AWS · Free tool
AWS Reserved Instance break-even calculator
Plug in your on-demand spend on the targeted instance family, pick Standard or Convertible, and see what an RI returns. Defaults reflect typical 2026 AWS list prices. Override the discount field if you have a real EDP or Marketplace quote.
Result
Adjust the inputs on the left to see your projected savings.
Monthly savings
$0
Effective discount applied
0%
Total commitment
$0
Upfront payment
$0
Net savings over term
$0
Break-even month
Month 1
How the math works
Eligible monthly spend is on-demand family spend times coverage. The discount applies to that eligible portion. Uncovered spend stays at on-demand rates.
Total commitment is discounted eligible spend times 12 or 36 months. Upfront is roughly 50 percent for partial and 100 percent for all upfront.
Convertible RIs trade discount for the right to exchange families during the term. Defaults reflect common 2026 AWS public-rate ranges.
RI math looks good. Now check whether your account already has unused RIs, expired RIs that converted to on-demand, or workloads that drift to a different family. Cloud Horizons runs the audit free for 14 days.
Frequently asked
When does an RI beat a Savings Plan?
Standard RIs offer slightly higher discounts than Compute Savings Plans. RIs win when you have stable workloads on a single instance family and OS for the full term, and when capacity reservation matters. Savings Plans win when workload mix changes across instance families.
Standard versus Convertible RI: which one?
Standard RIs give the largest discount but lock the instance family, OS, and tenancy. Convertible RIs give less discount and let you exchange to a different family during the term. Pick Standard for locked workloads and Convertible when a family migration is plausible.
Why does break-even matter for upfront RIs?
All-upfront pays the full term up front, so the break-even is whichever month cumulative monthly savings catches up to the upfront fee. No-upfront RIs save from month one but discount slightly less.
What if my discount rate looks higher than the default?
EDP customers and large accounts may get negotiated discounts on top of public RI rates. Override the discount field with the figure quoted in the AWS console or enterprise agreement.
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If a calculator does its job
It tells you the answer. Then it gets out of the way.
Calculators model RIs in isolation. The next question is what your actual account looks like: unused RIs, drift, and double-coverage with Savings Plans. Cloud Horizons scans for all of it.