A guide to AWS cost control with third-party tools

Editor's note

Enterprises continue to flock to the AWS cloud platform, but not without some bumps in the road -- cost management being one of them.

AWS customers use pay-as-you-go for the resources they consume, so without proper measures in place, costs can easily skyrocket and lead to financial waste. Third-party management tools help rein in expenses and ensure effective AWS cost control, particularly in multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments. While companies should also consider AWS-native tools, they shouldn't overlook these third-party options.

In this buyer's guide, expert Kurt Marko walks readers through the process of selecting a third-party cost management tool to track and optimize AWS cloud budgets, usage and spend.

The first step is to evaluate whether a third-party system would, in fact, be beneficial, since many of these platforms have limitations, including a lack of support for the latest Amazon cloud services. This guide will also explain how to avoid the two biggest sources of cost overruns: unattended, unmonitored instances and resource sprawl.

Companies can evaluate whether they need a third-party vendor for AWS cost control based on criteria, such as:

• whether they have a multi-cloud strategy;
• the projected size of their AWS deployment;
• regulatory and compliance needs; and
• level of vendor support required.

This guide will also help buyers identify which third-party platform will best meet their needs, based on key features, such as resource usage reports, visual dashboards, support for public cloud platforms and cost optimization recommendations.

Lastly, this guide will take readers through in-depth roundups that detail 14 leading third-party vendors and the types of cost management and monitoring services they can offer organizations.