AWS Free Tier EC2: What You Actually Get (And What Costs Extra)
What the Free Tier Actually Includes
The AWS Free Tier for EC2 sounds simple, but the details matter. Here's exactly what new AWS accounts get for the first 12 months:
EC2 Free Tier Allowance (Per Month)
Since a calendar month has roughly 730 hours, 750 free hours is enough to run exactly one instance 24/7. Run two instances at the same time, and you'll burn through 1,460 hours — double the allowance — and get billed for the overage.
The 750-hour limit is shared across all free-tier-eligible instances in your account. If you launch three t2.micro instances, their hours are pooled. Three instances running 24/7 = ~2,190 hours, and you pay for the 1,440 hours above the 750 limit.
What's NOT Included
The free tier covers a narrow slice of EC2. Everything else is billed at standard rates from day one:
- Any instance type besides t2.micro / t3.micro — launching a t3.small, m5.large, or any other type incurs immediate charges.
- Windows instances — the free tier applies to Linux/Unix only. Windows t2.micro runs cost ~$0.0162/hr in us-east-1.
- EBS beyond 30 GB — additional storage is billed at ~$0.08/GB/month for gp3 volumes.
- EBS snapshots — snapshot storage costs ~$0.05/GB/month. Automated backups can accumulate quietly.
- Elastic IP addresses — an Elastic IP attached to a running instance is free. An Elastic IP not attached to a running instance costs ~$0.005/hr ($3.60/mo).
- Data transfer beyond 100 GB/mo — outbound data is $0.09/GB in most regions after the allowance.
EBS volumes persist even after you terminate an instance unless you explicitly check “Delete on Termination.” Orphaned volumes sitting in your account are one of the most common sources of unexpected free-tier charges.
Common Surprise Charges
These are the charges that catch most free tier users off guard:
| Trap | What Happens | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Forgetting to stop instances | Instance runs after you think you're done with it | $8–$12/mo per instance |
| Running multiple instances | Hours pool across all instances, exceeding 750/mo | $0.0104–$0.0116/hr per extra hour |
| Orphaned EBS volumes | Volumes left after instance termination | $0.08/GB/mo |
| EBS snapshots | Automated or manual snapshots accumulate | $0.05/GB/mo |
| Unattached Elastic IPs | IP reserved but not connected to a running instance | $3.60/mo per IP |
| Wrong region | Resources in a region you forgot about | Varies |
| 12-month expiry | Free tier ends, same instance now costs money | $7.59–$8.47/mo |
t2.micro vs t3.micro on the Free Tier
Since late 2024, AWS made t3.micro eligible for the free tier alongside the original t2.micro. If you're starting a new account, you should almost always choose t3.micro. Here's why:
| Spec | t2.micro | t3.micro |
|---|---|---|
| vCPUs | 1 | 2 |
| RAM | 1 GiB | 1 GiB |
| CPU Baseline | 10% | 10% (per vCPU) |
| Network | Low to Moderate | Up to 5 Gbps |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (older gen) | Intel Xeon Platinum 8000 |
| Free Tier | Yes (750 hrs/mo) | Yes (750 hrs/mo) |
Choose t3.micro for new projects. You get 2 vCPUs instead of 1, better networking, newer silicon, and the same free tier allowance. The only reason to pick t2.micro is if you need a specific AMI that only supports the t2 family. For a detailed comparison, see our t2.micro vs t3.micro guide.
How to Avoid Accidental Charges
- Set a billing alarm — In the AWS Billing console, create a CloudWatch alarm that triggers when estimated charges exceed $1. You'll get an email before any real damage is done.
- Use only one instance — Run a single t3.micro (or t2.micro) to stay within the 750-hour budget. Stop or terminate it when you're not using it.
- Check all regions — Resources in forgotten regions still cost money. Use the AWS Global Infrastructure dropdown in the console to scan each region for leftover instances, volumes, and IPs.
- Enable “Delete on Termination” for EBS — When launching an instance, ensure the root volume is set to delete on termination. For additional volumes, manually delete them after terminating the instance.
- Release unused Elastic IPs — If you allocated an Elastic IP for testing, release it when done. An idle Elastic IP costs ~$3.60/mo.
- Track your free tier usage — The AWS Free Tier usage page (Billing → Free Tier) shows how much of each service you've consumed. Check it weekly during your first year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is t3.micro free tier eligible?
Yes. AWS added t3.micro to the free tier in 2024. New accounts get 750 hours per month of either t3.micro or t2.micro for 12 months. The hours are shared — you can't get 750 hours of each.
How many hours is the EC2 free tier?
750 hours per month. That's enough to run a single t2.micro or t3.micro instance 24/7 (a month has ~730 hours, so you have a small buffer). Running multiple eligible instances pools the hours against the same 750-hour cap.
What happens after the 12-month free tier expires?
All EC2 usage switches to standard On-Demand pricing. A t3.micro in us-east-1 costs $0.0104/hr (~$7.59/mo running 24/7). A t2.micro costs $0.0116/hr (~$8.47/mo). Set up a billing alarm before your free tier ends so you're not surprised. If you need to keep costs low, consider Spot Instances for non-critical workloads.
Can I use the free tier for a production website?
Technically yes, but a t2.micro or t3.micro with 1 GiB of RAM is very limited. It can handle a low-traffic static site or a lightweight API, but anything with moderate traffic or memory-hungry frameworks will struggle. If you outgrow the free tier, use CloudBench to compare instance pricing across regions and find the cheapest option for your workload.
Outgrowing the Free Tier?
Use CloudBench to compare EC2 pricing across every instance type and region. Find the cheapest option for your workload — On-Demand, Spot, or Reserved.
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