<p>Since you are not asking about ECS containers, this means that you must have a bunch of EC2 servers that you manage in some way (ECS/Kubernetes/Nomad/etc...). These servers are most probably included in an Auto Scaling Group.</p>

<p>Once you run containers on these servers, AWS does not charge you for the container. AWS only charges you per second of EC2 instance time while the instance was in a <code>running</code> mode.</p>

<p>So in fact you could say that containers are "free", you don't pay for containers, you pay for the infrastructure underneath (EC2 servers).</p>

<p>Netflix ICE is a great tool to track EC2 instance costs, as well as the AWS Billing dashboard.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-18T22:09:12.887Z
Thanks - I have different groups each running their container on the same host. So I want a way to split instance costs by container usage.
hawkeye
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-20T19:20:30.853Z
You measure how many instances were running in a period of time, then the number of containers during the same period. Then use division and you get the answer.
Evgeny Zislis
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-26T00:16:46.307Z
Thanks @Evgeny - I'd like a tool to do that for me. Either daily or hourly. Do you know of one?
hawkeye
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-18T13:52:29.707Z
2018-01-18T13:52:29.707Z
Evgeny Zislis
<p>I've been evaluating <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/ecs/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Netflix Ice</a> - as a billing tool - but it appears to only work at the Machine instance level - not at the container level. </p>

<p>I'm looking for a tool to help generate billing reports for using docker containers across a cluster of docker servers on EC2. (Non <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/ecs/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ECS</a>)</p>

<p>My question is: <strong>How to track (non ECS) container costs on EC2?</strong></p>

<p>EDIT:
I have different groups each running their container on the same host. So I want a way to split instance costs by container usage.</p>

<amazon-ec2><billing>
How to track (non ECS) container costs on EC2?
hawkeye
# How to track (non ECS) container costs on EC2?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-18)

I've been evaluating [Netflix Ice](https://aws.amazon.com/ecs/) - as a billing tool - but it appears to only work at the Machine instance level - not at the container level.

I'm looking for a tool to help generate billing reports for using docker containers across a cluster of docker servers on EC2. (Non [ECS](https://aws.amazon.com/ecs/))

My question is: **How to track (non ECS) container costs on EC2?**

EDIT:
I have different groups each running their container on the same host. So I want a way to split instance costs by container usage.

**Tags:** amazon-ec2, billing


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-01-18. Score: 2

Since you are not asking about ECS containers, this means that you must have a bunch of EC2 servers that you manage in some way (ECS/Kubernetes/Nomad/etc...). These servers are most probably included in an Auto Scaling Group.

Once you run containers on these servers, AWS does not charge you for the container. AWS only charges you per second of EC2 instance time while the instance was in a `running` mode.

So in fact you could say that containers are "free", you don't pay for containers, you pay for the infrastructure underneath (EC2 servers).

Netflix ICE is a great tool to track EC2 instance costs, as well as the AWS Billing dashboard.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks - I have different groups each running their container on the same host. So I want a way to split instance costs by container usage.  
> **username_1**: You measure how many instances were running in a period of time, then the number of containers during the same period. Then use division and you get the answer.  
> **username_0**: Thanks @Evgeny - I'd like a tool to do that for me. Either daily or hourly. Do you know of one?  

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