AWS Pricing Calculator Review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.