Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) offers both free and paid services, depending on the specific resources and usage you require. Here are some key points to understand about the pricing model for OCI:

1. Always Free Tier: OCI provides an “Always Free” tier that allows users to access certain cloud services and resources at no cost. This tier is intended for exploring and learning about OCI. It includes a limited amount of compute, storage, and networking resources that are free for an unlimited time.
2. 30-Day Trial: Oracle offers a 30-day free trial that provides users with a credit balance to use on paid OCI services. During the trial period, you can explore and use various OCI services, and your usage will be deducted from the trial credit balance. The trial period is limited to 30 days or until the credit balance is exhausted, whichever comes first.
3. Paid Services: OCI offers a wide range of cloud services and resources beyond the “Always Free” tier. These paid services include compute instances, databases, storage, networking, security, analytics, and more. You are billed based on your actual usage of these services, and prices vary depending on the service and your configuration.
4. Pricing Details: OCI provides detailed pricing information on its official website, including pricing calculators that allow you to estimate the cost of using specific services based on your requirements.
5. Usage Monitoring: It’s important to monitor your OCI usage to avoid unexpected charges. You can set up billing alerts and use OCI’s cost analysis tools to track your usage and expenses.
6. Free Trial and Credits: If you sign up for the 30-day free trial, you’ll receive a certain amount of credits. Once these credits are used up or the trial period expires, you will be billed for any additional usage of paid services.
7. Region and Service Availability: Pricing can vary by OCI region, so it’s essential to review the pricing details for the specific region in which you plan to use OCI services. Additionally, not all services are available in all regions.
8. Discounts and Commitments: Oracle offers discounts and pricing options for customers with specific commitments and long-term contracts. These options can provide cost savings for businesses with predictable usage.