AMIs are categorized based on their source, platform, and storage architecture. Understanding these types helps in choosing the right starting point for your EC2 instances.

Common AMI Types

1
Quick Start AMIs: Pre-configured Linux and Windows images provided by AWS.
2
My AMIs: Custom images created by the user from their own instances.
3
AWS Marketplace AMIs: Managed images provided by third-party vendors (e.g., SAP, Bitnami).
4
Community AMIs: Shared images created by other AWS users (use with caution).
5
Storage Types: EBS-backed (persistent root volume) or Instance Store-backed (ephemeral root volume).