Today’s businesses are benefiting from the technology that is cloud services. As such, cloud cost optimization finds more relevance.
Thus, engaging a good cloud cost optimizer is imperative. That is because cloud applications allow businesses to cut costs and boost profit.
However, cloud utilization is a dynamic process. You need the right tools to properly enforce cloud cost management for your business. Using these tools will translate into improved cloud cost savings.
Data storage and management are critical to any business. You need infrastructure to store business data and software to manage them.
But handling and storing your business data without the cloud is more expensive than any cloud hosting cost. It is also complicated. So, it is profitable to hire the services of providers like AWS, GCP, Azure, and so on.
However, the cost protocols of cloud providers are not transparent or easy to track. Thus, a cloud cost optimizer solution can be your key to spending less. Cloud cost optimizers also provide ways for your business to make more money using the cloud.
Here is a descriptive list of the best cloud cost optimizers available for businesses:
Cast AI
Cast AI is a dynamic cloud cost optimization tool that automates cost optimization. It automatically scans your cloud setup. And this tool allows companies to save up to 75 percent on cloud bills.
Cast AI analyses Kubernetes clusters and gives custom saving reports. It ensures that you only pay for what you use on the cloud. Also, it identifies your workload needs and picks the best combination of resources.
It helps companies optimize cost with actions like:
- Cluster connection
- Workloads detection and analysis
- Current reports and infrastructure optimization
Cast AI is a balanced cloud cost optimizer providing usage transparency. It rebalances clusters automatically without affecting companies’ performance. This way, it ensures cost predictability.
Pros
- Connects clusters across different cloud providers
- Analyses all workloads and provides reports
- Makes cost-saving recommendations
- Provides a detailed overview of cloud spending
- Monitors your cluster and detects workloads to ensure reduced spending
- Ensures all cloud operations are cost-optimized before implementation
Cons
- Has strong AWS, GCP, and Azure support but weak for other cloud providers
GCP Billing
GCP Billing is a built-in cost management tool on the Google Cloud Platform. It helps GCP users understand their cloud bill through:
- Regular reporting
- Google Cloud cost analysis
- Insights on how to avoid overpaying
- Budgeting alerts
Companies that use Google Cloud will use GCP Billing by default. GCP Billing is a solid option if they require a high-level overview of spending. Saving options across the cloud infrastructure is part of what this tool offers.
Yet, this tool falls short when applied to businesses with larger projects and teams.
Pros
- Provides a sophisticated overview of cloud spending
- Gives actionable insights into budget management
- Offers a satisfactory mix of basic features ideal for companies with simple cost structures
- Provides an API that allows users to access data with any analytics tool they choose
- It is a free Google cost management tool for GCP users.
Cons
- Team members must constantly interface to achieve granular cost visibility
- It does not give cost overviews for idle or unallocated resources
- Does not analyze costs outside GCP
- Limited capabilities restrict Google cost optimization for complex hybrid cloud solutions
Image Credits: Pexels
AWS Cost Explorer
Amazon Web Services offer AWS Cost Explorer. It serves AWS users, allowing them to examine and understand cloud costs. AWS CE provides a high-level cost analysis to companies. For example, it lets them know the total costs across several accounts. It also identifies the following:
- Spending trends
- Cost drivers
- Spending anomalies
AWS CE is a good starting point for companies operating on a small cloud scale. But as operations increase, it becomes unsuitable for optimizing costs. Also, it is ideal for small businesses that need a high-level AWS cost overview.
Pros
- Presents high-level cloud cost summary
- It has easy-to-use custom views and filters, helping users optimize cost
- Provides analytic graphs and charts for visualization and ease of use
- Gives recommendations for cloud cost savings
- Gives data analysis reports of AWS cost management
- It has an API allowing users to connect to other analytics tools and is free for AWS users
Cons
- UI is poor
- It is not genuinely proactive because users get cost reports after being billed
- Has no cost overview for idle or unallocated resources
- Requires good tagging to deliver granular cost visibility
- Only supports AWS users for AWS cost optimization
Azure Cost Management
Azure Cost Management tool is native to the Microsoft Azure Cloud. It helps Azure users understand their cloud bills. Also, it offers an advanced summary of Azure spending.
Azure Cost Management offers many integrations so users can easily customize their platform. Also, this possibility allows for more cloud usage control than other built-in tools. For example, if you integrate Azure CM with Power BI, you get better, more detailed reporting.
This tool is ideal for smaller companies with simple cost structures. But it can be problematic for companies with larger teams and operations.
Pros
- Provides workable insights for cloud usage control
- Allows for various integrations for Azure cost optimization
- It gives budgeting alerts and is free for Azure Cloud users
Cons
- It does not show cost implications for idle or unallocated resources
- Your team must have good tagging practices to get granular cost visibility
- Difficulty with reviewing costs outside of Azure
- Only displays reports after they have occurred, so it cannot influence billing before
Apptio Cloudability
Apptio Cloudability is a flexible cloud cost optimization platform. It focuses on improving the visibility of cloud spending and lowering usage. It offers various optimization features like:
- Rightsizing
- Reservation purchase management
- Anomaly detection
- Accurate forecasting
Cloudability helps companies organize and manage cloud costs in various ways. It uses views, mappings, dashboards, and reports to optimize cloud costs. One significant feature of this tool is allowing companies to visualize their cost profile during cloud migration.
Apptio is a well-rounded cloud optimization platform that easily integrates with IT Financial Management (ITFM) tools.
Pros
- Provides various cost optimization functions
- Deals with complex decision-making providing quality recommendations
- Reports are insightful and customizable with tags, accounts, and resource types
- Integrates with many ITFM tools
- Provides multi-cloud cost visibility
- It has a built-in explorer that identifies missing tags across the cloud infrastructure
Cons
- Supports AWS excellently but supports Azure, GCP, and prem-stacks minimally
- Has poor object storage optimization
- Occasionally has bugs
- It has a steep learning curve
- Offers minimal options for configuring recommendation policies
- Costs are only observable at a daily granularity
- Price fluctuations are not associated with engineering changes
Image Credits: Pexels
Spot by NetApp
Spot is a cloud cost management tool that helps companies automate cloud cost optimization based on data. This tool does not stop at discovering saving opportunities. It uses automation to implement recommendations. So it does not require the team to make the necessary changes.
Spot is ideal for engineering teams that know how to maximize its features.
Pros
- Has extensive automation capabilities for optimizing cloud infrastructure
- Supports cloud cost visibility across AWS, GCP, and Azure
- Learns cost trends and usage patterns
- Predicts expenses based on historical usage data
Cons
- Only shows costs at a daily granularity
- It has security risks because it automatically manages companies’ internal resources
- Does not associate prices changes with engineering changes
- It is hard to master, though easy to learn
Conclusion
Cloud cost optimizers offer insight and manage businesses’ cloud budgets. The essence of these tools is cost savings and spending reduction. They are critical to improving long-term cloud spending. Also, they improve cloud operations management for businesses. If you want to save money using cloud facilities, invest in a cloud optimization tool.
