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AWS Cost Explorer vs AWS Savings Plans comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

AWS Cost Explorer
Ranking in Cloud Cost Management
11th
Average Rating
10.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.3
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
AWS Savings Plans
Ranking in Cloud Cost Management
7th
Average Rating
9.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Cloud Cost Management category, the mindshare of AWS Cost Explorer is 2.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of AWS Savings Plans is 1.2%, down from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud Cost Management
 

Featured Reviews

CM
Maximized budget efficiency with accurate cost forecasting and responsive support
Primarily, I use AWS Cost Explorer to maintain cost and current budget constraints. Our FinOps team provides us with a budget for the month, and we track our spending to identify where funds are allocated. We have billing alerts set up to notify us when our infrastructure exceeds a certain amount…
Raul G. Cortina - PeerSpot reviewer
Flexible and a good solution for user with different environments
The setup was generally easy. The most complex aspect was configuring the VPN. While not overly difficult, it was more challenging compared to setting up other VPNs. However, once we resolved the initial VPN configuration issue, everything has been smooth sailing. It's a matter of familiarity. Initially, the technology is unfamiliar, but with experience, configuration becomes easier. Deployment time: We didn't have any problems. We determined the implementation date, considered the transition for ourselves and our users, and it went smoothly. Maintenance: There isn't much required. If the stability, resolution, and capacity planning are correct for our needs, or if we need to expand storage, then maintenance is mostly handled by our banking team.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"I find the forecasting feature particularly valuable as it helps predict future expenses."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"AWS is consistently innovating and releasing new products and features."
"The most valuable feature of AWS Savings Plans is we can discuss budgets briefly during our confirmation process since we are aware of our usual consumption patterns. Creating budgets in this regard would be beneficial, as it would allow us to consume only what we need, without including reserve instances that do not serve our purpose."
 

Cons

"While there is always room for improvement, any needs for enhancement depend on specific requirements at the time. Currently, I cannot pinpoint any specific improvements needed."
"The visibility of AWS Savings Plans could improve."
"In the future, it would be interesting if there could be a combination of Savings Plans and some Reserved Servers."
"The most complex aspect was configuring the VPN."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"Compared to Azure or Google, the solution is much cheaper."
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Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Cost Explorer?
AWS Cost Explorer is part of the AWS package, so the cost is not directly associated with it. If you are using AWS services, you are already included in the cost structure.
What needs improvement with AWS Cost Explorer?
While there is always room for improvement, any needs for enhancement depend on specific requirements at the time. Currently, I cannot pinpoint any specific improvements needed.
What is your primary use case for AWS Cost Explorer?
Primarily, I use AWS Cost Explorer to maintain cost and current budget constraints. Our FinOps team provides us with a budget for the month, and we track our spending to identify where funds are al...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Savings Plans?
We have a fixed cost of five thousand, plus an additional six thousand per month. So, it is about seventy-two thousand annually. Compared to Azure or Google, the solution is much cheaper. Moreover,...
What needs improvement with AWS Savings Plans?
AWS make it easier to configure the VPN,
What is your primary use case for AWS Savings Plans?
I believe we have six instances of Savings Plans. We have SAP S/4 HANA. This is the name of the ERP. We have instances and we have a Linux instance using database. We are also using application ins...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
bp, Cerner, Expedia, Finra, HESS, intuit, Kellog's, Philips, TIME, workday
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM, Nutanix, Microsoft and others in Cloud Cost Management. Updated: July 2025.
862,077 professionals have used our research since 2012.