c4-highmem-4vsc4a-highmem-4
c4a-highmem-4 is 10% cheaper than c4-highmem-4 on demand in Iowa, saving $18.18 a month. They use different processor architectures (x86_64 and arm64), so software built for one may need rebuilding to run on the other.
| At a glance | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand | $0.2607/hr | $0.2358/hr10% less |
| Lowest rate | $0.1173/hr3-yr committed use, no upfront | $0.1061/hr10% less3-yr committed use, no upfront |
| Size | 4 vCPUs, 31 GiB | 4 vCPUs, 32 GiB |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
Prices in Iowa
“Off” is the discount against each type’s own on-demand price. Linux, USD per hour.
| Option | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 vs c4-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demandPay by the hour | $0.2607 | $0.2358 | ▼ 10% |
| SpotCan be interrupted | 40% off$0.156 | 51% off$0.1163 | ▼ 25% |
| 1-yr committed useNo upfront | 37% off$0.1642 | 34% off$0.1554 | ▼ 5% |
| 3-yr committed useNo upfront | 55% off$0.1173 | 55% off$0.1061 | ▼ 10% |
Key differences
The biggest lead each one has.
Where c4-highmem-4 leads
Max persistent disks128 vs 16
8× higherWhere c4a-highmem-4 leads
On-demand price$0.2358 vs $0.2607 per hour
10% cheaperMemory (GiB)32 vs 31
3% higherSpecs
6 of 11 specs differ. Those are in bold.
| Compute2 of 3 differ | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|
| vCPUs | 4 | 4 |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| Memory1 of 1 differ | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (GiB) | 31 | 32 |
| NetworkingAll 1 match | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Up to 23 Gbps | Up to 23 Gbps |
| Storage1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Network disks only | Network disks only |
| Max persistent disks | 128 | 16 |
| Instance details1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | c4 | c4a |
| Category | General purpose | General purpose |
| Other1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Series | C4 | C4A |
| Specs source | Compute Engine API | Compute Engine API |
On-demand prices by region
Cheapest for c4-highmem-4 first. Linux, USD per hour.
| Region | c4-highmem-4 | c4a-highmem-4 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbusus-east5 | $0.2607 | $0.2358 | ▼ 10% |
| IowaUsed in summaryus-central1 | $0.2607 | $0.2358 | ▼ 10% |
| Northern Virginiaus-east4 | $0.2607 | $0.2358 | ▼ 10% |
| Oregonus-west1 | $0.2607 | $0.2358 | ▼ 10% |
| South Carolinaus-east1 | $0.2607 | $0.2358 | ▼ 10% |
| Mumbaiasia-south1 | $0.2711 | $0.2452 | ▼ 10% |
| Netherlandseurope-west4 | $0.2737 | $0.2476 | ▼ 10% |
| Stockholmeurope-north2 | $0.2737 | $0.2476 | ▼ 10% |
| Mexiconorthamerica-south1 | $0.2841 | $0.257 | ▼ 10% |
| Belgiumeurope-west1 | $0.287 | $0.2596 | ▼ 10% |
| Finlandeurope-north1 | $0.287 | $0.2596 | ▼ 10% |
| Johannesburgafrica-south1 | $0.287 | $0.2596 | ▼ 10% |
| Montréalnorthamerica-northeast1 | $0.287 | $0.2596 | ▼ 10% |
| Torontonorthamerica-northeast2 | $0.287 | $0.2596 | ▼ 10% |
| Las Vegasus-west4 | $0.2936 | $0.2655 | ▼ 10% |
| Londoneurope-west2 | $0.2972 | $0.2688 | ▼ 10% |
| Taiwanasia-east1 | $0.3018 | $0.273 | ▼ 10% |
| Dallasus-south1 | $0.3076 | $0.2782 | ▼ 10% |
| Frankfurteurope-west3 | $0.3076 | $0.2782 | ▼ 10% |
| Madrideurope-southwest1 | $0.3076 | $0.2782 | ▼ 10% |
| Los Angelesus-west2 | $0.3134 | $0.2834 | ▼ 10% |
| Warsaweurope-central2 | $0.3154 | $0.2853 | ▼ 10% |
| Dohame-central1 | $0.3167 | $0.2865 | ▼ 10% |
| Singaporeasia-southeast1 | $0.3216 | $0.2909 | ▼ 10% |
| Sydneyaustralia-southeast1 | $0.3258 | $0.2947 | ▼ 10% |
| Tokyoasia-northeast1 | $0.3348 | $0.3028 | ▼ 10% |
| Melbourneaustralia-southeast2 | $0.3389 | $0.3064 | ▼ 10% |
| Zuricheurope-west6 | $0.3415 | $0.3088 | ▼ 10% |
| Jakartaasia-southeast2 | $0.3505 | $0.317 | ▼ 10% |
| Santiagosouthamerica-west1 | $0.3728 | $0.3371 | ▼ 10% |
| São Paulosouthamerica-east1 | $0.4139 | $0.3744 | ▼ 10% |
Keep exploring
Each type’s own page, and how it compares with others.
GCP Compute Engine Linux prices in USD. Monthly figures use 730 hours. Prices last updated 12 Nov 2026.