c4-highmem-8vsc4a-highmem-8
c4a-highmem-8 is 10% cheaper than c4-highmem-8 on demand in Iowa, saving $36.43 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-8 | c4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand | $0.5214/hr | $0.4715/hr10% less |
| Lowest rate | $0.2346/hr3-yr committed use, no upfront | $0.2122/hr10% less3-yr committed use, no upfront |
| Size | 8 vCPUs, 62 GiB | 8 vCPUs, 64 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-8 | c4a-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 vs c4-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demandPay by the hour | $0.5214 | $0.4715 | ▼ 10% |
| SpotCan be interrupted | 40% off$0.3121 | 51% off$0.2325 | ▼ 26% |
| 1-yr committed useNo upfront | 37% off$0.3285 | 34% off$0.3108 | ▼ 5% |
| 3-yr committed useNo upfront | 55% off$0.2346 | 55% off$0.2122 | ▼ 10% |
Key differences
The biggest lead each one has.
Where c4-highmem-8 leads
Max persistent disks128 vs 32
4× higherWhere c4a-highmem-8 leads
On-demand price$0.4715 vs $0.5214 per hour
10% cheaperMemory (GiB)64 vs 62
3% higherSpecs
6 of 11 specs differ. Those are in bold.
| Compute2 of 3 differ | c4-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| vCPUs | 8 | 8 |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| Memory1 of 1 differ | c4-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (GiB) | 62 | 64 |
| NetworkingAll 1 match | c4-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Up to 23 Gbps | Up to 23 Gbps |
| Storage1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Network disks only | Network disks only |
| Max persistent disks | 128 | 32 |
| Instance details1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | c4 | c4a |
| Category | General purpose | General purpose |
| Other1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Series | C4 | C4A |
| Specs source | Compute Engine API | Compute Engine API |
On-demand prices by region
Cheapest for c4-highmem-8 first. Linux, USD per hour.
| Region | c4-highmem-8 | c4a-highmem-8 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbusus-east5 | $0.5214 | $0.4715 | ▼ 10% |
| IowaUsed in summaryus-central1 | $0.5214 | $0.4715 | ▼ 10% |
| Northern Virginiaus-east4 | $0.5214 | $0.4715 | ▼ 10% |
| Oregonus-west1 | $0.5214 | $0.4715 | ▼ 10% |
| South Carolinaus-east1 | $0.5214 | $0.4715 | ▼ 10% |
| Mumbaiasia-south1 | $0.5422 | $0.4904 | ▼ 10% |
| Netherlandseurope-west4 | $0.5474 | $0.4951 | ▼ 10% |
| Stockholmeurope-north2 | $0.5474 | $0.4951 | ▼ 10% |
| Mexiconorthamerica-south1 | $0.5683 | $0.514 | ▼ 10% |
| Belgiumeurope-west1 | $0.5741 | $0.5192 | ▼ 10% |
| Finlandeurope-north1 | $0.5741 | $0.5192 | ▼ 10% |
| Johannesburgafrica-south1 | $0.5741 | $0.5192 | ▼ 10% |
| Montréalnorthamerica-northeast1 | $0.5741 | $0.5192 | ▼ 10% |
| Torontonorthamerica-northeast2 | $0.5741 | $0.5192 | ▼ 10% |
| Las Vegasus-west4 | $0.5872 | $0.5311 | ▼ 10% |
| Londoneurope-west2 | $0.5943 | $0.5375 | ▼ 10% |
| Taiwanasia-east1 | $0.6037 | $0.546 | ▼ 10% |
| Dallasus-south1 | $0.6152 | $0.5564 | ▼ 10% |
| Frankfurteurope-west3 | $0.6152 | $0.5564 | ▼ 10% |
| Madrideurope-southwest1 | $0.6152 | $0.5564 | ▼ 10% |
| Los Angelesus-west2 | $0.6267 | $0.5668 | ▼ 10% |
| Warsaweurope-central2 | $0.6308 | $0.5705 | ▼ 10% |
| Dohame-central1 | $0.6334 | $0.5729 | ▼ 10% |
| Singaporeasia-southeast1 | $0.6432 | $0.5817 | ▼ 10% |
| Sydneyaustralia-southeast1 | $0.6517 | $0.5895 | ▼ 10% |
| Tokyoasia-northeast1 | $0.6695 | $0.6055 | ▼ 10% |
| Melbourneaustralia-southeast2 | $0.6778 | $0.6128 | ▼ 10% |
| Zuricheurope-west6 | $0.683 | $0.6177 | ▼ 10% |
| Jakartaasia-southeast2 | $0.7011 | $0.6341 | ▼ 10% |
| Santiagosouthamerica-west1 | $0.7455 | $0.6743 | ▼ 10% |
| São Paulosouthamerica-east1 | $0.8279 | $0.7487 | ▼ 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.