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PolarDB:Billing details

Last Updated:Jan 23, 2026

The backup and recovery features are free. However, backup files consume storage space. PolarDB charges fees for this storage based on the storage capacity and retention period of your data and log files. This topic describes the billing details for the backup and recovery features.

Standard Edition backup storage costs

Free quota

PolarDB Standard Edition provides a free quota for backup storage. If your backup storage usage exceeds the free quota, PolarDB charges fees for the excess usage based on the storage capacity and retention period of your data and log files.

Backup type

Free quota

Data backup

50% of database storage usage

Log backup

100 GB

Billing rules

The Chinese mainland

Hong Kong (China) and other regions

Hourly cost calculation method

USD 0.000032/GB/hour

USD 0.000045/GB/hour

Hourly cost = Total backup size × Hourly price

For example, if the total backup size is 1000 GB, the hourly fee is in the Chinese mainland or USD 0.000032.

Formula: 1000 GB × USD 0.000032/GB/hour = USD 0.032/hour

Enterprise Edition backup storage costs

Free quota

PolarDB provides a free quota for backup storage. If your backup storage usage exceeds the free quota, PolarDB charges for single-region backups based on the storage capacity and retention period of backup files (data and logs). For cross-region backups, PolarDB charges based on these same factors, plus the network traffic generated by the cross-region backup.

Backup type

Free quota

Data backup

Level-1 backup

50% of database storage usage

To learn how to view database storage usage, see View database storage usage.

Level-2 backup

None

Log backup

100 GB

Billing rules

Backup storage space is categorized into level-1 backup, level-2 backup, and log backup. The prices for each category are different:

  • Level-1 backup storage includes a free quota equal to 50% of the database storage usage. If this free quota is exceeded, PolarDB charges for the excess usage based on the storage capacity and retention period. The prices are as follows:

    Storage class

    The Chinese mainland

    Hong Kong (China) and other regions

    Hourly cost calculation method

    PSL5

    USD 0.000464/GB/hour

    USD 0.000650/GB/hour

    Hourly cost = (Total size of level-1 backups - Free quota) × Hourly price

    For example, for a PSL5 storage class in the Chinese mainland, if the total size of level-1 backups (snapshots) is 700 GB and the database storage usage is 1000 GB, the hourly cost is USD 0.0928.

    Formula: (700 GB - (1000 GB × 50%)) × USD 0.000464/GB/hour = USD 0.0928/hour

    Note

    To learn how to view the total size of level-1 backups (snapshots), see FAQ.

    PSL4

    USD 0.0003/GB/hour

    USD 0.000433/GB/hour

  • Level-2 backups support single-region and cross-region backup methods. For single-region backups, PolarDB charges on a pay-as-you-go basis for the storage capacity and retention period of backup files (data and logs). For cross-region backups, PolarDB charges on a pay-as-you-go basis for the storage capacity and retention period of backup files (data and logs), and for the network traffic that is generated by the cross-region backup.

    • Single-region backup billing rules

      The Chinese mainland

      Hong Kong (China) and other regions

      Hourly cost calculation method

      USD 0.0000325/GB/hour

      USD 0.0000455/GB/hour

      Hourly cost = Total size of level-2 backups × Hourly price

      For example, if the total size of level-2 backups is 1000 GB in the Chinese mainland, the hourly cost is USD 0.0325.

      Formula: 1000 GB × USD 0.0000325/GB-hour = USD 0.0325

    • Cross-region backup billing rules

      Billable item

      The Chinese mainland

      Hong Kong (China) and other regions

      Hourly cost calculation method

      Backup storage

      USD 0.0000325/GB/hour

      USD 0.0000455/GB/hour

      Hourly cost = Total size of level-2 backups × Hourly price + Cross-region network traffic cost

      For example, for a cross-region backup between regions in the Chinese mainland, if the total size of level-2 backups is 1000 GB and the network traffic consumed by the cross-region backup dump is 500 MB, the hourly cost is USD 0.0691.

      Formula: 1000 GB × USD 0.0000325/GB/hour + 500 MB/1024 × USD 0.075/GB = USD 0.0691

      Network traffic

      For information about network traffic costs for cross-region backups, see Network costs.

      Note
      • Cross-region backups are billed daily. The prices in this document are converted to hourly rates.

      • The bills for cross-region backups are measured and displayed as Data Disaster Recovery bills.

  • Log backups support single-region and cross-region backup methods. For single-region backups, PolarDB charges on a pay-as-you-go basis for the storage capacity and retention period of backup files (data and logs). For cross-region backups, PolarDB charges on a pay-as-you-go basis for the storage capacity and retention period of backup files (data and logs), and for the network traffic that is generated by the cross-region backup.

    • Single-region backup billing rules

      The Chinese mainland

      Hong Kong (China) and other regions

      Hourly cost calculation method

      USD 0.0000325/GB/hour

      USD 0.0000455/GB/hour

      Hourly cost = (Total size of log backups - 100 GB) × Hourly price

      For example, if the total size of log backups is 1000 GB in the Chinese mainland, the hourly cost is USD 0.02925.

      Formula: (1000 GB - 100 GB) × USD 0.0000325 per GB/hour = USD 0.02925

    • Cross-region backup billing rules

      Billable item

      The Chinese mainland

      Hong Kong (China) and other regions

      Hourly cost calculation method

      Backup storage

      USD 0.0000325/GB/hour

      USD 0.0000455/GB/hour

      Hourly cost = (Total size of log backups - 100 GB) × Hourly price + Cross-region network traffic cost

      For example, for a cross-region backup between regions in the Chinese mainland, if the total size of log backups is 1000 GB and the network traffic consumed by the cross-region backup dump is 500 MB, the hourly cost is USD 0.0659.

      Formula: (1000 GB - 100 GB) × USD 0.0000325/GB/hour + 500 MB/1024 × USD 0.075/GB = USD 0.0659

      Network traffic

      For information about network traffic costs for cross-region backups, see Network costs.

      Note
      • Cross-region backups are billed daily. The prices in this document are converted to hourly rates.

      • The bills for cross-region backups are measured and displayed as Data Disaster Recovery bills.

How to reduce backup data size and costs

  • You can reduce the retention period of backup data. For more information, see Configure a backup policy.

    • You can reduce the retention period of level-1 backups, for example, from 7 days to 3 days.

    • You can reduce the retention period of level-2 backups, for example, from 70 days to 30 days.

      Note

      Reducing the retention period of level-1 and level-2 backups carries risks. If you try to restore a backup set that is older than the retention period, the restoration fails.

    • You can reduce the retention period of log backups, for example, from 7 days to 3 days.

      Note

      Reducing the retention period of log backups carries risks. If you try to perform a point-in-time restore to a point in time that is earlier than the retention period, the restoration fails.

  • You can reduce the backup frequency (backup cycle). For more information, see Configure a backup policy.

    • You can reduce the frequency of level-1 backups, for example, from once a day to three times a week.

      Note

      Reducing the frequency of level-1 backups may increase the time required to restore data to a point in time.

    • You can reduce the frequency of level-2 backups, for example, from three times a week to twice a week.

  • You can delete unneeded backup sets from the cluster recycle bin to reduce level-2 backup costs. For more information, see Delete a backup set.