What does the AWS Pricing Calculator do?

AWS Pricing Calculator is a free web-based tool that helps you estimate the cost of AWS services before you deploy them. You can model workloads by selecting services, configuring resources (instance types, storage, data transfer), and getting monthly cost estimates. It supports 150+ AWS services and can factor in Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and regional pricing differences.

Is the AWS Pricing Calculator free?

The public version at calculator.aws is completely free with no AWS account required. However, the new in-console version (launched May 2025) that imports historical usage and estimates full bills charges $2 per estimate after 5 free estimates per month.

How much does AWS cost per month?

AWS costs vary widely based on usage. Small projects typically cost $10-50/month (basic web hosting with t3.micro EC2, small RDS, S3 storage). Medium applications cost $100-500/month (multiple EC2 instances, managed databases, CDN). Enterprise workloads often exceed $1,000+/month. The pay-as-you-go model means you only pay for what you use.

How accurate is the AWS Pricing Calculator?

The calculator uses official AWS pricing data and is accurate for the inputs you provide. However, real-world costs often differ because: (1) you may not know exact usage patterns upfront, (2) data transfer costs are hard to predict, (3) hidden costs like NAT Gateway fees ($32/month + data) are easy to miss, and (4) usage patterns change over time. It's best used as a starting estimate, not a final budget.

What's the difference between AWS Pricing Calculator and AWS Cost Explorer?

AWS Pricing Calculator estimates future costs before deployment (planning tool). AWS Cost Explorer analyzes your actual historical spending after deployment (analysis tool). Use the Pricing Calculator when planning new projects, and Cost Explorer to understand and optimize existing AWS spend.

AWS Pricing Calculator Review

Honest look at AWS's official cost estimation tool — what it does well, where it falls short, and when to use simpler alternatives.

Overview How to Use Pros & Cons Alternatives FAQ

TL;DR

AWS Pricing Calculator is a comprehensive, free tool for estimating AWS costs across 150+ services. It's powerful but complex — great for detailed architecture planning, overkill for quick "how much will Lambda cost me?" questions. For simple estimates, use focused single-service calculators instead.

What is AWS Pricing Calculator?

AWS Pricing Calculator is a web-based tool at calculator.aws that lets you estimate AWS costs before deploying resources. There are two versions:

Public Version (No Sign-in Required)

Select from 150+ AWS services
Configure instance types, storage, and data transfer
Apply Reserved Instances and Savings Plans discounts
Compare pricing across AWS regions
Export estimates as CSV, PDF, or JSON
Share estimates via unique URL

In-Console Version (May 2025 Update)

Import historical usage data from your AWS account
See how existing Savings Plans and Reserved Instances affect estimates
Three rate views: on-demand, with discounts, and after commitments
Compare cost impact of migrating workloads across regions
API access for programmatic cost estimation
Costs $2 per estimate after 5 free per month

AWS Pricing Calculator vs Cost Explorer

These two AWS tools serve different purposes. Many users confuse them — here's when to use each:

Feature	Pricing Calculator	Cost Explorer
Purpose	Estimate future costs	Analyze past spending
Data Source	Manual input (your assumptions)	Actual AWS bills
Accuracy	Estimates only (±20-40%)	100% accurate (real data)
Best For	Pre-deployment planning	Cost optimization
AWS Account	Not required (public version)	Required
Cost	Free (5/month), then $2/estimate	Free
Use Case	"How much will this cost?"	"Where did my money go?"

How to Use AWS Pricing Calculator

The basic workflow is straightforward, but configuring each service can be complex:

Go to calculator.aws — No sign-in required for the public version
Click "Create estimate" — Start with a blank estimate or sign in for personalized pricing
Add services — Search for AWS services (EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, etc.) and add them to your estimate
Configure each service — This is where it gets complex. For EC2 alone, you'll configure: region, instance type, number of instances, pricing model (on-demand/reserved/spot), storage type and size, data transfer
View estimate totals — See costs per service and total monthly estimate
Export or share — Save as CSV/PDF/JSON or share via unique URL

Hidden Costs the Calculator Won't Warn You About

AWS Pricing Calculator is accurate for what you input — but it can't warn you about costs you forget to include.

NAT Gateway

Minimum $32/month plus $0.045/GB for data processed. A single NAT Gateway can easily add $50-100/month.

Data Transfer

S3 to Lambda, EC2 to RDS, cross-AZ traffic — data transfer is often 20-30% of bills.

CloudWatch Logs

Log ingestion costs $0.50/GB. A verbose Lambda function can generate $20-50/month in logs alone.

EBS Snapshots

Snapshots cost $0.05/GB-month. Automated backups can create hundreds that accumulate charges.

Elastic IPs

Free when attached to running instances, but $3.65/month when idle. Easy to forget after stopping instances.

Load Balancers

ALBs have a minimum ~$16/month even with zero traffic. Multiple environments add up quickly.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Free to use (public version)

Official AWS pricing data — always current

150+ services supported

Supports Reserved Instances & Savings Plans

Regional pricing comparison

Export to CSV, PDF, JSON

Share estimates via URL

No AWS account required (public version)

Import historical usage (in-console)

API access for automation

Cons

−

Complex UI — steep learning curve

−

Slow for quick single-service estimates

−

Easy to miss hidden costs (NAT Gateway, data transfer, EBS)

−

Estimates only — no real-time tracking

−

No alerts when actual costs exceed estimates

−

Doesn't include taxes in estimates

−

In-console version costs $2/estimate after 5 free

−

Requires manual re-calculation as usage changes

−

No way to track estimate vs actual spend

Best For

Detailed architecture planning with multiple services
Comparing Reserved Instances vs On-Demand vs Savings Plans
Enterprise budget planning and procurement
Multi-region cost comparison
Creating shareable cost proposals for stakeholders
Estimating complex workloads (EC2 + RDS + S3 + CloudFront)

Not Ideal For

Quick "ballpark" estimates for a single service
Developers who just want to know Lambda or API Gateway costs
Real-time cost monitoring after deployment
Automated alerts when costs exceed thresholds
Tracking actual vs estimated spend
Cost anomaly detection

Simpler Alternatives for Quick Estimates

If you just need a quick cost estimate for a specific AWS service, these focused calculators give you answers in seconds — no complex configuration required.

Looking for EC2, S3, or RDS calculators? We're continuously adding more services.

13 calculators • Continuously adding more

Amazon API Gateway

Amazon Cognito

Amazon Route 53

Amazon SES

Amazon Transcribe

Amazon Translate

AWS Billing Conductor

AWS Budgets

AWS Compute Optimizer

AWS Cost Explorer

AWS Lambda

AWS NAT Gateway

AWS Secrets Manager

Monitor Your AWS Costs in Real-Time

CostGoat is a privacy-first desktop app that tracks your actual AWS spending as you use it. Get instant visibility into your usage and never get surprised by your cloud bills again. 7-day free trial, then $9/month.

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AWS Pricing Calculator FAQ

Common questions about AWS Pricing Calculator