You can pay storage costs on a pay-as-you-go basis or use a subscription-based storage plan. By default, Database Backup (DBS) storage pools and ApsaraDB storage pools are billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. If you want to reduce storage costs, you can choose storage plans.
Pay-as-you-go storage pricing
When you perform backup operations in the DBS console, ApsaraDB RDS console, PolarDB console, or ApsaraDB for MongoDB console, the generated backup files are stored in the destination region and incur storage costs. The pricing of backup storage for different scenarios provided in the following tables is for reference only. Please refer to your actual bill for the final pricing.
You can purchase DBS storage plans to offset the storage usage of large backups. DBS storage plans are more cost-efficient than the pay-as-you-go billing method.
The pricing of backup storage plans is for reference only. The actual prices may vary; contact us for a quote or refer to your bill for final pricing.
DBS backup schedules
DBS provides two types of storage pools: DBS storage pools and self-managed Object Storage Service (OSS) storage pools. If you set the backup storage type to DBS Storage when you configure a backup schedule in the DBS console, DBS charges you storage fees. DBS storage capacity automatically scales up as the amount of data increases. You are charged based on both the storage space used and retention period. The following table details the pricing.
Calculation formula: Storage costs per day = (Storage size (GB) × Unit price per GB-day
The bill of the previous day is generated and fees are deducted at 00:00:00 every day.
Region | Unit price (USD per GB-month) |
China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Qingdao), China (Beijing), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Hohhot), China (Chengdu), China (Shenzhen), and Zhengzhou (CUCC Joint Venture) | 0.0173 |
US (Virginia) | 0.0185 |
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Thailand (Bangkok) | 0.019 |
China (Hong Kong), Singapore, US (Silicon Valley), Indonesia (Jakarta), and Germany (Frankfurt) | 0.02 |
SAU (Riyadh - Partner Region) | 0.02412 |
Japan (Tokyo) | 0.0209 |
Cross-region backup for an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance that uses cloud disks
When you perform a cross-region backup for an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance using cloud disks via the RDS console, there will be charges for the cross-region backup storage. The following table details the pricing.
Destination region | Unit price (USD per GB-day) |
China (Beijing), China (Hohhot), China (Ulanqab), China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Shenzhen), China (Heyuan), China (Chengdu), China (Qingdao), China (Guangzhou), and China (Zhangjiakou) | 0.0009375 |
China (Hong Kong), US (Silicon Valley), US (Virginia), Singapore, Japan (Tokyo), Germany (Frankfurt), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Indonesia (Jakarta), Philippines (Manila), UK (London), South Korea (Seoul), and Thailand (Bangkok) | 0.001125 |
Cross-region backup for a PolarDB for MySQL cluster
When you perform cross-region backup for a PolarDB for MySQL cluster in the PolarDB console, you are charged for cross-region backup storage. The following table details the pricing.
Destination region in the Chinese mainland | Destination region outside the Chinese mainland | Cost calculation (billed daily) |
USD 0.0000325 per GB-hour | USD 0.0000455 per GB-hour |
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Cross-region backup storage is billed on a daily basis. The hourly unit price used in this section is converted from the daily unit price. For more information, see Billing rules for backup storage.
You can view the costs of cross-region backup in your DBS bills.
Backup sets of a deleted ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance
After you delete an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance that uses local SSDs in the ApsaraDB RDS console, its backup sets are retained for seven days at no charge. For more information, see Use the backup for deleted instances feature and the "Method 2: Configure the backup retention policy after the instance is released" section of the Retain backup files for a long period of time topic.
Billing rules: After seven days of free retention, you are charged for the backup storage based on both the storage usage and the extra retention period. The following table details the pricing.
Type | Region | Unit price (USD per GB-day) |
Public cloud | China (Hangzhou), China (Beijing), China (Shanghai), China (Shenzhen), China (Qingdao), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Hohhot), China (Chengdu), China (Heyuan), China (Ulanqab), and China (Guangzhou) | 0.00058 |
China (Hong Kong), Singapore, US (Silicon Valley), Germany (Frankfurt), Indonesia (Jakarta), Philippines (Manila), and Thailand (Bangkok) | 0.00067 | |
Japan (Tokyo), South Korea (Seoul) | 0.0007 | |
US (Virginia) | 0.00062 | |
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) | 0.00064 | |
UK (London) | 0.00065 | |
UAE (Dubai) | 0.00072 |
Backup for an ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance
When you configure automatic backup for an ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance or manually back up the data of an ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance in the console, the generated backup files are stored in the region in which the ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance resides, incurring storage charges.
You can purchase storage plans to offset the storage usage of automatic backup or manual backup.
Billing rules: If your backup storage (both full backup and log backup) falls within the free quota, no charges are incurred. For excess backup storage, you are charged on an hourly basis. The backup costs are calculated by using the following formula: Backup costs per hour = (The size of backups - Free quota) × Unit price per hour. Bills are generated on a daily basis. The following table details the pricing.
Storage type | Free quota | View backup storage and free quota |
Instances that use cloud disks | The free quota is equal to 200% of the storage that you purchase for your instance. | You can view the backup storage and free quota in the Specification Information section of the Basic Information page of your instance. |
Instances that use local disks | The free quota is equal to 50% of the storage that you purchase for your instance. |
The following table describes the billing details of the excess backup storage.
Storage type | Unit price of backup (USD per GB-day) |
Instances that use cloud disks | The unit price varies in different regions:
|
Instances that use local disks | The unit price varies in different regions:
|
Subscription-based storage plans
You can purchase DBS storage plans to offset the storage consumption of large backups. This section describes the pricing of storage plans for backup schedule instances and copy data management (CDM) sandbox instances. For more information about DBS storage plans, see Use storage plans.
The prices displayed in this section are for reference only. Please view the buy page for actual prices.
Prices of storage plans for backup schedule instances
Total storage | Unit price (USD per month) |
100 GB | 1.56 |
500 GB | 7.80 |
1 TB | 15.97 |
2 TB | 31.95 |
5 TB | 79.87 |
10 TB | 159.74 |
20 TB | 319.49 |
50 TB | 798.72 |
100 TB | 1,597.44 |
200 TB | 3,194.88 |
300 TB | 4,792.32 |
500 TB | 7,987.20 |
Prices of storage plans for CDM sandbox instances
For more information, see DBS sandbox fees.
Offsetting objects
The following table describes the two types of DBS storage plans. Each plan comes with a variety of storage sizes (such as 100 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, and 500 TB) and subscription periods (such as one month, six months, and one year.) If your storage exceeds your storage plan quota, you will be charged for your excess storage on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Plan type | Offsetting object |
Storage plans for CDM sandbox instances | Offsets the storage usage of sandbox instances created within the same Alibaba Cloud account.CDM sandbox feature storage costs For pricing details, see DBS sandbox fees. |
Storage plans for backup schedule instances | Offsets storage usage for backup schedule instances within the same Alibaba Cloud account. For more information, see Built-in storage and OSS. |
Offsetting rules
Item | Description |
Offsetting methods |
|
Offsetting priority | The order in which storage usage is offset depends on the order in which it is billed. The bills that are issued first are deducted first. |
Example of using storage plans to offset storage usage
A backup schedule instance in the China (Hong Kong) region is estimated to consume 120 GB of DBS storage. You purchase a 100 GB storage plan to offset the storage usage. This is how the storage plan offsets the backup storage usage:
The storage plan's effective capacity is approximately 88.4956 GB (100 GB/1.13). This offsets 88.4956 GB of DBS storage consumption.
The remaining 31.5044 GB (120 GB - 88.4956 GB) is billed at the pay-as-you-go rate. Note that the example uses approximate figures; refer to your bills for final prices.
The offset factor in the China (Hong Kong) region is 1.13. For more information, see the Offset factors of storage plans section of this topic.
Offset factors of storage plans
The following table describes the offset factors that apply to different regions.
Backup schedule instances
Region | Offset factor |
China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Qingdao), China (Beijing), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Hohhot), China (Chengdu) and China (Shenzhen) | 1 |
US (Virginia) | 1.05 |
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) | 1.08 |
China (Hong Kong), Singapore, US (Silicon Valley), Indonesia (Jakarta), and Germany (Frankfurt) | 1.13 |
Japan (Tokyo) | 1.18 |
CDM sandbox instances
The offset factor of storage plans for CDM sandbox instances is 1.