Are Community AMI in EC2 come under free tier?

Question

Hello,

I'm currently using EC2 instances to deploy my backend microservices application, which consists of multiple Docker images. Unfortunately, a single EC2 instance can't handle all the images simultaneously, and within the AWS Free Tier, I'm limited to creating 3 instances (each with 8 GB root volume and 30 GB of free EBS storage).

For my application, I need at least 5 instances to deploy the entire microservices architecture. After some research, I found that using a Community AMI, specifically `Amazon Linux 2023 AMI 2023.5.20240708.0 arm64 Minimal HVM kernel-6.1` , allows me to start instances with a smaller root volume (at least 5 GB), enabling the creation of 5 instances.

Details of the AMI:

Name: al2023-ami-minimal-2023.5.20240708.0-kernel-6.1-arm64-Verified provider
Description: Amazon Linux 2023 AMI 2023.5.20240708.0 arm64 Minimal HVM kernel-6.1
Image ID: ami-0d88b4120355e22e7
Username: ec2-user
Catalog: Community AMIs
Published: 2024-07-05
Architecture: arm64
Virtualization: HVM
Root Device Type: EBS
ENA Enabled: Yes

since I’m new to AWS, I’d appreciate any suggestions for other ways to deploy my Dockerized microservices within the AWS Free Tier. Ideally, I’m looking for a method that can support my application without incurring additional costs.

Thanks in advance for your help!

re:Post Agent · Accepted Answer

Community AMIs in EC2 do not automatically come under the AWS Free Tier. The Free Tier for EC2 is specifically for certain instance types and sizes, not for the AMIs themselves.

While using a Community AMI with a smaller root volume might allow you to create more instances within the 30 GB of free EBS storage, it's important to note that the Free Tier typically limits you to 750 hours per month of t2.micro or t3.micro instances (equivalent to one instance running continuously for a month). Creating additional instances beyond this limit would incur charges, even if you're using less storage overall.

The AMI you've mentioned (Amazon Linux 2023 AMI) is indeed provided by AWS and is generally free to use, but using it doesn't exempt you from other EC2 charges beyond the Free Tier limits.

For deploying your Dockerized microservices within the AWS Free Tier, consider these alternatives:

1. Use container orchestration services like Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) with Fargate, which has its own Free Tier allowance and might be more suitable for running multiple containers.

2. Optimize your Docker images to be smaller and more efficient, allowing you to run more services on fewer EC2 instances.

3. Look into AWS Lambda for serverless deployment of some of your microservices, which also has a generous Free Tier offering.

4. Consider using a single larger instance (within Free Tier limits) and use Docker's own orchestration capabilities to run multiple containers on that instance.

Remember, while these options might help you maximize your use of the Free Tier, always monitor your usage carefully to avoid unexpected charges. If your application genuinely requires resources beyond what the Free Tier offers, you may need to consider paid options or look for alternative hosting solutions.  
**Sources**  
[Amazon EC2 FAQs – AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/faqs/)  
[Reference for Amazon EC2 instance configuration parameters - Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-instance-launch-parameters.html)  
[Community | Unlocking the Power of the Cloud: EC2](https://community.aws/content/2bkTX9m7AjW9R8V9ZNHSM6R9698/unlocking-the-power-of-the-cloud)

Are Community AMI in EC2 come under free tier?

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