Calculate AWS Direct Connect or Azure ExpressRoute costs including port fees, partner circuit charges, and data transfer for dedicated cloud connectivity.
AWS Direct Connect and Azure ExpressRoute provide dedicated private connections between your data center and the cloud, bypassing the public internet. These connections offer consistent latency, higher bandwidth, and reduced data transfer costs compared to VPN, but come with higher fixed fees.
Direct Connect pricing has three components: the AWS port fee ($0.30/hr for 1 Gbps, $2.25/hr for 10 Gbps), the partner/colocation circuit fee ($200–2,000+/month), and data transfer out at reduced rates ($0.02/GB vs $0.09/GB for internet). Azure ExpressRoute ranges from $55/month (50 Mbps metered) to over $16,000/month (10 Gbps unlimited).
This calculator helps you estimate the total monthly cost of a dedicated connection including port hourly fees, partner circuit charges, and data transfer. Use it to determine the break-even point where Direct Connect becomes cheaper than VPN due to lower data transfer rates.
Understanding this metric in precise terms allows technology leaders to make evidence-based decisions about scaling, architecture, and infrastructure investment priorities for their organizations.
Direct Connect data transfer costs $0.02/GB versus $0.09/GB over the internet. For organizations transferring 5+ TB/month, the transfer savings alone can justify the higher fixed cost. This calculator reveals the break-even point for your specific transfer volume. Consistent measurement creates a reliable baseline for tracking system health over time and identifying degradation before it impacts users or triggers costly production outages.
Port Cost = port_hourly × 730 hours Partner Cost = partner_monthly_fee Transfer Cost = transfer_GB × transfer_rate Total Monthly = Port Cost + Partner Cost + Transfer Cost
Result: $819.00/month
1 Gbps Direct Connect port at $0.30/hr: $219/month. Partner circuit fee: $500/month. 5 TB data transfer at $0.02/GB: $100/month. Total: $819/month. Compare to VPN: $36.50 gateway + 5 TB at $0.09/GB = $486.50/month. Direct Connect costs $332 more but provides dedicated, consistent bandwidth.
AWS Direct Connect: $0.30/hr (1G) or $2.25/hr (10G) + partner + $0.02/GB out. Azure ExpressRoute: $55/mo (50 Mbps metered) to $16,200/mo (10 Gbps unlimited). GCP Cloud Interconnect: $0.05/hr (10G) + partner + $0.02/GB. GCP is cheapest for ports; AWS and Azure compete on data transfer rates.
Direct Connect monthly fixed cost minus VPN fixed cost equals the premium. Divide by the per-GB savings ($0.09 − $0.02 = $0.07) to get the break-even transfer volume. Example: ($719 − $36.50) / $0.07 = 9,750 GB (9.75 TB/month). Adjust for your actual costs.
For production workloads, deploy two Direct Connect connections at geographically diverse locations. Add a VPN connection as a third failover path. Use BGP failover to automatically switch traffic between paths. This architecture provides 99.99%+ availability for hybrid connectivity.
A 1 Gbps dedicated port costs $0.30/hr ($219/mo). A 10 Gbps port costs $2.25/hr ($1,642.50/mo). Add partner circuit fees of $200–2,000/mo depending on location and provider. Data transfer out is $0.02/GB for the first 10 TB. Hosted connections start at 50 Mbps with lower costs.
A dedicated connection typically takes 2–4 weeks from order to activation. A hosted connection through a partner may be available in days. Plan for cross-connect installation time at the colocation facility. VPN can be your interim solution while waiting.
AWS Direct Connect partners (Equinix, Megaport, etc.) provide physical connectivity from their facilities to AWS Direct Connect locations. They handle the last-mile fiber between your data center and the AWS router. Partner fees cover this circuit and vary by distance and bandwidth.
Yes. A Direct Connect Gateway allows you to connect to VPCs in multiple AWS regions from a single Direct Connect connection. You can also use Transit Gateway with Direct Connect to reach hundreds of VPCs through a central hub.
Direct Connect provides consistent latency and bandwidth since it does not traverse the public internet. However, the physical connection is a single point of failure. For high availability, configure two Direct Connect connections at different locations, or use VPN as a failover path.
For a 1 Gbps dedicated connection (~$719/mo for port + partner), the data transfer savings of $0.07/GB (vs internet) means you break even at approximately 10.3 TB/month of outbound transfer. Below that volume, VPN is typically more cost-effective.