From San Diego to Your Organization: Latest AWS Announcements for FinOps X 2025

While San Diego’s famous June gloom may have given FinOps attendees overcast skies, the energy inside the FinOps X conference was anything but gloomy. Within just 2 days, we engaged in many insightful conversations. James Greenfield, VP of AWS Commerce Platform, joined the VP of Cloud Providers Panel and shared his insights on the FinOps industry. John Phillips, Director of Insights and Optimization, kicked off the excitement by announcing several key features during his keynote session. While these sessions highlighted some of our latest innovations, this blog post will provide a comprehensive look at all the new releases we made at FinOps X. We hope they will bring more sunshine to your day-to-day FinOps life.

I. Cost planning inclusive of your organization’s unique rates

The dynamic nature of cloud resources provides agility yet requires regular review to capture all drivers in your cost planning and budgeting. With the authenticated AWS Pricing Calculator now generally available, you can model cost changes to your existing workloads, such as, comparing cost of different instance types, migrating workloads between regions. You can build cost projections for new workloads and use the results to apply for budgets. Beyond workload estimates, you can compare savings from various purchase options, e.g., Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and see their impact to your overall bill. Learn more details from this blog post.

Figure 1. workload estimates rate selection in AWS Pricing Calculator

II. New Cost Comparison Feature for MoM Analysis

Two years ago, a customer at our re:Invent booth shared that an automated cost comparison feature would save tremendous amount of time every month. After then speaking with many of you, we are happy to announce its general availability in AWS Cost Explorer. Now, you can receive automated MoM analysis in your Billing and Cost Management console. You can deep dive into each of the top cost changes (both positive and negative) and understand the drivers of the cost variances. By default, we analyze cost variance by service, usage type, and charge type. But you can use any existing Cost Explore filters to dive deeper into your area of interest. Learn more from this blog post.

Figure 2. Cost Comparison Feature in AWS Cost Explorer

III. Amazon Q, the 3rd CFM interface

Over the years, we have invested in CFM capabilities across console and API access. Now as many of you begin leveraging the new natural language environment powered by Generative AI technology, we’re also making cost analysis and management capabilities available in this interactive interface. With Cost Optimization Hub recommendations now enabled in Amazon Q developer, you can ask cost analysis and cost optimization related questions, without memorizing different filter combinations. A deep link will be available if you want to learn more or conduct any further analysis in Cost Explorer.

Figure 3. Cost Optimization Hub recommendations enabled in Amazon Q

IV. New Aurora I/O optimized recommendations

For those of you who build applications using Amazon Aurora Services, you can now receive I/O optimized recommendations for your Amazon Aurora Database clusters. By opting into AWS Compute Optimizer, it will automatically evaluate your Amazon Aurora instances, storage, and I/O costs and recommend Aurora I/O optimized for I/O intensive applications. You can adjust the lookback period to ensure Compute Optimizer bases its recommendations on your preferred time frame. Learn more details from this blog post.

Figure 4. New Aurora I/O optimized rightsizing options in AWS Compute Optimizer

V. Consistent cost optimization recommendations

We have several new features for you in the cost optimization space. Thanks to collaboration between Billing and Cost Management, and AWS Trusted Advisor, you now have discount-aware cost optimization checks in Trusted Advisor. This integration provides consistent cost optimization recommendations across both Trusted Advisor and Cost Optimization Hub. Learn more from this blog post.

Figure 5. New cost optimization checks in AWS Trusted Advisor

VI. Customizable commitment purchase preferences

With Cost Optimization Hub, you can now configure your preferred terms and payment options for your commitment purchases (e.g., Reserved Instances, Savings Plans) and receive corresponding cost saving estimates.

Figure 6. Custom recommendations for RI and Savings Plans in Cost Optimization Hub

VII. Fine tuning your cost governance measures

Many of you have used AWS Budgets to configure limits and monitor your AWS spend and usage. Now with the two new datasets: net unblended costs and net amortized costs, you can create discount-aware budgets to help with your governance. Additionally, you can now also use the “excludes” filter to remove outliers or known cost spikes that you don’t want to monitor. These two enhancements help you better align budgets with your business needs.

Figure 7. New datasets and excludes filter options in AWS Budgets

We can’t talk about cost governance without AWS Cost Anomaly Detection. Cost Anomaly Detection is now integrated with Amazon User Notifications. The integration opens up a whole new world of possibilities for alert configurations. You can create more notifications (see quotas the service), set alert thresholds for specific AWS services using JSON code, choose alert frequency, and select communication channels (e.g., mobile push, email, chat). Your alerts will also be available in the notification center, easily accessible via the bell icon on the console header.

Figure 8.Event rules in Amazon User Notifications

Conclusion

We welcome your feedback and we’ll continue to release new features to help simplify your FinOps practices. If you’re attending FinOps X, visit our two breakout sessions and learn more about these new features at 11AM “What’s New with AWS Cost Optimization” in Breakout B and 4:15PM “New FinOps Tools for Cost Analysis and Management” in the AWS Stage Room.