I'm looking for effective cloud cost optimization platforms specifically for multi-cloud environments, where Azure is my main spending focus. I want options that actually help save money beyond what Azure's Cost Management tools already show. Sales pitches can be really frustrating, so I'd much prefer real user experiences over vendor promises. The platforms should have solid product and support quality, uncover genuine savings that aren't immediately evident in Cost Management, and avoid the pitfalls of overpromising features—especially solutions that claim to deliver threefold savings but fail to do so on Azure.
5 Answers
Most platforms I've tried, like CloudHealth and Spot, just haven't delivered real savings. I genuinely believe the best savings come from making architectural improvements instead of relying solely on these tools.
I think it would be amazing to have a tool that could automatically fix all the Azure issues we've faced, ideally with just one click and without any breaking changes!
One approach is to reach out to the team handling your Azure bills. If they're competent, they should offer a finops tool for free. It’s worth checking out!
Chris Bowman's Power BI package is a fantastic starting point. It really helps to identify where your costs are coming from. Just keep in mind that many 'tools' can be biased or lead you on wild goose chases over minor savings when you're dealing with much larger bills. Understanding your usage patterns and designing accordingly is crucial.
We're currently using DataDog. It's been great for monitoring our cloud costs as we already utilize them for metrics and logs. They allow us to automate reports, including anomaly detection, and the devs can trace cost issues back to specific pull requests. They also offer recommendations and automation features, like tuning K8s which has really helped with idle costs. Just a heads up, though—they aren't the cheapest option available. Before DataDog, I tried Vantage, Cloudability, and CloudZero, but they ended up being pricier in the long run.
Haha, good luck finding that! If it existed, I'd be the first to sign up!