Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Yes. Oracle still offers Ampere A1 Arm compute under its Always Free program, but a new free-tenancy user should plan around 2 OCPUs and 12 GB of RAM total—not the older 4-OCPU, 24-GB figure found on some Oracle pages. The allowance is subject to home-region and capacity limits, and other cloud resources can still cost money.
What Oracle’s free A1 offer includes
Ampere A1 is an Arm-based OCI Compute option. Its flexible shape, VM.Standard.A1.Flex, lets you choose OCPUs and memory. Oracle describes one Arm OCPU as one vCPU. For a standard Always Free tenancy, Oracle’s current Always Free documentation lists 1,500 OCPU-hours and 9,000 GB-hours of memory per month, usable in the tenancy’s home region. Those amounts are equivalent to 2 OCPUs and 12 GB running continuously for a full month. See Oracle’s Always Free resource limits and its Arm Compute reference.
| Resource or rule | Current Always Free tenancy allowance |
|---|---|
| Ampere A1 compute | 1,500 OCPU-hours per month |
| Memory | 9,000 GB-hours per month |
| Continuous practical configuration | 2 OCPUs and 12 GB RAM total |
| VM arrangement | One 2-OCPU VM or up to two 1-OCPU VMs, subject to memory and storage limits |
| Block-volume storage | 200 GB total Always Free pool for applicable boot and block volumes |
| Region | Tenancy’s home region |
| Architecture | Arm64/aarch64 |
The monthly hour limits are totals, not a promise that a larger VM can run all month. A 2-OCPU VM uses about 1,460 OCPU-hours in a 730-hour month; 12 GB uses about 8,760 GB-hours. Calendar months differ in length, so treat 2 OCPUs and 12 GB as the practical continuous configuration rather than assuming extra capacity will always fit within every month’s metering.
Always Free is separate from the trial
Oracle advertises up to US$300 in trial credit for up to 30 days. That temporary credit can be used for a broader range of OCI services; it is not the same entitlement as Always Free. Oracle says eligible Always Free resources can remain available after the trial ends, under the program’s limits and terms. The trial and free-resource details are on Oracle’s Free Tier page and its Free Tier overview.
#1 Best Overall
“Always Free” means free for the life of the account under Oracle’s program, not that every service connected to the VM is free or that the published allowance can never change. Staying within the A1 allowance does not make extra storage, networking, or other paid services free. Oracle says upgrading to a paid account does not automatically make eligible Always Free resources chargeable; usage beyond the applicable free limits can be billed. Review the resource eligibility and your account’s current billing status before creating resources.
Why some Oracle pages still say 4 OCPUs and 24 GB
Oracle’s published figures conflict. Its Free Tier page, marked updated June 29, 2026, says Always Free users must remain within 2 OCPUs and 12 GB after the trial. Oracle’s price list separately gives paid tenancies 3,000 OCPU-hours and 18,000 GB-hours per month—equivalent to 4 OCPUs and 24 GB continuously—and an Arm reference page still describes that larger allowance broadly. Compare the Free Tier page, Oracle price list, and Arm reference.
For a new, non-paid Always Free account, use 2 OCPUs and 12 GB as the planning limit. A paid or PAYG tenancy may show a different allowance, but verify the entitlement shown in your own OCI Console before deploying more. Oracle’s published pages do not clearly establish how every existing account is treated, so do not assume grandfathering or that an oversized instance will be billed or preserved in a particular way.
Rank #2
How to create an A1 instance
- Create or sign in to an Oracle Cloud account, then select the tenancy’s home region.
- In the OCI Console, open Compute → Instances and choose Create instance.
- Choose an image explicitly marked Arm64 or aarch64, such as an Arm-compatible Oracle Linux or Ubuntu image.
- Under shape, select VM.Standard.A1.Flex. Set OCPUs and memory within the allowance displayed for your account.
- Choose a boot volume size that fits with all other boot and block volumes inside the 200-GB pool. Oracle pages differ on the minimum boot volume, so use the current Create Instance form rather than relying on a single published minimum.
- Add an SSH public key. Before creating the VM, review the summary and confirm the selected resources are identified as Always Free eligible.
- Create the instance, then connect to its public IP using the image’s documented default username. Oracle Linux commonly uses
opc; Ubuntu commonly usesubuntu. Confirm the username for your chosen image.
For example, with an Oracle Linux image and a key at the path shown, connect with:
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutessh -i ~/.ssh/oracle_a1_ed25519 opc@PUBLIC_IPAlways Free A1 instances must be created in the home region. Oracle notes that the shape may not be available even there when capacity is exhausted; region and capacity details are in the Always Free documentation.
Secure and maintain the server
After first login, update the operating system with its package manager. For Oracle Linux, a typical command is:
Rank #3
sudo dnf update -yFor Ubuntu, a typical command is:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yCommands and package availability vary by operating system and release. Then:
- Allow only required inbound ports in the OCI security list or network security group and the instance firewall.
- Use SSH keys rather than enabling password-based remote login; keep the private key secure.
- Enable appropriate security updates and remove services you do not use.
- Keep a backup or replication copy outside the VM, and check boot-volume, block-volume, and backup usage.
- Monitor costs and review resources after experimenting; a budget is a monitoring tool, not necessarily a hard spending cap.
Check Arm compatibility before migrating an app
A1 runs Arm64, not x86-64. Many Linux distributions, language runtimes, and container images support Arm, but a successful VM launch does not mean every application will run. Check compatibility for:
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
- Docker or Podman images: look for an
arm64variant or a multi-architecture manifest. An x86-only image will not run natively as an Arm image. - Commercial software and agents: verify that the vendor supplies an Arm64 build.
- Kernel modules, device drivers, and security tools: confirm support for the chosen Arm kernel and distribution.
- Package repositories and precompiled binaries: check that the exact release publishes aarch64 packages.
To inspect a local Docker image’s reported architecture, run:
docker image inspect IMAGE_NAME
--format '{{.Architecture}}/{{.Os}}'Oracle provides Arm-specific Oracle Linux documentation and an Oracle Linux Cloud Developer image for Arm in its Arm Compute reference. A1 is a natural fit for lightweight websites, APIs, personal services, development tools, small databases, and compatible container workloads. It is a poor fit when you depend on x86-only software, need guaranteed capacity, or have a workload that would be costly to lose or restore.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do when capacity or access fails
“Out of host capacity”
This message means Oracle cannot currently allocate the requested shape in that location; it does not by itself mean the account is misconfigured. Try another availability domain in the home region, request a smaller shape, and retry later. Also confirm that the correct Arm shape is selected and that the tenancy’s available quota has not already been used. Oracle recommends trying another availability domain or waiting in its Always Free guidance.
SSH connection fails
Check that you are using the current public IP, the correct image-specific username, and the private key matching the public key configured at launch. Confirm that port 22 is permitted by the OCI network security list or network security group and the instance firewall. Restrict private-key permissions and use verbose SSH output when diagnosing a connection:
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Best Value
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/oracle_a1_ed25519
ssh -vvv -i ~/.ssh/oracle_a1_ed25519 opc@PUBLIC_IPImage or container will not run
Check the image architecture and rebuild or select an Arm64-compatible image if it is x86-64 only. Also verify that required packages and kernel components exist for your distribution and release.
Keep storage and billing within bounds
The 200 GB Always Free block-volume allowance is a shared pool, not 200 GB per VM. Boot volumes, data volumes, and applicable backups can consume it. Oracle’s pages give different boot-volume minimums—47 GB on one page and 50 GB on another—so check the live form. For planning, budget at least 50 GB per VM, keep the combined storage within the allowance, and remove unattached volumes and old backups. Oracle’s price list notes that storage outside relevant free allowances can be billed at standard rates.
Unexpected charges can come from resources other than A1 compute, including excess storage, backups, networking, load balancers, NAT gateways, outbound data transfer, or trial-only services left running. Before using a paid account, inspect the shape and resource eligibility in the Console, review Cost Analysis, and configure a budget if useful. Signup verification requirements vary by country and account circumstances; consult Oracle’s Free Tier FAQ rather than relying on a universal claim about whether a payment card is required.
Who should use it—and when to choose something else
Oracle A1 is compelling when the priority is zero recurring compute cost, the workload fits Arm64, and occasional capacity friction is acceptable. It can suit learning, prototypes, and low-risk personal services. It can also host a small production project if the operator handles backups, monitoring, security, and recovery independently.
Choose a paid service or another provider if the application requires x86 binaries, reliable capacity on demand, predictable support, or stronger service assurances. AWS Graviton, Google Cloud Tau T2A, and Azure Arm VMs are alternatives for users already invested in those ecosystems, but their current eligibility, pricing, and free-tier terms must be checked directly: AWS Graviton, Google Cloud T2A, and Azure Arm VMs. A low-cost VPS may be a better financial choice when simpler provisioning, x86 compatibility, and predictable monthly billing matter more than zero compute cost.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
