🎯 Goal: Help YOU understand the real benefits & limitations of the AWS (Amazon Web Services) Free Tier in a simple, relatable way.
“Ever heard of AWS Free Tier but afraid you’ll get charged accidentally? Believe me, You’re not alone! Thousands of AWS learners sign up thinking it’s free, and boom—surprise bill next month!
Just like you, I once thought AWS Free Tier meant everything’s free… until I got a bill! So today, let’s break the myths, facts, and smart tips about AWS Free Tier in 2025.
Stick around!”
What is AWS Free Tier?
Okay, so AWS Free Tier is like a trial package. AWS gives you access to certain services for free for 12 months after signup. Some are even free forever! But here’s the catch — only within limits. If you cross those limits… 💸 cha-ching.”
Let’s break it down into 3 categories:
12-Month Free Tier (after you sign up):
- EC2: 750 hours/month (only t2.micro or t3.micro in eligible regions)
- S3: 5GB storage
- RDS: 750 hours/month (db.t2.micro) + 20GB storage
- Lambda: 1 million requests/month
- CloudFront: 50GB data transfer
2. Always-Free Tier (Forever Free):
- DynamoDB: 25GB
- Lambda: Same – 1M requests/month
- CloudWatch: 10 custom metrics/month
- IAM & VPC: Configuration is always free (but resources inside may not be)
🆕 3. New/Updated in 2025:
- Amazon Bedrock: Now offers limited free GenAI API usage
- EventBridge Pipes: 100K events/month free
(Always check aws.amazon.com/free for changes)
Here’s where most people get trapped:
- You use EC2 t2.medium or any other instance type instead of t2.micro → Charged 💰
- You store more than 5GB in S3 → Charged
- Data transfer OUT from AWS (after first GB) → Charged
- Services like Elastic IP, Route 53, Lightsail, etc., are not free unless explicitly mentioned
Here are the Smart Tips to Stay Free
- Set up Billing Alerts – Go to AWS Budgets and set a ₹0 alert
- Turn off EC2 instances when not in use
- Use cost calculators before trying new services
- Tag your resources so you know what’s consuming money
- Delete unused volumes & snapshots – they silently charge you
“A friend of mine, Rohan, signed up, launched a t2.medium instance thinking it’s free. 10 days later? ₹3,500 bill. Why? Wrong instance type! One mistake cost him his confidence. Don’t let that happen to you.”
If this saved you from getting an AWS bill—or even gave you some clarity—please like, share, and subscribe. I make tech easy for real people like you. And if you’ve ever been overcharged by mistake on AWS, tell me in the comments. Let’s help each other.
