Raff is an Oracle Cloud alternative for conventional application infrastructure when a workload fits us-east and the priorities are lower published VM pricing, included NVMe capacity, unmetered bandwidth, and a smaller operating surface. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is stronger when the architecture needs 50+ public cloud regions, Oracle Database services, flexible AMD, Intel, or Arm shapes, bare metal, GPUs, enterprise governance, multicloud interconnects, or Always Free resources. For a current spec-level comparison, Raff General Purpose provides 4 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB NVMe for $33.99/month, while OCI VM.Standard.E6.Flex at 2 OCPUs / 8 GB plus 160 GB of Balanced Block Volume storage is approximately $62.28/month before backups, paid support, premium software, and services beyond the included network allowance. Raff has no controlled Oracle Cloud benchmark within the last 90 days, so this page compares verified pricing, architecture, included resources, and platform fit without declaring a performance winner.
Oracle Cloud vs Raff: which is right for you?
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Raff solve different operating problems. OCI is a global enterprise cloud with flexible infrastructure and deep Oracle-native services; Raff is a smaller cloud platform designed to reduce packaging and billing complexity.
| Decision factor | Choose Raff | Choose Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| Geography | Your workload fits one region named us-east | You need 50+ public cloud regions, sovereign realms, or specific country placement |
| VM economics | You want a published VM plan with listed NVMe capacity and unmetered transfer | You can model OCPU, memory, boot volume, performance units, backups, and services separately |
| CPU architecture | Conventional x86 VM plans fit the workload | You need flexible AMD, Intel, Arm, bare metal, GPU, or HPC shapes |
| Databases | You need managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey, ClickHouse, or Kafka | You need Autonomous Database, Exadata, Oracle Database, MySQL HeatWave, or Oracle licensing integration |
| Application platform | You need VMs, Kubernetes, databases, Apps, Functions, and storage in a compact platform | You need OKE, OCI Functions, Container Instances, API Gateway, analytics, AI, and enterprise integration |
| Free usage | You prefer a paid production plan with clear included resources | Your eligible workload can remain inside OCI Always Free limits and available capacity |
| Operations | Direct support and a smaller product surface are valuable | Compartments, IAM policies, tenancy governance, quotas, and enterprise controls are required |
Raff is not a replacement for every OCI product. It is most relevant as an Oracle Cloud VM alternative for conventional Linux and Windows application infrastructure where predictable cost matters more than Oracle-native platform depth.
For the wider location decision, review how to choose a U.S. cloud server for latency and compliance.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure overview
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is Oracle's public cloud platform for compute, networking, storage, databases, containers, analytics, AI, security, identity, governance, and hybrid or multicloud deployments. Oracle currently describes a footprint of 50+ public cloud regions across 28 countries, including commercial, government, sovereign, and multicloud locations.
OCI Compute supports flexible AMD, Intel, and Arm virtual machine shapes. On x86 shapes, 1 OCPU equals 2 vCPUs. VM.Standard.E6.Flex is the newer AMD Standard Flex generation and allows teams to adjust OCPU and RAM rather than selecting only fixed bundles. Oracle's current E6 shape supports up to 126 OCPUs and up to 1,454 GB of memory, with network bandwidth scaling by OCPU.
Oracle also provides Ampere Arm shapes through VM.Standard.A1.Flex. OCI's Always Free documentation currently includes 1,500 A1 OCPU-hours and 9,000 GB-hours per month, equivalent to 2 OCPUs and 12 GB of memory for Always Free tenancies, plus 200 GB of combined boot/block volume storage, five volume backups, and 20 GB of combined Object and Archive Storage. Always Free capacity can be unavailable in a preferred availability domain, and idle compute instances can be reclaimed under Oracle's published policy.
OCI's strongest differentiators are Oracle Database services, Autonomous Database, Exadata, MySQL HeatWave, flexible compute, bare metal, high-performance networking, enterprise identity and governance, and interconnect options with other hyperscalers.
Raff overview
Raff serves customers from one public region named us-east. The current platform includes:
- General Purpose shared-vCPU VMs
- CPU-Optimized dedicated-vCPU VMs
- Linux and Windows operating systems
- Managed Kubernetes
- Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey, ClickHouse, and Kafka
- Raff Apps
- Raff Functions
- S3-compatible Object Storage
- Block Storage Volumes at $0.08/GB-month
- Snapshots at $0.06/GB-month
- Private networking, firewall controls, DDoS protection, IPv4, and IPv6
- API, CLI, Terraform, web console, VNC, resize, and custom OS workflows
Current General Purpose shared-vCPU plans include:
- 2 vCPU / 2 GB / 40 GB NVMe — $12.99/month
- 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB NVMe — $17.99/month
- 4 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB NVMe — $24.99/month
- 2 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB NVMe — $27.99/month
- 4 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB NVMe — $33.99/month
- 8 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB NVMe — $48.99/month
- 8 vCPU / 16 GB / 240 GB NVMe — $71.99/month
Raff also offers CPU-Optimized plans for workloads that need dedicated-vCPU allocation. This refresh does not publish CPU-Optimized prices because the current buyer-facing comparison is anchored to the live General Purpose catalog.
VM bandwidth is unmetered on a standard 3 Gbps public port. Raff's current data-protection model uses a free backup-and-snapshot storage pool rather than the older three-slot model; additional protection storage is priced separately when the included pool is exceeded.
Raff reports 3,000+ customers and 15,000+ VMs, publishes a 99.9% uptime SLA, and currently shows 4.5/5 on Trustpilot and 4.6/5 on G2.
Oracle Cloud pricing vs Raff pricing
The current table compares Raff General Purpose with OCI VM.Standard.E6.Flex. This is a spec-level buying comparison, not a claim of equal CPU allocation or equal performance: Raff General Purpose uses shared vCPU, while OCI E6 uses Oracle's OCPU-based Standard Flex model.
OCI estimates use $0.03 per OCPU-hour, $0.002 per GB-hour, 730 hours per month, and Balanced Block Volume storage at $0.0425 per GB-month.
| Published CPU / memory / storage class | Raff General Purpose | OCI E6 Flex + Balanced storage | Difference before other OCI add-ons |
|---|
| 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB | $17.99 | $27.74 compute + $3.40 storage = $31.14 | Raff about 42% lower |
| 4 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB | $33.99 | $55.48 compute + $6.80 storage = $62.28 | Raff about 45% lower |
| 8 vCPU / 16 GB / 240 GB | $71.99 | $110.96 compute + $10.20 storage = $121.16 | Raff about 41% lower |
OCI flexible shapes can be right-sized more precisely than Raff's fixed published tiers. A team can choose a different memory-to-OCPU ratio and potentially avoid paying for unused RAM. OCI also gives buyers more processor, accelerator, and infrastructure options. Raff's advantage is the lower published VM price, included listed NVMe capacity, and a simpler bandwidth model.
Oracle Cloud Free Tier
OCI's Always Free resources remain a meaningful advantage for eligible experiments and small workloads. Oracle's current detailed documentation includes:
- Up to two AMD
VM.Standard.E2.1.Micro instances
- Ampere A1 Always Free compute allocation
- 200 GB combined boot and Block Volume storage
- Five Always Free volume backups
- 20 GB combined Object and Archive Storage for Always Free-only accounts
- Additional Always Free platform resources
The tradeoffs matter. Ampere A1 is Arm rather than x86, so third-party binaries and proprietary software must support the architecture. Free compute can also be unavailable because of regional capacity, and Oracle documents reclamation criteria for idle Always Free compute.
What OCI compute pricing does not include
OCI VM compute pricing does not include:
- Boot and data Block Volume capacity
- Balanced or higher Block Volume performance units where applicable
- Block Volume backups and retained snapshots beyond free allocations
- Paid support
- Load Balancer capacity where used
- Database licenses or premium operating systems where applicable
- Public egress above the included monthly allowance
- Additional OCI services used by the workload
OCI Balanced Block Volume totals $0.0425/GB-month at the standard balanced configuration used in this comparison.
Raff includes the listed plan NVMe capacity and unmetered VM bandwidth. Its current protection model provides a free backup-and-snapshot storage pool, with additional protection storage billed when usage exceeds that pool.
Bandwidth and transfer policy
Oracle Cloud has one of the more generous hyperscaler egress policies. OCI includes the first 10 TB of outbound data per month and advertises outbound pricing starting at $0.0085/GB above 10 TB. Inbound transfer and many intra-region transfer paths are free under OCI's published networking model.
Raff VM plans include unmetered bandwidth on a standard 3 Gbps public port. Raff does not add a per-GB internet egress line item to normal VM plans.
| Monthly outbound transfer | Raff | OCI public internet egress |
|---|
| 1 TB | Included | Included in first 10 TB |
| 5 TB | Included | Included in first 10 TB |
| 10 TB | Included | Included in first 10 TB |
| 20 TB | Included | About $85 for 10 TB above allowance |
| 50 TB | Included | About $340 for 40 TB above allowance |
OCI is unusually competitive on bandwidth for a hyperscaler. Below 10 TB/month, both Raff and OCI avoid a variable public-egress charge. Above 10 TB, Raff remains simpler because transfer stays included, while OCI's published overage rate remains relatively low.
OCI also offers Site-to-Site VPN and FastConnect for hybrid networking. Oracle's global network and many regions are stronger for distributed or hybrid systems; Raff is simpler for a single-region us-east application stack.
Feature comparison: Oracle Cloud vs Raff
Compute
| Feature | Raff | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| Shared compute | General Purpose shared vCPU | Flexible and fixed VM shapes |
| Dedicated compute | CPU-Optimized family available | Bare metal and specialized compute options |
| Current pricing anchor | $33.99 — 4 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB | E6 Flex ≈ $62.28 with matched 160 GB Balanced storage |
| CPU architectures | x86 VM catalog | AMD, Intel, Arm, GPU, and HPC families |
| Flexible CPU/RAM ratio | Fixed published plans | Flexible OCPU and RAM configuration |
| Bare metal | Not in current public VM catalog | Available |
| Preemptible capacity | Not in current public VM catalog | Available for supported shapes |
| GPUs and HPC | Not in current public VM catalog | Broad GPU, RDMA, HPC, and AI infrastructure |
| Custom images | Available | Available |
OCI clearly wins on architecture choice and infrastructure breadth. Raff offers fewer choices but a shorter buying path for ordinary application infrastructure.
Networking
| Feature | Raff | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| Public egress | Unmetered at 3 Gbps | First 10 TB/month free; from $0.0085/GB above |
| Private networking | Available | VCN, peering, DRG, and private endpoints |
| Firewall | Included platform controls | Security Lists, Network Security Groups, OCI Network Firewall |
| IPv4 and IPv6 | Available | Available |
| Load balancing | Not used as a Raff advantage in this comparison | Flexible Load Balancer and Network Load Balancer |
| Site-to-site VPN | Standard integration pattern | OCI Site-to-Site VPN |
| Dedicated connectivity | External provider integration | FastConnect |
| Geography | One us-east region | 50+ public cloud regions |
OCI wins on global, hybrid, and enterprise network architecture. Raff wins when a single-region workload benefits from fewer network products and no transfer meter.
Storage & Backups
| Feature | Raff | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| VM storage | Listed NVMe capacity included | Boot volume billed separately outside free allocations |
| Additional block storage | Volumes at $0.08/GB-month | Multiple Block Volume performance tiers |
| On-demand snapshots | $0.06/GB-month | Block Volume and boot-volume backups |
| Automated protection baseline | Free backup-and-snapshot storage pool | Oracle-defined or custom backup policies |
| Performance controls | Plan-dependent | VPUs, IOPS, throughput, autotuning, elastic performance |
| Object storage | S3-compatible Object Storage | Object Storage and Archive Storage |
OCI offers deeper storage-performance tuning and enterprise policy controls. Raff provides a simpler VM-storage and protection workflow.
| Feature | Raff | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| Managed Kubernetes | Available | Oracle Kubernetes Engine |
| Managed relational databases | PostgreSQL and MySQL | Autonomous Database, Oracle Database, MySQL HeatWave, PostgreSQL services |
| Managed data services | Valkey, ClickHouse, Kafka | Oracle-native database, analytics, streaming, integration, and data services |
| Functions | Raff Functions | OCI Functions |
| Application platform | Raff Apps | Container Instances, Functions, OKE, API Gateway, DevOps services |
| Oracle software integration | General Linux and Windows hosting | Deep Oracle Database and enterprise-application integration |
| AI and analytics | Focused application platform | OCI Generative AI, Data Science, analytics, GPUs, and HPC |
| API, CLI, Terraform | Available | Extensive APIs, OCI CLI, Resource Manager, Terraform ecosystem |
OCI wins on Oracle-native databases, enterprise integration, analytics, AI, and specialized services. Raff covers a compact application stack for teams that do not need the wider Oracle portfolio.
Pricing & Billing
| Feature | Raff | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| Billing choices | Subscription terms plus hourly PAYG options | Usage-based billing and enterprise commitments |
| Compute sizing | Fixed published plans | Flexible OCPU and memory |
| VM disk included | Yes | Boot volume billed separately outside free allocations |
| Internet egress | Unmetered | First 10 TB/month free, then low overage pricing |
| Protection baseline | Free backup-and-snapshot storage pool | Policies and retained backups configured separately |
| Free tier | No permanent free VM tier | Always Free resources and trial credits where eligible |
OCI provides more flexibility and a valuable free tier. Raff requires less cost modeling for an ordinary paid production server.
Trust & Operations
| Feature | Raff | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| Scale signal | 3,000+ customers; 15,000+ VMs | Global enterprise cloud operated by Oracle |
| Public rating | Trustpilot 4.5/5; G2 4.6/5 | Broad enterprise customer and partner ecosystem |
| SLA | 99.9% | Service- and architecture-specific SLAs |
| Support | Direct 24/7 support | Documentation, partners, enterprise support, and Oracle support programs |
| Governance | Focused platform controls | Tenancies, compartments, IAM policies, quotas, Cloud Guard, Security Zones |
| Compliance | Focused provider program | Extensive global and industry-specific compliance portfolio |
OCI wins on enterprise governance, compliance breadth, support programs, and ecosystem depth. Raff offers a more direct operating relationship and a smaller surface to manage.
Infrastructure
| Feature | Raff | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure |
|---|
| Public region model | One region named us-east | 50+ regions across 28 countries |
| Availability architecture | Raff region model | Availability domains and fault domains where supported |
| CPU architectures | x86 | AMD, Intel, Arm, GPU, bare metal, HPC |
| Multicloud | Standard internet and partner integrations | Interconnect options with other major clouds in selected regions |
| Hybrid cloud | Standard integration patterns | Dedicated Region, Cloud@Customer, FastConnect, and edge options |
| Best fit | Predictable U.S.-East application infrastructure | Oracle databases, global enterprise, regulated, AI, HPC, and multicloud systems |
Raff has not completed a controlled, matched Oracle Cloud Infrastructure benchmark within the last 90 days. This page therefore does not claim that Raff or OCI is faster.
A valid benchmark would need to match:
- OCI region and Raff
us-east network test paths
- Linux distribution, kernel, and tuning
- x86 architecture on both sides
- Oracle OCPU-to-vCPU mapping
- Raff General Purpose or CPU-Optimized class
- Block Volume size, VPUs, caching, IOPS, and throughput
- At least three passes per test
- CPU, memory, fio, PostgreSQL, Redis, HTTP, and network workloads
- Full monthly cost including OCI compute and storage
Ampere A1 should not be used as the primary benchmark opponent for Raff's x86 plans because Arm and x86 compatibility, instruction sets, compiler behavior, and workload optimization differ. OCI E6 Flex would be the cleaner current x86 comparison, but its flexible memory and storage-performance settings must be recorded.
Until that test exists, use the pricing and feature sections to make the decision.
When you should choose Oracle Cloud over Raff
Choose Oracle Cloud when:
- You need deployment across 50+ public cloud regions.
- Your organization runs Oracle Database, Exadata, Autonomous Database, or Oracle enterprise applications.
- You need flexible OCPU and RAM ratios rather than fixed VM bundles.
- Arm, Intel, AMD, bare metal, GPU, HPC, or RDMA infrastructure is required.
- OCI Always Free resources fit an experimental or small Arm-compatible workload.
- Your architecture requires compartments, advanced IAM policies, Cloud Guard, Security Zones, or enterprise governance.
- OKE, MySQL HeatWave, OCI Functions, Data Science, Generative AI, analytics, or integration services are central.
- FastConnect, sovereign-cloud options, Cloud@Customer, or multicloud interconnects are required.
When you should choose Raff over Oracle Cloud
Choose Raff when:
- You want 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB NVMe for $17.99/month.
- You want 4 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB NVMe for $33.99/month.
- You want unmetered VM bandwidth rather than a 10 TB allowance and usage meter above it.
- The current free backup-and-snapshot storage pool fits your ordinary protection needs.
- Your workload uses conventional Linux or Windows VMs, managed databases, Kubernetes, Apps, Functions, and object storage.
- Your users and compliance requirements fit
us-east.
- You do not need Oracle Database, Exadata, Arm, GPU, bare metal, HPC, or Oracle enterprise governance.
- You prefer direct support and fewer billing dimensions.
Compare nearby decisions with Raff versus Google Cloud, Raff versus Azure Virtual Machines, and Raff versus AWS Lightsail.
:::cluster
Migrating from Oracle Cloud to Raff
- Inventory the OCI tenancy. Record Compute instances, shapes, OCPUs, memory, architecture, boot and block volumes, VPUs, VCNs, subnets, security lists, NSGs, public IPs, load balancers, DNS, IAM policies, compartments, backups, and managed-service dependencies.
- Classify portable and OCI-native components. Standard x86 Linux or Windows VMs, containers, files, and common databases are usually portable. Autonomous Database, Oracle Database systems, Exadata, OKE-specific controllers, MySQL HeatWave, OCI Vault, Functions, Streaming, and private service endpoints need replacement or hybrid planning.
- Resolve architecture compatibility. Ampere A1 workloads are Arm. Confirm that container images, packages, binaries, agents, and proprietary software have x86 builds before moving to Raff's x86 VM catalog.
- Choose the Raff compute class. Use General Purpose for shared-vCPU workloads or CPU-Optimized where dedicated-vCPU allocation is required. Match RAM, usable disk, public IPs, private networking, firewall exposure, and protection requirements.
- Move applications and data. Redeploy from source control, transfer files with rsync or secure copy, move compatible object data with S3 tools, and migrate databases using native dump/restore, replication, or application-level export.
- Validate before cutover. Test TLS, SSH or RDP, application health, database consistency, storage mounts, scheduled jobs, outbound email, IPv6, backups, restores, monitoring, and third-party allowlists through a temporary hostname.
- Cut over and remove residual OCI charges. Lower DNS TTL, perform the final sync, update A and AAAA records, monitor production, retain OCI for rollback, then delete unused instances, boot volumes, block volumes, backups, reserved IPs, load balancers, gateways, and paid services.
Operational gotchas:
- OCI public IP addresses cannot move to Raff. Update DNS, security allowlists, payment providers, SMTP relays, VPN peers, and partner integrations.
- OCI Block Volume backups are not directly attachable to Raff. Use file-, image-, database-, or application-level migration methods.
- Ampere A1 Arm binaries do not automatically run on x86 VMs. Rebuild containers and packages for
amd64 where required.
- Oracle Database licensing, support contracts, and application dependencies require separate commercial and technical review.
About Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is Oracle's global public cloud platform for compute, networking, storage, databases, containers, analytics, AI, security, governance, and hybrid or multicloud deployment. Its strongest differentiation is the combination of Oracle Database services, flexible infrastructure, enterprise controls, and 50+ public cloud regions.
Conclusion: Oracle Cloud or Raff?
Raff is the stronger Oracle Cloud alternative for ordinary production servers when the workload fits us-east and predictable VM economics matter more than global enterprise breadth.
- Current VM pricing: Raff 4 vCPU / 8 GB / 160 GB is $33.99; OCI E6 Flex at 2 OCPUs / 8 GB plus 160 GB Balanced storage is approximately $62.28 before backups and additional services.
- Bandwidth: Raff is unmetered on a standard 3 Gbps port; OCI includes 10 TB/month and charges from $0.0085/GB above it.
- Protection: Raff uses a free backup-and-snapshot storage pool; OCI backup policies and retained data are separately configured outside applicable Free Tier allocations.
- Free tier: OCI offers meaningful Always Free compute, block storage, backups, and object/archive storage for eligible accounts; Raff focuses on paid production plans.
- Platform: OCI wins on 50+ regions, Oracle Database, flexible shapes, Arm, bare metal, GPUs, HPC, enterprise governance, and multicloud products.
- Performance evidence: no matched benchmark is available, so neither provider is declared faster.
Choose Oracle Cloud for Oracle-native databases, global enterprise systems, free-tier experiments, specialized compute, governance, or multicloud infrastructure. Choose Raff for us-east Linux and Windows application stacks that benefit from included NVMe, unmetered bandwidth, managed databases, Kubernetes, Apps, Functions, and direct support.
Continue with the U.S. cloud server decision guide or review Raff VM plans.
