AWS Direct Connect cost: port hours plus cheaper data transfer out

Quick answer

Direct Connect bills a fixed port-hour fee by connection speed (a 1 Gbps port is roughly $0.30/hour, a 10 Gbps port several times that) plus data transfer out at rates well below internet egress (often around $0.02/GB). It pays back the port fee only at high, steady egress volume; for low traffic, a Site-to-Site VPN is cheaper.

AWS Direct Connect gives you a dedicated network link to AWS, bypassing the public internet. Its value is consistent performance and much cheaper data transfer out, but it carries a fixed port fee that only pays back when you move enough traffic to earn the discounted egress.

Port hours plus data transfer

Dimension	Rate (approximate)
1 Gbps dedicated port	~$0.30 / hour
10 Gbps dedicated port	Several times higher
Data transfer out over DX	~$0.02 / GB (varies by location)

The port-hour fee runs continuously once the connection is provisioned. On top of it, data leaving AWS over Direct Connect is billed per gigabyte at rates far below standard internet egress. Data into AWS is generally free, as it is over the internet.

The break-even against internet egress

Direct Connect only saves money when the discounted egress rate, applied to your outbound volume, beats internet egress by more than the port fee costs. Move terabytes out of AWS every month and the per-gigabyte savings dwarf the port fee. Move very little and you pay the port fee for a link you barely use. The decision is volume, the same shape as any fixed-fee-plus-usage service.

Dedicated vs hosted connections

Dedicated connections give you a full physical port (1, 10, or 100 Gbps). Hosted connections, provided through an AWS partner, offer smaller sub-port capacities (from 50 Mbps) at lower port fees, which suit lower-bandwidth needs without committing to a full port. Choose hosted for modest, steady traffic and dedicated for high bandwidth.

Direct Connect vs VPN

For low or intermittent traffic, a Site-to-Site VPN over the internet is far cheaper (a small hourly fee, standard egress) and quicker to set up. Direct Connect wins on consistent performance and cheaper egress at high, steady volume, and the two are often combined, VPN as backup over a Direct Connect primary. Match the link to the traffic and the performance requirement.

FAQ

How is AWS Direct Connect priced?

A fixed port-hour fee by connection speed (a 1 Gbps port is roughly $0.30 per hour, a 10 Gbps port several times more) plus data transfer out at rates well below internet egress, often around $0.02 per GB. Data into AWS is generally free. The port fee runs continuously.

When does Direct Connect save money?

When your outbound volume is high and steady enough that the discounted per-gigabyte egress rate, applied to that volume, beats internet egress by more than the fixed port fee costs. Moving terabytes out of AWS monthly earns the discount; low traffic does not justify the port fee.

Is Direct Connect cheaper than a VPN?

Only at high, steady traffic. A Site-to-Site VPN over the internet has a small hourly fee and standard egress, which is cheaper for low or intermittent traffic and quicker to set up. Direct Connect wins on consistent performance and cheaper egress at volume.

What is the difference between dedicated and hosted Direct Connect?

Dedicated connections give you a full physical port (1, 10, or 100 Gbps) with the corresponding port fee. Hosted connections, via an AWS partner, offer smaller sub-port capacities from 50 Mbps at lower fees, suiting modest steady traffic without a full port commitment.

Does data into AWS cost anything over Direct Connect?

Generally no. As with internet transfer, data into AWS (ingress) is typically free; you pay for data transfer out over the Direct Connect link, at rates below internet egress, plus the fixed port-hour fee.

Does C3X estimate Direct Connect cost?

C3X prices the Direct Connect resources in your Terraform, including the port fee, so the fixed component appears before deploy. Data transfer out depends on volume, which you provide as a usage assumption for the full estimate.

What to do next

Price your connectivity before you provision it. C3X reads your Terraform and prices Direct Connect and the rest of your stack against a live catalog. Start with the quickstart.