Billing
When does billing start?
| Resource | Billing starts | Billing stops |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual machine | On entering Running | After Terminating finishes (returns to Idle) |
| Block storage (standard) | On creation | On deletion |
| Block storage (DR) | On creation (higher rate) | On deletion |
| Public IP | On allocation | On deletion |
| Object storage | When data is stored | When data and bucket are deleted |
| Parallel file system (PFS) | On creation | On deletion |
A VM's compute charges run from Running through Terminating. Pressing stop only halts billing once the terminating phase completes and the VM returns to Idle.
Stopping a VM does not stop billing for the attached block storage and public IP.
The bill is higher than expected
Check per-resource usage under Billing > Usage.
Common causes:
- Block storage left attached to a stopped VM
- Public IPs you're not using
- Old snapshots piling up
A spot VM was reclaimed — am I still being charged?
Spot VMs are billed only for time spent in Running. After reclamation, no further VM charges accrue.
The block storage attached to a spot VM, however, continues to be billed, so delete any storage you no longer need after reclamation.
Cost-saving tips
- Use spot VMs: a discounted rate for training that can tolerate interruption (discount fluctuates)
- Stop VMs as soon as training finishes: automate idle-GPU detection with alerts
- Delete old snapshots: clean up unneeded snapshots on a schedule
- Right-size block storage: don't over-provision up front
- Clean up public IPs: release IPs you're not using immediately
For exact rates, see the official price list.
Next steps
- Pricing model: on-demand vs reserved vs spot
- Usage and billing: look up usage and analyze costs