How do sustained-use discounts work?

GCE automatically applies sustained-use discounts (SUDs) when instances run more than 25% of the month. The discount increases incrementally: the first 25% is full price, the next 25% is 20% off, then 40% off, then 60% off. A full-month instance receives approximately 30% average discount. SUDs apply to N1, N2, and N2D but not E2 or T2D.

What is the difference between preemptible and spot VMs?

Spot VMs are the successor to preemptible VMs with the same 60-91% discount but without the mandatory 24-hour maximum runtime. Both can be terminated with 30 seconds notice when GCE needs the capacity. Spot VMs also support custom pricing caps. Use either for fault-tolerant batch, CI/CD, and distributed computing workloads.

How are custom machine types priced?

Custom machine types are priced per vCPU and per GB of memory at slightly higher rates than equivalent predefined types. However, they can be more cost-effective when predefined types would waste resources. Extended memory (beyond 8 GB/vCPU) carries a premium surcharge.

GCP GCE Cost Estimator

ComputeGCP

Estimate Compute Engine costs with sustained-use and committed-use discounts.

GCE Instance Configuration

Machine Type

Number of Instances

Hours Per Month

730 hours = average month. Max 744 hours (31 days).

Operating System

Sustained Use Discount(up to 30% off for N1/N2/C2 families)

Commitment Type

Preemptible / Spot VM(~60-80% off, may be terminated)

Raw Output

Output will appear here...

About This Tool

The GCP GCE Cost Estimator calculates monthly Compute Engine costs with sustained-use and committed-use discounts factored in. It covers predefined and custom machine types, boot and additional persistent disks, network egress, and preemptible/spot instance pricing. The tool shows the effective hourly and monthly rates after applicable discounts.

When to Use This Tool

•Estimating monthly Compute Engine costs for a fleet of VMs with specific machine types and disk configurations.
•Comparing on-demand vs. spot vs. committed-use pricing for a production workload.
•Calculating the savings from committed-use discounts on a projected VM fleet over 1 or 3 years.
•Modeling the cost of custom machine types vs. predefined types for workloads with unusual CPU/memory ratios.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do sustained-use discounts work?: GCE automatically applies sustained-use discounts (SUDs) when instances run more than 25% of the month. The discount increases incrementally: the first 25% is full price, the next 25% is 20% off, then 40% off, then 60% off. A full-month instance receives approximately 30% average discount. SUDs apply to N1, N2, and N2D but not E2 or T2D.
What is the difference between preemptible and spot VMs?: Spot VMs are the successor to preemptible VMs with the same 60-91% discount but without the mandatory 24-hour maximum runtime. Both can be terminated with 30 seconds notice when GCE needs the capacity. Spot VMs also support custom pricing caps. Use either for fault-tolerant batch, CI/CD, and distributed computing workloads.
How are custom machine types priced?: Custom machine types are priced per vCPU and per GB of memory at slightly higher rates than equivalent predefined types. However, they can be more cost-effective when predefined types would waste resources. Extended memory (beyond 8 GB/vCPU) carries a premium surcharge.

Related Learning Guides

Compute Engine Machine Types22 min read
Cost Optimization Guide24 min read

Disclaimer: This tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent to our servers. Always verify outputs before using them in production. AWS, Azure, and GCP are trademarks of their respective owners.