⋮) next to each instance offers two choices: Stop or Terminate. Seeing them side-by-side can be confusing—especially when one of those buttons can wipe an instance for good.
They might seem similar, but the results couldn’t be more different. One pauses your instance and keeps it around. The other deletes it entirely—no undo.
This short guide breaks down what each option does, when to use it, and how to run the action step-by-step.
Where to find these actions
- Go to Compute → Instances
- Find the instance you want to manage
- Click the three-dot menu (
⋮) on the right - Choose Stop or Terminate
- Confirm your choice in the pop-up dialog
Stop vs. Terminate
| Action | What it does | Can you restart it later? | Keeps config? | Charges stop? | Auto-expires? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | Pauses the instance | Yes, within 5 days | Yes | Yes | Yes, after 5 days |
| Terminate | Deletes the instance permanently | No | No | Yes (all charges stop if you delete disks) | Yes, immediately |
⚠️ Stopped instances are not forever
Stopping an instance pauses it, but only temporarily. If you don’t restart it within 5 days, it will be automatically terminated—and that means:- The instance is deleted
- All data is lost
- There’s no recovery option
When to use Stop
Use Stop when you:- Need to temporarily pause an instance
- Want to save on Compute charges for a bit
- Plan to restart it soon
When to use Terminate
Terminate is for when you’re done with the instance—no return. Choose it when:- You’ve completed a job and want to clean up
- You no longer need the instance or its data
- You want to completely stop all charges
- All tasks will stop
- All data will be wiped
- This cannot be undone