Direct answer: at official list prices on 9 November 2026 (USD, excluding tax/discounts and carrier local loops), hybrid-cloud private connectivity has three cost blocks: port/circuit hourly fees + data transfer out (DTO) + gateway/VLAN. AWS Direct Connect dedicated ports cost $0.30/hour for 1 Gbps (about $219/month) and $2.25/hour for 10 Gbps (about $1,642.50/month); inbound is $0, outbound is about $0.02/GB in US East. Azure ExpressRoute standard metered circuits cost $436/month for 1 Gbps and $3,400/month for 10 Gbps (the circuit price includes dual-port high availability at the same peering location); Zone 1 outbound is about $0.025/GB, and a Standard virtual network gateway is $0.19/hour. GCP Dedicated Interconnect costs $2.328/hour for 10 Gbps (about $1,699.44/month) and $23.28/hour for 100 Gbps; VLAN attachments are $0.10/hour and North America outbound is $0.02/GiB; Partner Interconnect 1 Gbps VLANs are $0.2778/hour (about $202.79/month) plus provider fees. Editorial estimate for one 1 Gbps connection plus 10 TB/month outbound: AWS about $423.80/month, Azure about $830.70/month, GCP Partner about $407.59/month + provider fees. For 10 Gbps plus 100 TB/month: AWS about $3,690.50/month, Azure about $6,098.70/month, GCP about $3,820.44/month.
This guide is for network, cloud platform, SRE, IT operations and procurement teams. It compares AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute and GCP Cloud Interconnect: billing units, 1G/10G TCO, redundancy and dual-path costs, metered-vs-unlimited break-even, hidden costs and a 90-day checklist. Prices come from the three official pricing pages and the Azure Retail Prices API (all accessed 9 November 2026). Official price facts, editorial calculations and exclusions are kept separate. This is not procurement advice.
(1) Private connectivity is not one flat per-bandwidth price: port/circuit, VLAN/gateway, outbound traffic, carrier local loop and colocation cross-connect are billed separately. (2) The units differ: AWS bills port hours, Azure bills a circuit monthly fee (including dual ports), GCP bills connection hours + VLAN attachments; normalize to \"two diverse paths + monthly outbound\" before comparing. (3) Below 1 Gbps/low traffic, VPN or Partner/Hosted links are often cheaper; above 10 Gbps the per-Mbps price falls, but redundancy, carrier and operations costs scale.
Billing model: ports, circuits, VLANs and outbound
AWS Direct Connect charges port hours (dedicated 1/10/100/400 Gbps; hosted connections come from partners), inbound is $0 and outbound is billed per GB by source Region and DX location; the Direct Connect Gateway itself has no hourly fee, but Transit Gateway attachments are extra. Azure ExpressRoute charges a circuit monthly fee (Metered or Unlimited, including dual-port high availability at the same peering location), metered outbound per Zone, plus a virtual network gateway (Standard from $0.19/hour); Global Reach, ExpressRoute Direct and Traffic Collector are extra. GCP Cloud Interconnect charges connection hours (Dedicated 10/100/400 Gbps; Partner via providers) + VLAN attachment hours + outbound; Cross-Cloud Interconnect and partner fees are extra.
| Item | AWS Direct Connect | Azure ExpressRoute | GCP Cloud Interconnect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port/circuit | Dedicated 1G $0.30/h; 10G $2.25/h; 100G $22.50/h | Standard metered 1G $436/month; 10G $3,400/month (dual ports included) | Dedicated 10G $2.328/h; 100G $23.28/h |
| VLAN/attachment | DX Gateway no extra fee; Transit Gateway attachment extra | Circuit includes ports; virtual network gateway from $0.19/h | VLAN attachment $0.10/h (1–10G) |
| Inbound | $0/GB | $0/GB (Metered) | Charged per connection/VLAN, not per inbound GB |
| Outbound | By source Region/DX location; about $0.02/GB in US East | Zone 1 about $0.025/GB; Zone 2 $0.05; Zone 3 $0.14 | North America $0.02/GiB; Asia about $0.042/GiB |
| Minimum/form | Dedicated from 1G; hosted from 50M | Metered/Unlimited; 50M–10G | Dedicated from 10G; Partner from 50M |
Sources: AWS Direct Connect pricing page, Azure ExpressRoute pricing page and Azure Retail Prices API (serviceName=ExpressRoute, Zone 1/eastus, 9 November 2026), Google Cloud Interconnect pricing page (9 November 2026). Editorial summary; regions/currency/discounts/partner fees follow the official pages and contracts.
TCO: one 1 Gbps / 10 Gbps link plus monthly outbound
At 730 hours/month, 1 TB = 1,024 GB and US East/North America Zone 1: 1 Gbps + 10 TB/month outbound — AWS port $219 + DTO $204.80 = $423.80; Azure circuit $436 + DTO $256 + gateway $138.70 = $830.70; GCP Partner VLAN $202.79 + DTO $204.80 = $407.59 (plus provider fees). 10 Gbps + 100 TB/month outbound — AWS $1,642.50 + $2,048 = $3,690.50; Azure $3,400 + $2,560 + $138.70 = $6,098.70; GCP $1,699.44 + VLAN $73 + $2,048 = $3,820.44. All exclude carrier local loops, colocation cross-connects, routers, support, tax and discounts.
| Scenario (single connection/circuit) | Port/circuit | Outbound | Gateway/VLAN | Total/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS 1 Gbps + 10 TB | 219.00 | 204.80 | 0 | 423.80 |
| Azure 1 Gbps + 10 TB | 436.00 | 256.00 | 138.70 | 830.70 |
| GCP Partner 1 Gbps + 10 TB | 202.79 | 204.80 | 0 | 407.59* |
| AWS 10 Gbps + 100 TB | 1,642.50 | 2,048.00 | 0 | 3,690.50 |
| Azure 10 Gbps + 100 TB | 3,400.00 | 2,560.00 | 138.70 | 6,098.70 |
| GCP 10 Gbps + 100 TB | 1,699.44 | 2,048.00 | 73.00 | 3,820.44 |
Editorial calculation: AWS 1G $0.30×730, 10G $2.25×730, DTO $0.02/GB; Azure metered 1G $436, 10G $3,400, Zone 1 DTO $0.025/GB, gateway Standard $0.19×730; GCP Partner VLAN $0.2778×730, Dedicated 10G $2.328×730, VLAN $0.10×730, DTO $0.02/GiB. * GCP Partner adds provider fees; an Azure circuit already includes dual ports at one location, while AWS/GCP single connections do not include dual-path redundancy.
Redundancy and dual-path: what multiplier?
Production links usually need two diverse paths/locations: AWS two dedicated ports = port fee ×2; GCP two Dedicated connections = connection fee ×2 (VLANs also ×2); one Azure circuit already includes dual ports at the same peering location, so maximum resiliency across two peering locations means circuit fee ×2. Dual-path port/circuit cost: AWS 1G about $438/month, Azure 1G about $872/month, GCP 10G about $3,398.88/month (excluding DTO/gateway/carrier). Azure metered-vs-unlimited break-even is high: about 235 TB/month at 1G and about 1.83 PB/month at 10G, so most enterprises are cheaper on metered.
| Item | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single connection/circuit (1G or 10G) | 1G $219/month; 10G $1,642.50/month | 1G $436/month; 10G $3,400/month (dual ports included) | 10G $1,699.44/month |
| Two locations/dual path | ×2 port fee | ×2 circuit fee | ×2 connection fee + ×2 VLAN |
| 1G dual-path port/circuit | about $438/month | about $872/month | Partner about $405.59/month + provider |
| 10G dual-path port/circuit | about $3,285/month | about $6,800/month | about $3,398.88/month + VLAN $146/month |
| Metered vs Unlimited break-even | No Unlimited; billed by DTO | 1G about 235 TB/month; 10G about 1.83 PB/month | Billed by VLAN/connection + DTO |
Editorial calculation: dual path multiplies the same unit price by 2; Azure break-even = (Unlimited monthly − Metered monthly) ÷ outbound rate, using Premium Unlimited $6,450 vs Metered $436 at $0.025/GB for 1G, and Standard Unlimited $51,300 vs Metered $3,400 at $0.025/GB for 10G. Unlimited is not available at every region/bandwidth; check the official page.
Hidden costs: seven items beyond the monthly fee
The private-link bill often misses: carrier local loop/last mile (usually not on the cloud bill; quoted by the carrier and highly variable by city/country), colocation and cross-connect (rack/U/port fees), routers/switches and redundant power, cloud gateways/VPN gateways (Azure from $0.19/hour; AWS Transit Gateway attachments extra), Global Reach/cross-cloud/cross-region (Azure Global Reach, GCP Cross-Cloud Interconnect extra), support plans (Business/Enterprise) and tax/FX/operations labor. These often match or exceed the port fee itself.
| Cost item | Trigger | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier local loop | From data center/office to cloud peering location | Compare carriers, connect nearby, consolidate links |
| Colocation / cross-connect | Rack, U space, fiber patch | Choose facilities by port/bandwidth; avoid duplicate cross-connects |
| Routers/switches | BGP, redundancy, 10G/100G ports | Reuse existing gear; upgrade as needed |
| Cloud/VPN gateway | VNet/VPC interconnection, encryption | Size by throughput; consolidate VNets/VPCs |
| Global Reach/cross-cloud | Multi-site/multi-cloud | Enable only when needed; verify per-traffic fees |
| Support plan | Production SLA, 24×7 | Tier by business criticality; avoid top tier everywhere |
| Tax/FX/operations | Cross-border, labor, monitoring | Budget a margin; include in TCO |
Editorial summary; carrier/facility/support/tax terms follow contracts and bills.
How to choose: bandwidth, redundancy, cloud architecture and compliance
Start with bandwidth and growth: below 1 Gbps, branch/test or highly variable traffic — prefer VPN or Partner/Hosted links; stable 1–10 Gbps production — dedicated ports/circuits; above 10 Gbps — compare per-Mbps price and 100G options. Then redundancy: production needs at least two diverse paths/locations and should accept port fee ×2. Then cloud architecture: a single VPC/VNet uses DX Gateway/ER Circuit/GCP VLAN; multiple VPCs/regions add Transit Gateway, Virtual WAN or Cloud Router attachments. Finally compliance/latency/multi-cloud: private peering, Local Zone, Global Reach and Cross-Cloud Interconnect all change TCO.
| Scenario | Prefer | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| <1 Gbps/branch/test | VPN, Hosted/Partner link | SLA, latency, outbound traffic |
| 1–10 Gbps stable production | Dedicated port/circuit | Dual path, carrier, cross-connect |
| Above 10 Gbps/large outbound | 10G/100G private link | Per-Mbps price, Unlimited break-even |
| Many VPCs/VNets/regions | DX Gateway, Virtual WAN, Cloud Router | Attachment/gateway/cross-region fees |
| Multi-cloud | Global Reach, Cross-Cloud Interconnect | Cross-cloud ports/traffic/support |
| Compliance/low latency | Private peering, Local Zone | Path diversity, audit evidence |
Editorial selection framework, not a vendor recommendation; bandwidth/redundancy/compliance follow business and contracts.
90-day readiness checklist
Use the first 90 days to close the "traffic baseline → topology/redundancy → quotes → pilot → cutover → review" loop. Weeks 1-2: ingress/egress, peaks, regions and existing VPN; weeks 2-4: single/dual path, facilities and carriers; weeks 4-6: quote cloud + carrier + facility and calculate TCO; weeks 6-8: order and schedule (private links often take weeks); weeks 8-10: BGP/cutover/failover drill; weeks 10-12: cost review, monitoring and renewal terms. Do not compare only the cloud port fee.
| Phase | Action | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-2 | Traffic/peak/region/existing VPN baseline | Bandwidth and outbound model |
| Weeks 2-4 | Single/dual path, facilities, carriers | Topology and redundancy plan |
| Weeks 4-6 | Quote cloud + carrier + facility; calculate TCO | Three-way comparison and budget |
| Weeks 6-8 | Order, schedule, prepare BGP/routing | Provisioning plan |
| Weeks 8-10 | Cutover, failover drill, performance validation | Drill report |
| Weeks 10-12 | Cost review, monitoring, renewal terms | Runbook and review |
Editorial readiness advice, not an official template; delivery times/compliance/budget follow carriers, facilities and enterprise standards.
FAQ
How is AWS Direct Connect billed?
Port hours + outbound. Dedicated 1G $0.30/hour (about $219/month), 10G $2.25/hour (about $1,642.50/month); inbound $0, US East outbound about $0.02/GB; DX Gateway has no extra hourly fee, but Transit Gateway attachments are extra. Official example: two locations with one 2 Gbps hosted connection each at $0.66/hour = $963.60/month, plus 1 TB outbound $20.48 = $984.08/month, excluding partner fees.
How is Azure ExpressRoute billed?
Circuit monthly fee (Metered or Unlimited) + outbound + virtual network gateway. Zone 1 standard metered 1G $436/month, 10G $3,400/month; the circuit includes dual-port high availability at one peering location; Zone 1 outbound about $0.025/GB; Standard gateway $0.19/hour (about $138.70/month). Global Reach and ExpressRoute Direct are extra.
How is GCP Cloud Interconnect billed?
Dedicated: connection hours + VLAN attachments + outbound; 10G $2.328/hour (about $1,699.44/month), 100G $23.28/hour, VLAN $0.10/hour (1–10G), North America outbound $0.02/GiB. Partner Interconnect: VLAN attachment from $0.2778/hour (1G, about $202.79/month) plus provider fees.
What does a 1 Gbps private link cost per month?
Cloud side only: AWS port about $219/month + outbound; Azure circuit about $436/month + outbound + gateway about $138.70; GCP Partner VLAN about $202.79/month + provider fees + outbound. With 10 TB/month outbound, editorial estimates are about $423.80 / $830.70 / $407.59 (GCP excluding provider).
What about 10 Gbps + 100 TB outbound?
Editorial estimates: AWS about $3,690.50/month, Azure about $6,098.70/month, GCP about $3,820.44/month; all exclude carrier local loop, colocation cross-connect, routers, support and tax.
How many links do we need?
Production should use two diverse paths/locations; port/circuit cost roughly doubles. AWS/GCP single connections do not include dual paths; one Azure circuit includes dual ports at one location but is not maximum resiliency across two peering locations. Set the redundancy level by business RTO/RPO.
Is a private link always cheaper than VPN?
No. For low traffic and low SLA requirements, VPN is cheaper; private links buy stable bandwidth, low latency, a private path and SLAs. Do a break-even with monthly outbound + port/circuit + carrier + operations, not just the port fee.
Metered or Unlimited?
Most enterprises are cheaper on metered. At Zone 1 prices, Azure unlimited break-even is about 235 TB/month at 1G and about 1.83 PB/month at 10G; below that, metered is lower. Unlimited is not available at every region/bandwidth; check the official page.
Research method and limitations
This article separates "official price facts" from "editorial calculations." AWS port/hosted-connection prices, DTO rates and the official example come from the AWS Direct Connect pricing page. Azure circuit, gateway and Zone outbound prices come from the Azure ExpressRoute pricing page and Azure Retail Prices API (serviceName=ExpressRoute, Zone 1/eastus, 9 November 2026). GCP Dedicated/Partner/Cross-Cloud connection, VLAN and North America outbound prices and the official example come from the Google Cloud Interconnect pricing page (9 November 2026). The TCO tables, dual-path multipliers, break-even and 90-day checklist are editorial.
Eight limitations: (1) only public list prices, excluding tax/discounts/commitments/support; (2) only US East/North America Zone 1; (3) 730 hours/month and 1 TB = 1,024 GB; (4) single connection/circuit, with dual paths multiplied separately; (5) carrier local loops, colocation/cross-connect, routers and Transit Gateway/Virtual WAN attachments are excluded; (6) no real latency/loss/failover benchmark; (7) not all regions, ExpressRoute Direct, Global Reach or Cross-Cloud Interconnect combinations are covered; (8) prices/products change, so recheck official pages, carrier quotes and bills before purchase.
Sources and basis
- AWS, Direct Connect Pricing: aws.amazon.com/directconnect/pricing. Dedicated/hosted port hours, DTO and official example. Accessed 9 November 2026.
- Microsoft Azure, ExpressRoute Pricing: azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/expressroute. Metered/Unlimited circuits, gateways, Zone outbound and Global Reach. Accessed 9 November 2026.
- Azure Retail Prices API (serviceName=ExpressRoute, Zone 1/eastus): prices.azure.com/api/retail/prices. 1G $436/month, 10G $3,400/month, gateway $0.19/hour. Accessed 9 November 2026.
- Google Cloud, Cloud Interconnect Pricing: cloud.google.com/network-connectivity/docs/interconnect/pricing. Dedicated/Partner/Cross-Cloud, VLAN, outbound and official example. Accessed 9 November 2026.
Data cut-off 9 November 2026; prices/availability follow the AWS/Azure/Google official pages, carriers and bills; this is not procurement, commercial or legal advice.