Self-hosted Cloud Window

Self-hosting
cost estimator

Estimate AWS compute, bandwidth and storage costs for your expected usage.

Self-hosting estimate · AWS Oregon · Linux g6f.xlarge · USD

Enable JavaScript for the interactive estimator. Baseline rates: compute $0.2375/hour, public IPv4 $0.005/hour, gp3 storage $0.08/GiB-month, and outgoing data from $0.09/GB. See the sources and assumptions below.

Usage presets

Presets change streaming and powered-on hours. Adjust individual settings below.

Desktop streaming

hours / month

Hours you actually spend connected in Moonlight.

Extra powered-on time

hours / month

Time running without a desktop stream. Still billed for compute.

Average streaming bitrate

Mbps

10–15 Mbps is a good starting point for typical 1080p desktop work. Higher settings can improve detail during motion, but send more data. Use an expected average here; Moonlight’s bitrate setting is a limit, not measured usage.

Which bitrate should I use?

5 Mbps — lower data use. Useful for a mostly static desktop or a lower-resolution stream. Scrolling and video may look softer or show compression artifacts.
10–15 Mbps — everyday desktop use. A reasonable starting range for coding, terminals and browsing at 1080p. Increase it if text or motion looks compressed.
20–30 Mbps — more detail or motion. Worth trying for 1440p, frequent scrolling or video when a lower setting is visibly limiting quality.
50 Mbps or more — usually unnecessary for ordinary 1080p work. It can help with 4K, high frame rates or fast-moving content, but is often overkill for coding and browsing.

Bandwidth impact: averaging 10 Mbps sends about 4.5 GB/hour; 50 Mbps sends 22.5 GB/hour—five times as much data. Higher bitrate does not make the cloud computer run faster.

These are starting points, not quality guarantees. Resolution, frame rate, codec (H.264, HEVC or AV1), screen content and network stability all matter. Start low and increase only if you see a useful improvement. Your connection needs spare capacity above the stream’s bitrate. See the Moonlight setup guide and streaming FAQ.

Saved-file storage

GiB

Your gp3 disk stays billable when the computer is stopped.

Storage, networking & other costs

Billable snapshot storage GiB-month

Total incremental data retained across snapshots and images, not disk size × backup count. Standard snapshots: $0.05/GiB-month.

Unused free outgoing data GB / month

AWS offers 100 GB shared across eligible services and regions. Default: 0, in case your account already uses it. Enter only what remains.

Public IPv4 address Other monthly costs USD

Add your allowance for the dashboard, logs, DNS, networking plans or other services.

Bandwidth charges

How desktop streaming is billed

The apps run on an AWS server. Your device receives a live video of the desktop and sends back your clicks and keystrokes. AWS charges for the data leaving its servers—including that video.

Your AWS computer
Runs your apps and turns the desktop into a video stream.
Video over the internet
More streaming hours or a higher bitrate sends more data. Outgoing data is billed.
Your screen
Moonlight displays the video. Your input travels back to the cloud computer.

Connected & streaming

Pay for the running computer, outgoing video data and retained storage.

Disconnected, still running

Compute charges continue. Video traffic stops, but jobs and other transfers may still send data.

Computer stopped

Compute charges stop. Retained disks, backups and any reserved public IP still cost money.

Your home or mobile internet plan is separate. Tailscale encrypts the connection; it does not make AWS bandwidth free. Closing Moonlight is not the same as stopping the computer.

Calculation details

Rates and
assumptions

Read the DIY guide ↗

Developer preview. The guide is available; the reviewed installer and clean image are still in preparation.

What’s included?

One Linux g6f.xlarge in US West (Oregon), On-Demand compute at $0.2375/hour, gp3 storage at $0.08/GiB-month with baseline performance, and one public IPv4 at $0.005/hour when selected. A month is modeled as 730 hours. Storage is kept for the full month.

How is streaming traffic calculated?

Streaming hours × average Mbps × 3,600 ÷ 8 gives megabytes sent. We use decimal GB (1 billion bytes) for the estimate: 12 Mbps is 5.4 GB/hour. This is conservative compared with binary GiB. Video varies with activity; audio, protocol overhead, downloads from the VM and other outgoing traffic can add to your bill.

After your entered free allowance, the model applies $0.09/GB for the first 10,240 GB, $0.085 for the next 40,960, $0.07 for the next 102,400 and $0.05 beyond. Your account’s other traffic can change the tier. Check billed units and actual usage in AWS.

What’s outside the estimate?

Taxes, credits, paid software, setup or image-building time, additional disks, extra disk performance, cross-region transfer, NAT gateways, and dashboard services such as Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, S3 and CloudFront are not automatically included. Use “Other monthly costs” for your own allowance. No Spot discounts or savings commitments are assumed.

Does leaving it on cost more?

Yes. Compute is billed while powered on, even when no viewer is connected. “Always on” models 730 powered-on hours with 160 hours streaming. It is a cost scenario, not a change to the preview’s automatic shutdown policy. Stopping the computer ends applications and background jobs; saved files remain on the retained disk.

Rates & sources

Rate assumptions checked September 10, 2026. Prices may change; the estimator does not fetch live rates or read your AWS account.

Self-hostingcost estimator

How desktop streaming is billed

Your AWS computer

Video over the internet

Your screen

Connected & streaming

Disconnected, still running

Computer stopped

Rates andassumptions

Self-hosting
cost estimator

Rates and
assumptions