Oracle Cloud’s August 18 2026 enforcement of new Always Free caps means every Ampere A1 Flex tenancy now tops out at 2 OCPUs and 12 GB RAM – half the resources users enjoyed up to now. Exceed those numbers and the platform stops the offending instances, potentially interrupting live services.

Why the limits changed

When Oracle launched the Always Free tier, it promised a generous 4 OCPUs and 24 GB RAM for the VM.Standard.A1.Flex shape. The recent policy revision cuts that ceiling in half. The cap applies to the total allocation across all A1 Flex VMs in a tenancy, not per instance. In practice you can run:

  • One VM with the full 2 OCPUs / 12 GB RAM, or
  • Two VMs each at 1 OCPU / 6 GB RAM.

All other Always Free shapes, such as the AMD x86 E2.1.Micro, keep their original limits.

Who feels the impact

  • Free-tier developers – WordPress sites, small Docker containers, Nginx reverse proxies and lightweight databases still fit comfortably inside the new ceiling.
  • Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) users – Documentation does not clarify whether the 2 OCPU/12 GB cap applies to them. The ambiguity forces PAYG customers to open support tickets for confirmation.

What happens if you’re over the limit

Since the policy took effect, some users report that Oracle automatically disables instances that appear to exceed the new cap, even when the users believed they were within bounds. A disabled VM cannot be resized through the console; the usual remedy is to raise a support ticket and request a manual adjustment or a move to a paid shape.

The risk of service interruption makes it essential to audit every A1 Flex VM. One overlooked instance can push the tenancy over the limit, triggering a cascade of stoppages.

How to verify your current usage

  1. Sign in to the Oracle Cloud console.
  2. Navigate to Compute → Instances.
  3. Apply a filter for A1.Flex.
  4. Add up the OCPU count and RAM for each listed instance.

If the summed OCPUs exceed 2 or the summed RAM exceeds 12 GB, you are out of compliance.

Options for staying within the free tier

  • Consolidate workloads – Merge small services into a single 2 OCPU VM where feasible.
  • Scale down – Reduce container counts or downgrade databases to fit the 1 OCPU / 6 GB configuration.
  • Migrate to paid instances – If your workload cannot be trimmed, upgrading to a billed shape avoids the hard stop but adds cost.
  • Back up before changes – Snapshots or external backups protect data in case a forced shutdown occurs during the audit.

What to watch next

Documentation remains unclear for PAYG accounts.

Bottom line

The halved limits on Ampere A1 Flex instances force every free-tier user to reassess their compute footprint. A quick tally in the console tells you whether you’re safe or at risk of a hard stop. If you’re over, consolidate, downsize, or move to a paid instance before Oracle’s automation disables your VM. Ignoring the change means a sudden loss of service that could have been avoided with a brief audit today.