Technical deep-dives on AWS cost optimization, cloud waste detection, and FinOps automation.
31 posts tagged "AWS"
EBS snapshot costs are real, but Cost Explorer can't tell you which AMI or volume is causing them. Here's the billing blind spot, the AMI-pinning trap, and what our detector actually checks.
NAT Gateway costs don't show up as their own line — they hide inside 'Amazon Virtual Private Cloud' next to a dozen other charges. Here's what CloudWise's detector actually checks before it tells you to delete one, and the gap it doesn't cover yet.
We ran CloudWise's own scan engine against a realistic mid-size SaaS AWS bill and it came back with $11,871/mo in savings across 18 findings. Here's what was actually in it — and why the biggest opportunities weren't the ones you'd expect.
Every AWS cost tool has a 'buy this Reserved Instance' button. I almost shipped one. Here's why I built a Commitment Risk Score instead — and the four signals it checks before it will ever recommend a commitment.
I rebuilt CloudWise around an AI agent. It looked done. Then I used it like a customer and found the new front door had quietly hidden logout, account switching, and every settings page. Here's what 'done' actually means.
Buying Reserved Instances without checking these 4 signals first is how teams strand AWS budget. Here's the math to know if your architecture is ready to commit.
ElastiCache looks simple on the bill until you break it down. Here's where the money goes — node hours, engine pricing gaps, replication costs, extended support surcharges, and the idle cache problem.
Amazon Timestream billing is not just storage. This guide breaks down writes, query TCUs, memory store, magnetic store, retention, and common cost traps with accurate pricing mechanics.
EMR costs are not just EC2. This breakdown explains the EMR surcharge, EBS carry cost, and why WAITING clusters quietly drain budgets.