Oracle Cloud (OCI): Pricing, Features & Alternatives
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is best known among developers for its Always Free tier: ARM-based Ampere A1 compute, AMD micro VMs, block storage, and 10 TB/mo egress that never expire. Beyond free it is a full enterprise IaaS. The catch is OCI’s strict, sometimes frustrating account-approval process.
Category
Hosting
Pricing
Free tier available
Free tier
Yes
Best for
Hosting — cloud, iaas
Oracle Cloud (OCI) Pricing Plans (2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Always FreePopular | $0 (Always Free) |
| Free trial | $300 credit / 30 days |
| Pay as you go | Usage-based |
Pricing summary: Free. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.
Key Oracle Cloud (OCI) Features
- Ampere A1 ARM (2 OCPU / 12 GB from Jun 2026)
- 2 AMD micro VMs
- 200 GB block storage
- 10 TB/mo egress
Pros
- +Most generous free tier anywhere
- +Powerful ARM Ampere VMs at $0
- +10 TB egress included
- +Full enterprise cloud underneath
Cons
- −Notoriously strict account approval
- −Free ARM capacity often unavailable
- −Clunky console
- −Free Ampere limits cut in June 2026
Best Oracle Cloud (OCI) Alternatives
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Oracle Cloud (OCI) FAQ
What is Oracle Cloud (OCI) used for?⌄
Oracle Cloud (OCI) is a hosting tool. Home of the most generous Always Free tier — ARM Ampere VMs you can run indefinitely at $0.
Is Oracle Cloud (OCI) free?⌄
Yes — Oracle Cloud (OCI) has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.
How much does Oracle Cloud (OCI) cost?⌄
Oracle Cloud (OCI) is free to use, with usage-based pricing on some features.
What are the best Oracle Cloud (OCI) alternatives?⌄
Popular Oracle Cloud (OCI) alternatives include Vercel, Railway, Render, Microsoft Azure, Cloudflare Pages & Workers. Compare pricing and features on our Oracle Cloud (OCI) alternatives page.
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