AWS im4gn.16xlargevsAWS im4gn.xlarge

im4gn.16xlarge pairs 64 vCPUs with 256GB of RAM at $5.8207/hr On-Demand (about $4191/mo at 24×7). im4gn.xlarge pairs 4 vCPUs with 16GB at $0.3638/hr (~$262/mo). im4gn.xlarge is 94% cheaper per hour than im4gn.16xlarge ($5.4569/hr gap).

Because both instances are in the **im4gn family**, the only thing that changes between them is sizing — same silicon, same architecture (arm64), same burstable/sustained behavior. The choice is purely about how much capacity you actually need: im4gn.16xlarge gives you 64 vCPUs and 256GB of RAM, im4gn.xlarge gives you 4 vCPUs and 16GB. AWS scales pricing close to linearly within a family, so picking the right size is mostly about right-sizing your workload, not getting a better deal per vCPU.

Benchmark data for at least one of these instances is still being collected, so a direct performance-per-dollar comparison isn't possible yet. Sysbench scores are pending for im4gn.16xlarge and 2805/10937 for im4gn.xlarge. Check back as the benchmark queue completes — newer-generation instances typically score 10–30% higher on single-thread and 15–50% higher on multi-core vs the previous generation in the same series.

In practice, pick im4gn.16xlarge when your workload is closer to general-purpose (general-purpose workloads). Pick im4gn.xlarge when it's closer to general-purpose (general-purpose workloads). When neither side is obviously right, the cheaper hourly rate usually wins for fault-tolerant batch workloads, while the higher single-core score usually wins for latency-sensitive web traffic. The regional pricing tables linked from each instance page below show where each is currently cheapest — sometimes a >20% regional gap flips the comparison entirely.