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Amazon EC2
What it is
Amazon EC2 provides resizable compute capacity as virtual servers in the cloud. Its selection includes over 1,000 instance types using Intel, AMD and Arm processors, for workloads such as web and enterprise applications, high-performance computing, machine learning, SAP, Windows and macOS. EC2 Auto Scaling can add or remove instances under dynamic or predictive policies. Instances can use persistent block storage through Amazon EBS and shared file storage through Amazon EFS. EC2 also provides a Query API and AWS SDKs, and includes AWS Marketplace software. AWS says its Nitro System moves virtualization functions to dedicated hardware and isolates customer workloads. EC2 is within AWS's compliance program scope, while customers remain responsible for applicable requirements. AWS states a 99.99% availability SLA commitment for each Region. Charges are based on instance-hours or seconds, depending on instance type and operating system; eligible per-second usage has a 60-second minimum. New AWS customers receive up to $200 in credits through a free plan available for six months after account creation. The T4g free trial provides up to 750 aggregate t4g.small instance hours per month until December 31, 2026; surplus CPU credits can incur charges. Basic AWS Support is included for customers.
For and against
For
- Offers over 1,000 instance types.
- Auto Scaling supports dynamic or predictive policies.
- Instances can use EBS block and EFS file storage.
- AWS states a 99.99% availability commitment per Region.
Against
- Usage charges depend on instance type and operating system.
- Eligible per-second billing has a 60-second minimum.
- T4g trial surplus CPU credits can incur charges.
The verdict
EC2 offers a wide choice of virtual server types, scaling policies and storage options. Its credits and trial have stated limits, and ongoing charges depend on usage.
Who it suits
It suits organizations and developers seeking cloud virtual servers for the listed application and computing workloads. Buyers should account for usage-based billing and their own compliance responsibilities.
Plans and prices
Free Tier
Free usage allowances · limits vary by offer
Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.aws.amazon.com
AWS Free Tier credits for EC2
Credits apply to eligible AWS services, including EC2
Read 9 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Reserved Instances
1- or 3-year term · instance type and Region commitment
Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.aws.amazon.com
Savings Plans
1- or 3-year commitment · discounts versus On-Demand
Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.aws.amazon.com
Spot Instances
Uses spare capacity · workloads can be interrupted
Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.aws.amazon.com
On-Demand Instances
No long-term commitment · no upfront payment
Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Dedicated Hosts
Physical server dedicated to one customer · supports server-bound licenses
Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.aws.amazon.com
On the record
- API
- EC2 exposes an HTTP or HTTPS Query API using GET or POST requests with an Action parameter.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- API throttling limit
- EC2 throttles API requests per account and Region using burst and sustained token-bucket limits, returning RequestLimitExceeded when exceeded.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Auto Scaling
- EC2 Auto Scaling can be used through the API or CLI by customers already signed up for EC2.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Availability
- AWS states an EC2 availability SLA commitment of 99.99% for each Region.aws.amazon.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Availability commitment
- AWS states a 99.99% regional uptime target when instances run concurrently across at least two Availability Zones, and a 99.5% target for an individual instance.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company founding
- LinkedIn states that Amazon Web Services launched in 2006.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters
- LinkedIn identifies Seattle, Washington as Amazon Web Services headquarters.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- Crunchbase lists the operating entity as Amazon Web Services, Inc.crunchbase.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company size
- LinkedIn displays 146,958 employees associated with the AWS company page.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- AWS lists EC2 in its compliance program scope, which includes independent-auditor certifications and attestations; customers remain responsible for applicable compliance requirements.aws.amazon.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Developer tooling
- Programmatic access includes the AWS CLI, CloudFormation, AWS SDKs, CloudTrail monitoring and Console-to-Code examples.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- AWS publishes separate user, instance-type, Nitro Enclaves, Windows AMI, developer, API, CLI, CloudFormation and VM Import/Export guides for EC2.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Free trial limit
- Until December 31, 2026, the T4g free trial provides up to 750 aggregate t4g.small instance hours per month, and surplus CPU credits can incur charges.aws.amazon.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- GPU computing
- G6 instances provide up to eight NVIDIA L4 GPUs, up to 100 Gbps networking and up to 7.52 TB local NVMe storage for graphics and machine-learning inference.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Instance choice
- EC2 offers over 1,000 instance types across Intel, AMD, and Arm processors.aws.amazon.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Instance choices
- Instance families offer different CPU, memory, storage, networking and graphics combinations for workload-specific selection.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Instances
- EC2 instances are virtual servers whose hardware allocation is selected through an instance type.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- G2 reviewers identify integrations with VPC, S3, CloudWatch, IAM and Auto Scaling as common parts of EC2 deployments.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
