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You can move a server or virtual machine to a longer billing method after it’s deployed. Monthly is 50% cheaper than hourly, and yearly is 65% cheaper. See On demand vs. Reserved for how each method is billed. Billing methods can only be upgraded: hourly to monthly, hourly to yearly, or monthly to yearly. You can’t move a resource back to a shorter billing method.

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Before you upgrade

These resources can’t be upgraded:
  • Resources already in a Reserved project, including yearly servers. Upgrade billing method isn’t listed for them.
  • Servers on a legacy plan. The upgrade sidesheet shows a Contact support option instead.
For servers, also check that:
  • The server isn’t locked. Upgrade billing method is disabled in Settings while the server is locked. Unlock the server first.
  • No additional IPs or VLANs are assigned when upgrading to yearly. Remove them first. The error lists the ones still assigned.
  • Your payment method can be authorized. Upgrading to monthly or yearly needs a successful authorization on your payment method.
For virtual machines, a plan resize can’t be combined with a billing change.

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Upgrading a server

  1. Go to the page of the server and open the Settings tab.
  2. Select Upgrade billing method.
  3. Choose the new billing method.
  4. Type the server hostname to confirm, then select Upgrade to monthly or Upgrade to yearly.

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Upgrading a virtual machine

  1. Go to the page of the virtual machine.
  2. Next to Price, select Save up to 65%.
  3. Choose the new billing method.
  4. Type the virtual machine name to confirm, then select Upgrade to monthly or Upgrade to yearly.
You can also change the billing method with the billing attribute of the update server and update virtual machine endpoints.

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Hourly to monthly

The resource stays in its current project, and billing switches to the monthly price.

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Upgrading to yearly

Yearly is a Reserved billing method, so the resource moves to your team’s Reserved project. If you don’t have one yet, it’s created for you. Yearly is paid upfront for the committed period. You get a credit for the unused time in the previous project. Elastic IPs assigned to a server are unassigned when it moves to the Reserved project.

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SSH keys and User Data

Changing the billing method takes no action on the machine itself. Nothing is reinstalled, and the SSH keys already on the operating system stay in place. When a server moves to the Reserved project, its saved deploy settings are reset. On the next reinstall, select your SSH keys and User Data again.
  • Team SSH keys and User Data are available in every project, including the Reserved one.
  • Project SSH keys and User Data stay with their original project and aren’t listed in the Reserved project.