ElastiCache Cost & Reserved Nodes
Price a Redis or Valkey cluster including the replica multiplier and the cross-AZ replication traffic nobody counts, then compare all four reserved-node terms — which are real published rates here, not an indicative band.
Leave at zero to skip. Serverless prices on data stored plus ECPUs, not node-hours.
| Node hours6 × cache.r7g.large | $766.50 |
| Cross-AZ replicationBoth directions at $0.01/GB — the line nobody puts in a cache estimate | $40.00 |
| Total | $806.50 |
Committing to this cluster
| Term | Monthly | Saved |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year, no upfront | $691.52 | $114.97 |
| 1 year, all upfront | $654.73 | $151.77 |
| 3 years, no upfront | $538.99 | $267.51 |
| 3 years, all upfront | $472.31 | $334.19 |
A cache cluster is the most reservable thing in most estates: it runs continuously, its size changes rarely, and nobody turns it off at night. If anything in an account deserves a commitment, this is usually it.
A cheaper node with the same memory
What this model assumes
- Replicas are nodes, and they cost node money. Three shards with one replica each is six billable nodes, not three. It is the most common way a cache estimate comes in at half the real figure.
- Multi-AZ replication is cross-AZ data transfer. Billed in both directions at $0.01/GB, and invisible on a bill because it lands under EC2-Other rather than under ElastiCache.
- Reserved discounts here are real rates, not a band. Unlike EC2 commitments, the ElastiCache price list publishes its reserved terms directly. These were computed from it and agreed to within a tenth of a percent across node families.
- Redis/Valkey rates. Memcached prices similarly but is not modelled separately, and Serverless is priced on a completely different basis.
- Not included: backup storage beyond the free allowance, data transfer to clients, or the Global Datastore cross-region replication charge.
Frequently asked questions
How much does ElastiCache cost?
By the node-hour, per node — and a cluster is rarely one node. A cache.r7g.large is $0.175 an hour in US East (N. Virginia), so three shards with one replica each is six nodes and about $766 a month before any data transfer.
Do ElastiCache replicas cost extra?
Yes, in full. A replica is a node and bills at the same hourly rate as the primary. Three shards with one replica each is six billable nodes, not three, which is the single most common reason a cache estimate comes in at half the real figure.
Is cross-AZ replication charged in ElastiCache?
Yes. When replicas sit in other availability zones — which is the point of Multi-AZ — replication traffic is cross-AZ data transfer at $0.01 per GB in each direction. It appears on a bill under EC2-Other rather than under ElastiCache, so it is routinely missed.
How much do ElastiCache reserved nodes save?
About 15% for one year with no upfront, 20% for one year all-upfront, 35% for three years no upfront, and 44% for three years all-upfront. Unlike EC2, the ElastiCache price list publishes these terms directly, so these are computed rates rather than an indicative band.
Is ElastiCache Serverless cheaper than nodes?
It can be, for spiky or small caches, because it prices on data stored plus ECPUs consumed rather than on node-hours you provision. For large steady caches a reserved node fleet is normally cheaper. This calculator will compare the two if you supply your ECPU and storage figures.
A cache cluster is the most reservable thing you own.
Finitizer tracks which clusters have been steady long enough to commit, which reservations are about to expire, and which caches are oversized for the working set they actually hold.