This inefficiency occurs when Amazon Aurora database clusters are intentionally stopped to avoid compute costs but are automatically restarted by the service after the maximum allowed stop period. Once restarted, re-started database instances begin accruing instance-hour charges even if the database is not needed.
Because Aurora does not provide native lifecycle controls to keep clusters stopped indefinitely, this behavior can result in recurring, unintended compute spend—particularly in non-production, seasonal, or infrequently accessed environments where clusters are stopped and forgotten.
Amazon Aurora compute is billed per database instance-hour. When a cluster is stopped, instance-hour charges pause while storage and backup charges continue. Aurora automatically restarts stopped clusters after a 7-day stop period, at which point compute charges resume.
