> For the complete MongoDB documentation index, see www.mongodb.com/docs/llms.txt

# Cluster Types

MongoDB Atlas can deploy multiple tiers of cloud databases:

- Dedicated clusters for high-throughput production applications.

- Flex clusters for development purposes and small-scale applications.

You create new cloud databases through the Atlas UI, Atlas Administration API, or Atlas CLI.

You can also create a **local** Atlas deployment with the Atlas CLI.

## Choose a Deployment Type

### Dedicated Clusters

[Create a Dedicated cluster](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/tutorial/create-new-cluster.md#std-label-create-new-cluster) if you want to:

- Choose a specific database configuration based on your workload requirements.

- Define database [scaling behavior.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cluster-autoscaling.md#std-label-cluster-autoscaling)

- Run high-throughput production workloads.

- Always have capacity available.

- Choose your database edition.

You can:

- Set the [cluster tier.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/manage-clusters.md#std-label-create-cluster-instance)

- Use advanced capabilities such as [sharding.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/sharding/)

- Distribute your data to [multiple regions and cloud providers.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cluster-config/multi-cloud-distribution.md#std-label-create-cluster-multi-region)

Atlas Infinite clusters always receive new versions automatically. Atlas Core clusters can also choose a specific major MongoDB version. To learn more, see [MongoDB Versions in Atlas.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/atlas-versions.md#std-label-atlas-versions)

**Note:**

Some features might be unavailable on Atlas Infinite clusters while Atlas Infinite is in public preview. To learn more, see [Public Preview Availability.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/infinite/atlas-infinite-landing.md#std-label-atlas-infinite-availability)

MongoDB bills clusters based on the deployment configuration and [cluster tier.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/manage-clusters.md#std-label-create-cluster-instance)

#### Gen2 Dedicated Clusters

`M30+` Atlas Core clusters are available in [cluster generations](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/reference/glossary.md#std-term-cluster-generation) Gen1 or Gen2 on AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Google Cloud. On Atlas Core clusters, Gen2 Dedicated clusters offer improved performance compared to Gen1 clusters and support Extended Standard IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second), offering the following benefits:

- Optimized price performance.

- Newer hardware that enables long-term growth and avoids capacity restraints from older hardware.

- Independent scaling of your cluster's standard IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second) and storage capacity with increased maximum standard IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second) rates:

  - `80k` IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second) for AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  - `160k` IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second) for Google Cloud

`M30+` Atlas Infinite clusters are available on Gen2 only, and don't support Extended Standard IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second). To learn more about how Atlas Infinite clusters handle storage and IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second), see [Manage Storage on an Atlas Infinite Cluster](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/infinite/atlas-infinite-storage.md#std-label-atlas-infinite-storage) and [Atlas Infinite Storage IOPs and Throughput Values per Cluster Tier.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/amazon-aws.md#std-label-atlas-infinite-storage-iops-throughput-values)

To learn more, see:

- [Gen2 Dedicated Clusters](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/manage-clusters.md#std-label-gen2-clusters)

- [IOPS Types](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/customize-storage.md#std-label-storage-iops-ui)

### Flex Clusters

Flex clusters are low-cost cluster types suitable for teams that are learning MongoDB or developing small proof-of-concept applications. You can begin your project with an Atlas Flex cluster and upgrade to a production-ready Dedicated cluster tier at a future time.

**Important:**

As of February 2025, you can create Flex clusters, and can no longer create `M2` and `M5` clusters or Serverless instances in the Atlas UI, Atlas CLI, Atlas Administration API, Atlas Kubernetes Operator, HashiCorp Terraform, or Atlas CloudFormation Resources.

As of January 22, 2026, Atlas no longer supports `M2` and `M5` clusters and Serverless instances. All existing `M2` and `M5` clusters were migrated to Flex clusters.

Atlas migrated Serverless instances to Free clusters, Flex clusters, or Dedicated clusters according to your usage. To see which tiers Atlas migrated your instances to, consult the [All Clusters](https://cloud.mongodb.com/v2#/clusters) page in the Atlas UI.

[Create a Flex cluster](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/tutorial/create-new-cluster.md#std-label-create-new-cluster) if you want to:

- Get started quickly with minimal database configuration and low costs.

- Have your database scale automatically and dynamically to meet your workload.

- Run infrequent or sparse workloads.

- Develop or test in a cloud environment.

Flex clusters run a fixed MongoDB version, and Atlas upgrades them automatically. You can't select a version or a release cadence. To learn more, see [MongoDB Versions in Atlas.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/atlas-versions.md#std-label-atlas-versions)

### Global Clusters

**Important:**

The feature described on this page is not currently supported on Atlas Infinite clusters during public preview. For the features supported in public preview, see [Public Preview Availability.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/infinite/atlas-infinite-landing/#public-preview-availability)

[Create a global cluster](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/tutorial/create-global-cluster.md#std-label-create-new-global-write-cluster) if you want to support location-aware read and write operations. Location-aware read and write operations are ideal for globally-distributed application instances and clients.

Global Clusters are a highly-curated implementation of a sharded cluster that offer:

- Low-latency read and write operations for globally distributed clients.

- Uptime protection during partial or full regional outages.

- Location-aware data storage in specific geographic regions.

- Workload isolation based on cluster member types.

You can enable Global Writes in Atlas when deploying an `M30` or greater sharded cluster. For replica sets, [scale](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/scale-cluster.md#std-label-scale-cluster) the cluster to at least an `M30` tier and enable Global Writes. All shard nodes deploy with the selected cluster.

**Important:**

You can't disable Global Writes for a cluster once it is deployed.

When Global Writes are enabled, Global Clusters do not support dedicated search nodes.

### Local Deployments

[Create a local deployment](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/cli/current/atlas-cli-deploy-local/) to try Atlas features on a single-node replica set hosted on your local computer.

### Feature Support and Comparison

The following tables indicate whether Dedicated clusters or Flex clusters support the listed configuration or capability on Atlas Core. To compare Atlas Core and Atlas Infinite, see [Database Editions](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/index.md#std-label-atlas-editions). To learn which features Atlas Infinite supports in public preview, see [Public Preview Availability.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/infinite/atlas-infinite-landing.md#std-label-atlas-infinite-availability)

**Note:**

MongoDB plans to add support for more configurations and capabilities on Atlas Flex over time. To see the current Atlas Flex limitations and learn about planned support, see [Atlas Flex Limitations.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/flex-limitations.md#std-label-flex-cluster-limitations)

For the latest product updates, see the [Atlas Changelog.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/release-notes/changelog.md#std-label-atlas-release-notes)

#### Configurations

| Configuration | Dedicated Clusters | Flex Clusters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Rapid releases](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/reference/versioning/) |  | |
| [AWS](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/amazon-aws.md#std-label-amazon-aws) regions |  | [Select regions only](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/amazon-aws.md#std-label-amazon-aws) |
| [Google Cloud](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/google-gcp.md#std-label-google-gcp) regions |  | [Select regions only](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/google-gcp.md#std-label-google-gcp) |
| [Microsoft Azure](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/microsoft-azure.md#std-label-microsoft-azure) regions |  | [Select regions only](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/reference/microsoft-azure.md#std-label-microsoft-azure) |
| Multi-region deployments |  | |
| Multi-cloud deployments |  | |
| [Sharded](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/sharding/) deployments |  | |
| [Global clusters](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/global-clusters.md#std-label-global-clusters) |  | |
| [IP access list](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/security/ip-access-list.md#std-label-access-list) |  | |
| [Network peering](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/security-vpc-peering.md#std-label-vpc-peering) |  | |
| [Private endpoints](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/security-private-endpoint.md#std-label-private-endpoint-overview) |  | |
| Advanced enterprise security features (including [LDAP](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/security-ldaps.md#std-label-security-ldaps) and [database auditing)](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/database-auditing.md#std-label-set-up-database-auditing) |  | |

#### Capabilities

| Capability | Dedicated Clusters | Flex Clusters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Use the Atlas [API](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/api.md#std-label-atlas-api) |  | |
| [Monitor](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/monitoring-alerts.md#std-label-monitoring-alerts) metrics |  | |
| [Configure alerts](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/alerts.md#std-label-alerts) on available metrics or billing |  | |
| Configurable [backups](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/backup/cloud-backup/overview.md#std-label-backup-cloud-provider) |  | |
| Snapshots |  | |
| Perform [point-in-time or automated restores](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/backup-restore-cluster.md#std-label-backup-restore-cluster) from backup snapshots |  | |
| Use the [Atlas UI](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/atlas-ui.md#std-label-atlas-ui) (Find, Indexes, Schema Advisor and Aggregation Pipeline Builder) |  | |
| Get on-demand [index](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/performance-advisor.md#std-label-performance-advisor) and [schema suggestions](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/data-modeling/design-antipatterns/) |  | |
| [Load sample data](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/import/load-sample-data.md#std-label-sample-data) |  | |
| Use [Atlas Triggers](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/atlas-ui/triggers.md#std-label-atlas-triggers) |  | |
| Use [MongoDB Search](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/search.md#std-label-atlas-search) |  | |
| Use [Online Archive](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/online-archive/overview.md#std-label-online-archive-overview) |  | |
| Run [federated queries](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/security/federated-authentication.md#std-label-atlas-federated-authentication) |  | |
| Use [BI Connector](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/bi-connector/current/) |  | |
| Use [MongoDB Charts](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/charts/) |  | |

## Take the Next Steps

Once you select a cluster type, you can [Create a cluster.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/atlas/tutorial/create-new-cluster.md#std-label-create-new-cluster)