Oracle Cloud Always Free free tier
Two always-free AMD VMs plus Ampere A1 ARM capacity (2 OCPU / 12 GB) and 200 GB block storage.
Changed The free tier changed recently — see the notes.
Last verified: 2026-11-09. Free tiers change without notice — always confirm on the official pricing page before you rely on a limit.
Source: Oracle Always Free Resources docs
Source: Oracle Always Free Resources docs
Free allowance
| What | Free allowance |
|---|---|
| Ampere A1 ARM | First 1,500 OCPU hours + 9,000 GB hours per month (equivalent to 2 OCPU + 12 GB RAM, 1–2 VMs) |
| AMD E2.1.Micro | Up to 2 VMs |
| Block storage | 200 GB Always Free |
| Trial credit | $300 for 30 days (separate from Always Free) |
Credit card required?
Yes — a credit card is required even for the free tier.
Limits & watch-outs
- Instances can only be created in your home region; A1 is not available in Korea North (Chuncheon).
- Capacity shortages are common — expect out-of-host-capacity errors.
- Idle A1 instances may be reclaimed after 7 consecutive days under 20% CPU (p95), network, and memory.
- Accounts idle for 30+ days may be suspended or terminated.
- Always Free-only accounts have no SLA and no Oracle Support.
Best for
A small always-on server or demo that fits in 2 OCPU / 12 GB.
What to watch
The old “4 OCPU / 24 GB” figure still circulates everywhere — the current official page says 2 OCPU / 12 GB.
Related free tiers
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This page is a summary of the provider's official pricing page as of the verification date above. Providers change free tiers without notice. Always confirm the current terms on the official page before you rely on a limit.