Billing Methods

An RDS for SQL Server instance includes instance (vCPUs and memory) and storage. It uses one of the following basic billing methods: Pay-As-You-Go, Subscription. The following table describes the billing item of each billing method.

Billing Method	Billing Item	Description
Pay-As-You-Go	- Main Instance type - Read Only Instance Type - Cloud SSD Storage	A billing method that allows you to use RDS resources and pay for them afterwards. The system generates bills in each billing cycle and deducts corresponding fees from your account.
Subscription	Main Instance type - Read Only Instance Type - Cloud SSD Storage	A billing method that allows you to use SQL Server resources only after you pay for them. You must pay for subscription resources before you can use them.

Feature	Pay-As-You-Go	Subscription
Purchase Instance	Supported	Supported
Modify Instance	Supported	Supported
Renew Instance	Not supported	Supported
Release Instance	- Supported - Release Pay-As-You-Go instances that you no longer need at the earliest opportunity. If you do not release them, the SQL Server resources continue to incur charges until the instances are released due to overdue payments.	- Not supported - If you do not renew an instance within the required period of time after the instance expires, the instance is automatically released.