Knowledge base
Practical guides on cloud selection, cost optimization, security, and migration
AWS Shield Advanced: what is free, what is billed
Shield Advanced covering your WAF costs is true, with four boundaries: only protected resources, only standard features, and subject to a request ceiling. Bot Control, CAPTCHA and web ACLs above 1,500 WCUs are still billed separately.
Cloud CostAWS private pricing (EDP): threshold, risk, shortcut
Private pricing is the highest-threshold layer of the AWS discount system: a cross-service discount rather than a single-service commitment. Two traps come first - a shortfall payment if you miss the commitment, and mandatory enterprise support. And AWS states plainly that buying through a partner qualifies too.
Cloud CostMulti-cloud cost visibility: unify categories first
Each provider runs its own billing system, so there is no ready-made unified view. Most people reach for a tool first, which reverses the order: unify the cost categories and the tagging scheme first. Four accounting mismatches will make the numbers disagree.
Cloud CostMulti-cloud: the cost nobody mentions
The most overlooked cost of multi-cloud is not operations but discounts: a commitment is a contract with one provider and cannot cross providers, so splitting usage shrinks every commitment - and the deepest discounts become unreachable. The opposite of the "multi-cloud gives you leverage" intuition.
Cloud CostAzure vs GCP: two opposing discount models
Azure discounts come from external conditions - the partner sets the channel price, and existing Microsoft licences stack on top. GCP discounts come from internal conditions - one layer applies automatically, and commitments do not stack with it but are banded. Where to push differs completely.
Cloud CostAzure free account: 200 USD and 12 months free
The Azure free account runs three countdowns: a 200 USD credit for 30 days, a set of services free for 12 months, and dozens that are free always. Understanding the three layers matters more than the numbers, because when billing starts depends on which layer you are on.
Cloud CostGCP free trial: what happens when the 90 days end
The GCP free trial gives 300 USD for 90 days with no charges. But one rule is easy to miss: when the 90 days end or the credit runs out, the trial billing account closes and every project and resource under it stops. So when to upgrade is a decision to make in advance.
Cloud CostSigning up for Alibaba and Tencent Cloud International
The international and China sites are completely separate account systems - the same email creates two different accounts. Chinese users most often stall on two barriers: overseas phone numbers and rejected domestic dual-currency cards. One more trap: the registration country cannot be freely changed later.
Cloud CostAlibaba vs Tencent Cloud: how their discounts differ
The two diverge at exactly one point: Alibaba Cloud International savings plans commit an amount and leave the spec free, while Tencent Cloud International reservations lock the spec. That single difference decides whether a mistake is recoverable.
Cloud CostAWS Support plans: five tiers and a hidden percentage
Support is billed as a percentage of your bill, so it grows automatically with usage - double the bill and support doubles too, while the support you receive does not. The tiers differ not only in response times but in Trusted Advisor coverage and whether the price is negotiable.
Cloud CostAWS CloudWatch Logs: a choice you cannot undo
Log costs split into ingestion, storage and analysis - and the critical part is that the log class is chosen when the log group is created and cannot be changed afterwards. Several official cost mechanisms go unnoticed.
Cloud CostAWS discounts: from credits to enterprise agreements
AWS discounts are not one list but five layers: credits, commitments, spare capacity, architecture work, and enterprise agreements - each behaving differently.
Cloud CostAWS Educate credits: what students and educators get
AWS Educate gives students and educators credits, but it runs on a starter account rather than a regular AWS account: one region only, no IAM, no billing dashboard, and a session timeout. China is also an exception region at 16+, which few people know.
Cloud CostWhere to find AWS discount information you can trust
Search for AWS discounts and you meet a wall of aggregator platforms all claiming "save up to X%", with no way to tell which layer is being reduced. There are four official sources and three third-party models, and vetting any quote takes three questions - the most important being who owns the account.
Cloud CostHow to use AWS service credits without wasting them
Credits expire, and an unspent balance is a straight loss. Note the amount, the expiry date and the scope first; work out which usage does not draw on the credit at all; and there is an ordering point - lower the unit price with a discount first, and the same credit lasts longer.
Cloud CostAWS Pricing Calculator: before vs after discount rates
The Pricing Calculator offers two estimate types: workload estimates and bill estimates. Before-discount and after-discount rates apply only to workload estimates - which is exactly the calculation to run before buying a commitment. Two limits are rarely mentioned.
Cloud CostAWS limited-time campaigns: four eligibility rules
AWS runs limited-time campaigns where registering and trying a specific service earns a credit voucher, yet many participants never receive one. The failures are almost all eligibility rules: a newly activated account, not a linked account, a billing address requirement, and a first-N sign-up cap.
Cloud CostAWS credits vs discounts: what you actually get
A credit is a one-off budget: it expires, it runs out, and it does not change your unit price. A discount is a long-term price change that applies for as long as you qualify. Confusing the two produces the conclusion that a few thousand in credits has solved your cost problem.
Cloud CostAWS startup credits: tiers, eligibility, how to apply
AWS startup credits come in three tiers, from 1,000 USD to 200,000 USD and beyond. One eligibility rule trips most people: the account must be on a paid tier plan, which conflicts with starting on the free plan. And whether your accelerator or investor is an Activate Provider decides which tier you can apply for.
Cloud CostAWS Free Tier for new accounts: 200 USD credit
A new account gets a 100 USD credit and up to another 100 USD for exploring services - 200 USD within six months. But the free and paid plans are two different tracks, and startup credits require a paid plan, so both decisions are linked.
Cloud CostWhy AWS data transfer costs so much: six billing boundaries and how to cut each
AWS data transfer is not one charge but several, split by the path the bytes take: internet egress, cross-AZ, cross-region, plus any NAT gateway in the way. The same two instances in one zone are free over private IP - and billed in both directions over public IP.
Cloud CostWhy your AWS bill jumped: tracing it, and seven things that keep billing
Do not change anything yet. Drill down in Cost Explorer by service, then by usage type, and check seven sources that keep billing even when nothing looks broken.
Cloud CostAWS Savings Plans: which type, which payment option, and three limits nobody mentions
Savings Plans are not just cheaper Reserved Instances: three types, three payment options, and three limits rarely mentioned - no capacity reservation, a 7-day return window, and billing that continues after account closure.
Cloud CostCloud discount mechanisms compared: AWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud
The five clouds do not mean the same thing by "discount": only GCP has an automatic layer, and Azure discounts are set by the partner.
Cloud CostGCP discounts: one layer is automatic — and does not stack with commitments
GCP sustained use discounts apply automatically but do not stack with commitments. How the four layers fit together.
Cloud CostAzure discounts: the CSP channel, EA, and Microsoft's hybrid benefit
Azure discounts are set by the partner, so quotes vary most. CSP vs EA, hybrid benefit, and how to pick a channel.
Cloud CostTencent Cloud discounts: subscription terms, reserved instances and spot instances
Tencent Cloud discounts: subscription terms, reserved instances, spot. How to combine them, and what differs for video and gaming.
Cloud CostAlibaba Cloud discounts: subscription terms, savings plans and preemptible instances
Alibaba Cloud has no customer tiers — only how you buy changes the price. Three official discounts, two signup barriers.
Cloud CostAWS Lightsail vs EC2: which is cheaper for small workloads
Lightsail bundles data into a fixed plan; EC2 bills per component and takes discounts. Which is cheaper at your size?
Cloud CostAWS Graviton (ARM): how much it saves, and which workloads should not move
Graviton is rated up to 40% better price-performance than x86. Which workloads really save, and which should not move.
Cloud CostAWS China vs global free tier: six things to check before you sign up
Credits from amazonaws.cn do not carry to AWS global, and data transfer is excluded from free tier. Six checks before signup.
Cloud CostAWS Spot Instances: how much they really save, and when never to use them
Spot cuts compute by up to 90% — with interruption. The two-minute reclaim, workloads that suit it, and those that must avoid it.
Cloud CostAre AWS promo codes real? The official credits path, its limits, and the scams
No public AWS promo codes — but promotional credits exist. The official redemption path, four limits, and the scams to avoid.
Cloud CostHow to buy AWS Reserved Instances: how much, how long, and what if you get it wrong
Discount guides quote 30–70% off but never say how much to buy, for how long, or what to do after a wrong call. Three decisions, three escape routes.
Cloud CostWhat the AWS Free Tier actually is now — and four common misreadings
AWS replaced its 12-month free tier with credits in July 2025, plus a Free plan that closes your account after six months. Three kinds of "free", four common misreadings.
Cloud CostAWS discounts beyond EC2: RDS, S3, Lambda and data transfer
Most "save money on AWS" guides only cover EC2. RDS, S3, Lambda and data transfer discount differently — and are often the bigger line items.
Cost and ChannelsAre cheap AWS accounts safe? Comparing three sources
Where an AWS account comes from decides whether it lasts. Comparing official purchase, authorised resellers and grey-market accounts — plus four checks you can run yourself.
Risk and ComplianceCloud Account Suspended: Why It Happens, How to Appeal, and How to Prevent It
Why was your cloud account suspended? The five common causes, how to prepare an appeal that gets read, and three habits that prevent it.
Cost and SelectionHow Much Does a Cloud Server Cost Per Month? Pricing Patterns and Where the Savings Are
What does a cloud server cost per month? Five workload tiers priced from public rates, on-demand vs annual, and the hidden bandwidth charges.
Payments and AccountsHow to Pay for Overseas Cloud Accounts: Cards, PayPal, Agents and Crypto
Comparing cards, virtual cards, PayPal, payment agents and crypto for overseas cloud accounts: cost, approval odds, risks and how to vet an agent.
Cost and ChannelsCloud Partner vs Official Direct Purchase: Cost, Support and Risk
Partner channel or official direct? A balanced look at where partners genuinely save money, where they add nothing, and how cost, billing, account ownership and risk control differ.
SelectionWhich Cloud Provider to Choose? AWS vs Alibaba Cloud vs Tencent vs Azure vs GCP
AWS, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Azure and GCP compared on regions, latency to Greater China and Southeast Asia, billing and compliance.
AI ComputeHow to Choose a GPU Cloud Server: Training vs Inference Sizing
How to pick a GPU cloud server: VRAM runs out before compute does. Training vs inference sizing, precision costs, NVLink and multi-GPU scaling.
Getting StartedYour First Cloud Server in 30 Minutes: Create, Deploy, Enable HTTPS
Your first cloud server in 30 minutes: create an instance, deploy an app with Docker Compose, point a domain, and get free HTTPS from Caddy.
MigrationMigrating from IDC to the Cloud: A Practical Path and Pitfall Checklist
How do you migrate workloads off IDC servers to the cloud? A step-by-step path: asset inventory, 6R classification, migration waves, data migration options, DNS cutover and rollback criteria, plus the six most common pitfalls.
SecurityCloud Server Security Baseline: 9 Hardening Steps Before Launch
A cloud server security baseline: nine hardening steps before launch — SSH keys, least-privilege security groups, MFA, patching, tested restores.
PerformanceHow to Fix a Slow Website: A Practical CDN and Caching Guide
Fixing a slow website: locate the bottleneck with TTFB, then decide on CDN and cache headers — plus what compression and HTTP/2 buy you.
Cloud CostAWS Bill Too Confusing? 6 Cloud Cost Moves for 2026
Six AWS cloud cost moves for 2026: idle resource cleanup, EC2 and EBS right-sizing, Savings Plans tradeoffs, egress cuts, budget alarms, and a 30-day plan.
PerformanceHong Kong vs Singapore Cloud Servers: Which to Pick
Hong Kong and Singapore are the two default choices for audiences in Greater China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. Compare real latency ranges, bandwidth cost, and network quality.
SelectionHow to Choose a Cloud Server in 2026
Specs, region, billing, bandwidth, availability, security, scaling, support — eight factors that decide whether you overpay, pick the wrong region, or overbuy bandwidth.