# Power Off Instance
Turning off an instance stops the virtual machine when it is no longer in use. When you turn off a VM from the control panel, the system first attempts a **graceful shutdown**. If this fails, the system performs a **forced shutdown**, which may risk data corruption.
To maintain data integrity, it is recommended to shut down the instance from within the operating system using the command line (for example, using the `poweroff` command).
When the instance is turned off, the VM stops using CPU and memory resources, but the data stored on the disk remains intact. However, the instance may still incur charges depending on the billing configuration. To stop billing completely, you must delete the instance.
To turn off an instance, follow these steps:
* Go to the **Instance** page. Select the instance you want to turn off. Open the **Power** menu. Click **Turn Off Instance**.
* In the confirmation window, click **Turn Off** to proceed.
* A notification appears indicating that the instance is stopping.
* Wait until the process is complete. A notification appears:
* After the instance is turned off, the instance status icon on the **VM Instances** page turns **red**.
