RunsOn: Spot Interruptions, Auto-Retry, and the Circuit Breaker

RunsOn uses spot instances by default. When AWS reclaims one, you see a CloudTrail BidEvictedEvent; per RunsOn's docs it auto-retries on on-demand once and has a spot circuit breaker.

Per RunsOn's troubleshooting docs, RunsOn runs spot instances by default for cost, and AWS can interrupt them. A reclaimed instance shows up as a CloudTrail BidEvictedEvent; RunsOn automatically retries the job on an on-demand instance once, and a spot circuit breaker steps in when spot capacity is repeatedly unavailable (runs-on.com/docs/maintenance/troubleshooting). Verify current behavior on runs-on.com.

What is happening

Spot instances can be reclaimed by AWS at any time when capacity or price shifts.
A reclaim surfaces as a CloudTrail BidEvictedEvent for the affected instance.
Per RunsOn's docs, the job is automatically retried once on an on-demand instance.
A spot circuit breaker guards against repeated spot failures.

How to reason about it (per RunsOn docs)

Expect occasional spot interruptions since spot is the default for cost savings.
Look for BidEvictedEvent in CloudTrail to confirm an interruption rather than another failure.
Understand that the single on-demand retry is automatic, not something you trigger.
If spot is chronically unavailable for your instance types, the circuit breaker and your family selection matter.

The managed contrast

This is the classic trade of spot: lowest raw cost in exchange for interruptions you manage. RunsOn softens it with a single on-demand retry and a circuit breaker. Latchkey takes a different approach: it is fully managed and self-healing, so transient and mechanical failures across a job are detected, fixed, and retried automatically rather than relying on a one-shot spot fallback.

Frequently asked questions

What happens when a RunsOn spot instance is interrupted?

Per RunsOn's docs, an interruption appears as a CloudTrail BidEvictedEvent, and RunsOn automatically retries the job once on an on-demand instance, with a spot circuit breaker for repeated failures (runs-on.com/docs/maintenance/troubleshooting). Verify current behavior on runs-on.com.

Where do these RunsOn details come from, and are they current?

Every RunsOn detail here is drawn from RunsOn's own docs and pricing pages (runs-on.com, runs-on.com/pricing, runs-on.com/docs). RunsOn's pricing, tiers, and supported runners can change, so verify current pricing and capabilities on runs-on.com before you decide. Self-reported RunsOn scale and savings figures are RunsOn's own claims and are not independently audited.