AWS Compute Optimizer Pricing Calculator & Cost Guide
Interactive AWS Compute Optimizer pricing calculator. Free base service with optional enhanced metrics for deeper insights.
Pricing TLDR
- • Base service is 100% FREE - Analyze 14-32 days of data
- • Enhanced metrics: $0.0003360215/hour - 3-month analysis per resource
- • Same price in ALL regions - No regional variations
AWS Compute Optimizer Pricing Calculator
Quick Examples:
Number of Resources
EC2 Instances
RDS DB Instances
Hours per month
0
744
Enable Enhanced Infrastructure Metrics?
Get 3 months of historical data vs 14-32 days with free tier
Include CloudWatch monitoring estimate?
Adds ~$0.30/month per resource for basic monitoring
STANDARD (FREE)
$0.00
ENHANCED METRICS
$2.50
TOTAL WITH CLOUDWATCH
$2.50
10 resources × 744 hrs × $0.0003360215
$2.50
About AWS Compute Optimizer
What is AWS Compute Optimizer?
AWS Compute Optimizer is a machine learning-powered service that analyzes your AWS resource configurations and utilization metrics to provide recommendations for optimal AWS resources. It helps you identify underutilized resources and recommends optimal configurations to reduce costs while maintaining performance.
- ML-Powered Analysis: Uses machine learning to analyze historical utilization patterns and provide data-driven recommendations
- EC2 & RDS Support: Enhanced metrics available for EC2 instances and RDS databases with memory utilization insights
- Free Base Service: Core recommendations available at no cost with 14-32 days of analysis
When to Use AWS Compute Optimizer
Start with the free tier for initial analysis (14-32 days of data, standard recommendations). Upgrade to Enhanced Metrics ($0.25/month per resource) when you need deeper insights for production workloads.
Ideal for
- Rightsizing EC2 instances based on CPU and memory utilization
- Optimizing RDS database configurations with extended metrics
- Identifying underutilized resources across your entire AWS organization
- Capturing seasonal patterns and quarterly trends with 3-month lookback
Not ideal for
- Single-instance deployments without optimization needs
- Applications already optimized with consistent resource usage
- Development environments with temporary or variable workloads
- Resources with less than $1-2 monthly potential savings (for enhanced metrics)
AWS Compute Optimizer Pricing Breakdown
Free Tier Features
The base AWS Compute Optimizer service is 100% free forever. The core service analyzes 14-32 days of historical data to provide ML-powered recommendations that can reduce your AWS bills by up to 25%.
- Core recommendation engine with ML analysis
- 14-32 days of utilization data analysis
- Basic CloudWatch metrics integration
- All resource type analysis (EC2, RDS, Lambda, EBS, Auto Scaling)
- CSV export capabilities for further analysis
- No credit card required - confirmed by AWS documentation
Enhanced Infrastructure Metrics
Enhanced Infrastructure Metrics is the ONLY paid feature, providing deeper insights for production workloads.
Enhanced Metrics
$0.25/month
Per resource for 24/7 usage
- 3 months of historical data (vs 14-32 days)
- Memory utilization metrics
- Extended performance insights
- Higher recommendation accuracy
- Perfect for production workloads
Business Hours Only
$0.067/month
Per resource for 200 hours
- Same enhanced metrics features
- Cost-effective for part-time workloads
- Ideal for development environments
- Flexible usage-based pricing
Additional Cost Considerations
Global Pricing
Same price in ALL AWS regions (unusual for AWS services). Choose region based on latency and compliance, not cost.
CloudWatch Integration
Standard CloudWatch metrics are free. Enhanced metrics may trigger ~$0.30/month per instance for basic monitoring.
No Infrastructure Costs
No EC2 instances, storage, or networking charges. Pure service fee based on resources analyzed.
ROI Analysis
Enhanced metrics cost $0.25/month per resource. Average rightsizing saves 10-25% of instance costs. Example: m5.large ($69/month) with 10% savings ($6.90) vs $0.25 cost = 2,660% ROI. Break-even: just $1-2 monthly savings needed.
Real-World AWS Compute Optimizer Costs
See how much enhanced metrics cost for typical AWS workloads. Remember, the base service is always free - you only pay for enhanced metrics if you need them.
Small Production
$0.75/month
• 3 EC2 instances running 24/7
• Enhanced metrics enabled
• 3 × 744 hrs × $0.0003360215
Large Enterprise
$12.50/month
• 50 resources running 24/7
• Enhanced metrics for all resources
• 50 × 744 hrs × $0.0003360215
Dev Environment
$0.672/month
• 10 instances, business hours only
• 200 hours per month usage
• 10 × 200 hrs × $0.0003360215
AWS Compute Optimizer vs Other AWS Services
Compute Optimizer vs Trusted Advisor
Both help optimize AWS costs, but serve different purposes and have different pricing models.
Compute Optimizer
Free
Trusted Advisor
$100+/month
Business Support required
Compute Optimizer
Yes
Trusted Advisor
Limited
Compute Optimizer
Deep, instance-specific
Trusted Advisor
General best practices
Compute Optimizer
14 days to 3 months
Trusted Advisor
Point-in-time checks
Compute Optimizer
Compute optimization
Trusted Advisor
Overall AWS health
Compute Optimizer vs Cost Explorer
Complementary tools that work better together for comprehensive cost optimization.
Compute Optimizer
Resource optimization
Cost Explorer
Cost visualization and trends
Compute Optimizer
Specific rightsizing recommendations
Cost Explorer
Historical spending analysis
Compute Optimizer
ML-powered analysis
Cost Explorer
Budget tracking and forecasting
Compute Optimizer
Free base service
Cost Explorer
$0.01 per API request
Best practice: Use both tools together - Cost Explorer to identify high-cost areas, Compute Optimizer to rightsize them.
7 AWS Compute Optimizer Cost Optimization Tips
Start with the free tier for initial analysis
Use the free 14-32 day analysis to identify quick wins before enabling enhanced metrics. This provides immediate value at zero cost.
Selective enhancement for critical resources
Enable enhanced metrics only for production workloads or high-cost instances where detailed analysis justifies the $0.25/month per resource cost.
Monitor ROI with break-even analysis
Enhanced metrics cost $0.25/month per resource. You need only $1-2 in monthly savings per instance to achieve positive ROI.
Track enhanced metrics costs in Cost Explorer
Monitor your enhanced metrics charges to ensure they're delivering value. Look for 'ComputeOptimizer' in your AWS Cost Explorer to track spending.
Disable enhanced metrics after rightsizing
Once you've optimized an instance, disable enhanced metrics to stop charges. Re-enable periodically for optimization reviews.
Use tagging to track enhanced resources
Tag resources with enhanced metrics enabled to easily monitor which resources are incurring costs and evaluate their optimization value.
Monitor Enhanced Metrics Costs in Real-Time
Track Compute Optimizer enhanced metrics charges per resource with CostGoat. Get alerts when enabling enhanced metrics on low-value instances or when forgotten enhanced metrics accumulate across environments.
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.
Start Free TrialAWS Compute Optimizer Pricing FAQ
Common questions about AWS Compute Optimizer costs
