: Use for fault-tolerant batch workloads at 60-90% discount. Instances can be terminated with 2 minutes notice.
- Auto-scaling: Scale compute up during peak hours and down during off-peak. Can reduce costs 30-50% for variable workloads.
- Storage tiering: Move infrequently accessed data to cheaper storage classes. S3 Glacier, Azure Cool, GCS Nearline cost 60-90% less than standard.
- Egress optimization: Use CDN for static content to reduce egress charges. Compress data transfers. Keep inter-service traffic within the same region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cloud provider is cheapest?
There is no single cheapest provider. GCP tends to have slightly lower compute pricing for sustained workloads due to automatic sustained-use discounts. AWS often wins on reserved pricing for predictable workloads. Azure can be cheaper for Windows-based workloads due to licensing advantages. The best approach is to benchmark your specific workload across providers.
How can I estimate my cloud bill before migrating?
Start by profiling your current workloads: CPU cores, RAM, storage, and network traffic. Each provider offers a pricing calculator (AWS Pricing Calculator, Azure Pricing Calculator, GCP Pricing Calculator). Run a proof-of-concept on the free tier before committing. Budget an additional 20-30% above estimates for unexpected data transfer, logging, and support costs.
What are the hidden costs of cloud hosting?
Common surprises include data egress charges (outbound bandwidth), inter-region data transfer, logging and monitoring storage, IP address charges for idle resources, snapshot storage, premium support plans, and managed service request fees. Review your bill line-by-line monthly during the first year.