What is the Difference between a Light, Medium or Heavy utilization Reserved instances on EC2?

Question

They talk about the different utilization instances, but I can't find a single place that actually states what the difference is between a light utilization Large instance or a heavy utilization Large instance other than price. Can someone please tell me what the difference is?

 

Answer 1

The instances are the same. It's just a pricing difference thus you'll be able to save money if you know you'll be using the instance a lot, by paying an upfront price.

You pay a lot of upfront for a heavier utilization instance, however, you save more, in the long-term, assuming you've got it running all the time as a result of the hourly rate is cheaper.

So it's simply a matter of how much you'll be using the instance (having it running) that determines which type is the best worth for you. If it'll be on all the time for a year or three years, then a heavy utilization is certainly the most affordable choice.