# Zyra ROI Calculator — Full Methodology **Last updated:** 2026-05-09  |  **Source pricing:** AWS public pricing, 2026-Q2  |  **See also:** [/pricing](/#pricing) This document explains exactly how the on-page ROI calculator at [`/`](/#calculator) arrives at its "estimated monthly savings" figure. We publish the math because vague "save 60-70%" claims are a credibility risk and an FTC §5 sensitivity for any vendor making cost-comparison claims. If your numbers look different from ours when you run the math against your own workloads, [email us](mailto:sales@getzyra.io) — we want to hear it. --- ## Inputs (what the calculator uses) | Variable | Default value | Source | |---|---|---| | Idle devices | 50 (slider, 10-1000) | User-supplied | | Active hours per device per month | 200 hrs | Conservative weekday-business-hours estimate | | Traditional cloud rate, 16 vCPU general-purpose | **$0.42 / hr** | AWS `m6i.4xlarge` on-demand, us-east-1, 2026-Q2 | | Traditional cloud rate, 4 vCPU + 1 NVIDIA T4 GPU | **$0.78 / hr** | AWS `g4dn.xlarge` on-demand, us-east-1, 2026-Q2 | | Traditional cloud rate, 8 vCPU dev environment | **$0.21 / hr** | AWS `m6i.2xlarge` on-demand, us-east-1, 2026-Q2 | | Average traditional rate (blended) | **$0.40 / hr** | Workload-mix-weighted average | | Zyra rate | **$0.08 / device / hr** | Public pricing (Pro tier) | | Hours per month, full utilization | 730 hrs | 365.25 days ÷ 12 × 24 | The on-page slider uses the blended $0.40/hr default. For a more accurate estimate against your specific workload, use the line-item math below. --- ## Three example workloads (line-item math) ### Workload A — 16-CPU AI inference batch (16-CPU general-purpose) - **Traditional cloud:** 16-CPU AWS `m6i.4xlarge` × $0.42/hr × 200 active hrs/mo  =  **$84.00 / device / month** - **Zyra:** $0.08/hr × 200 active hrs/mo  =  **$16.00 / device / month** - **Savings: $68.00 / device / month  =  81%** ### Workload B — 32-CPU batch render (2 × 16-CPU instance) - **Traditional cloud:** 2 × AWS `m6i.4xlarge` × $0.42/hr × 200 hrs  =  **$168.00 / device / month** - **Zyra:** counts as 2 active devices for that workload × $0.08/hr × 200 hrs  =  **$32.00 / device-pair / month** - **Savings: $136.00 / device-pair / month  =  81%** ### Workload C — 8-CPU dev environment (long-running, low-utilization) - **Traditional cloud:** AWS `m6i.2xlarge` × $0.21/hr × 730 hrs/mo (dev instances often run 24/7 because nobody remembers to shut them off)  =  **$153.30 / device / month** - **Zyra:** $0.08/hr × 200 *active* hrs/mo (idle time is free)  =  **$16.00 / device / month** - **Savings: $137.30 / device / month  =  90%** The dev-environment case is where Zyra's "pay only for active hours" model diverges most from traditional cloud, because cloud instances bill for every wall-clock hour they exist regardless of whether anyone is using them. --- ## Comparison table (matches the on-page pricing-extras table) | Workload | Traditional cloud /hr | Zyra /hr | Savings % | |---|---|---|---| | 16-CPU AI inference | $0.42 | $0.08 | **81%** | | 32-CPU batch render | $0.84 (2 instances) | $0.16 (2 active) | **81%** | | 8-CPU dev environment | $0.21 (730 hrs/mo billed) | $0.08 (200 hrs/mo active only) | **~90%** | The on-page calculator's headline range of "60-70% savings" is **deliberately conservative** — it assumes a workload mix biased toward continuously-active inference rather than the bursty, mostly-idle dev workloads where Zyra's savings are largest. --- ## Assumptions (what we hold constant) 1. **Network egress.** Zyra runs inside your organizational boundary — egress between devices is free. AWS public pricing includes 100 GB/mo free egress; beyond that AWS charges $0.09/GB. We do **not** include egress savings in the calculator (would only widen Zyra's lead) — assume break-even. 2. **Support.** AWS Business Support is 10% of monthly spend. Zyra Pro includes priority support at no additional cost. We do **not** include support savings in the calculator. 3. **Reserved instances / Savings Plans.** AWS users with 1-yr or 3-yr commits pay 30-60% less than on-demand. If your team is fully committed to AWS RIs, your savings vs Zyra will be smaller than the figures above. Use the [/pricing](/#pricing) annual prepay (15% off) to recoup parity. 4. **Hardware depreciation.** We assume your idle devices are already sunk-cost on your books. If you would otherwise sell or recycle the hardware, the analysis changes — the calculator does not model that. 5. **Electricity.** A Zyra device under active load draws ~50-150W. At $0.12/kWh (US average commercial rate) that's $0.006-$0.018/hr in marginal electricity cost — negligible vs the $0.08/hr Zyra rate, but listed here so you know we considered it. --- ## Caveats — your mileage will vary if… - …your workload is **GPU-heavy**. Zyra Pro currently bills GPU jobs at the same $0.08/hr device rate; AWS GPU instances are 2-4× more expensive than equivalent CPU instances, so GPU savings can exceed 90%. - …you have **AWS Enterprise Support** (3-10% of spend on top of on-demand) — savings vs Zyra are larger than the calculator shows. - …you have **deep AWS RI commitments**. Your effective hourly rate might be 30-40% lower than $0.42/hr — savings vs Zyra are smaller. The annual-prepay 15% Zyra discount typically restores parity. - …you run **steady 24/7 workloads** with no idle time. The "active hours only" Zyra advantage shrinks; expect 50-65% savings rather than 80%+. - …you run **bursty / mostly-idle** workloads. Savings of 85-95% are realistic — the dev-environment workload above is a representative example. --- ## Sources - AWS EC2 on-demand pricing (us-east-1, 2026-Q2): public price list at `aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/on-demand/`. Snapshotted 2026-04-30. - AWS Egress / data transfer: `aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/`, "Data Transfer" section. - US EIA commercial electricity rates: `eia.gov/electricity/monthly`. - Zyra public pricing: [/pricing](/#pricing) on this site. If any number on this page looks wrong, please email [sales@getzyra.io](mailto:sales@getzyra.io) with the calculation you ran — we will publish corrections promptly. ← [Back to pricing](/#pricing)  ·  [Back to ROI calculator](/#calculator)