Do you know where your cloud spend is going? If the answer is yes, you’re doing cloud cost management right – and that matters. Effective cloud cost management isn’t just about trimming expenses. It's about understanding how your resources are being used, forecasting future costs and making smarter financial decisions that align with your business goals.
But here’s the catch: cloud billing data is often hidden behind layers of complexity, fragmented across services, teams and time zones. Trying to make sense of it all with spreadsheets and guesswork? That’s a recipe for missed savings and budget surprises.
That’s where cloud cost management software comes in. These tools are designed to cut through the noise, giving you real-time visibility into your cloud usage, flagging areas of waste and helping teams collaborate on spending decisions. From dashboards and alerts to automation and optimisation, they make cloud cost control a whole lot easier – and a lot more strategic.
We’ll explore what cloud cost optimisation software is and introduce you to nine tools that make managing cloud costs in 2025 a breeze.
Key takeaways:
- Cloud costs can spiral fast. Without the right tools, tracking and managing cloud spend across teams and services is nearly impossible.
- Cloud cost management software brings clarity. From dashboards to automation, these platforms give you visibility, control and smarter spending.
- Different tools serve different needs. Whether you’re monitoring usage, optimising infrastructure, managing expenses or aligning with FinOps, there’s a solution for every angle.
- The best tools do more than report: they help teams act, eliminating waste, setting budgets and tying cloud spend directly to business value.
What is cloud cost management software?
Cloud cost management software is all about helping businesses understand, control and optimise what they spend on cloud services – whether it’s compute, storage, data transfer or SaaS infrastructure.
In the early days of cloud adoption, most teams relied on basic reports from their cloud provider, plus a mix of spreadsheets, scripts and monthly billing surprises. Engineering spun up new resources, finance got the invoice. No one was quite sure what caused the spike – or who was responsible for it.
As cloud usage has scaled across teams and services, so has the complexity of managing it. That’s where modern cloud cost management software comes in.
Cloud cost optimisation tools bring visibility, accountability and automation to cloud spending. They break down costs by team, project or product, track usage trends and surface cost-saving opportunities like idle instances, unused volumes or overprovisioned services. Some even automate the optimisation process entirely.
From real-time dashboards and budget alerts to FinOps platforms that link cloud spend to business value, cloud cost management software gives finance, ops and engineering teams a shared language – and the tools they need to spend smarter.
Still trying to untangle your cloud bill through guesswork and gut feelings? These platforms bring the clarity and control you’ve been missing.
You might also be interested in: How much does a server cost in 2025?
Cloud cost visibility and monitoring tools
The first step to controlling cloud spend is seeing where it’s actually going. Cloud cost visibility and monitoring tools give you real-time visibility into usage and costs, helping teams track trends, pinpoint waste and make smarter budgeting decisions – before the invoice lands.
1. AWS Cost Explorer
A go-to for any AWS user looking to make sense of their cloud bill, AWS Cost Explorer helps teams drill into usage patterns, break down costs by service and forecast future spend – all from a clean, customisable dashboard.
It’s easy to use right away, with built-in features for setting budgets, creating alerts and identifying where your cloud spend is going.
AWS Cost Explorer pros:
- Cost analysis
- Filter options
- Visual charts
- Reports
Source: G2
2. Azure Cost Management
More than just a tracker, Azure Cost Management gives organisations control over their Azure (and AWS) cloud costs with tools for budgeting, reporting and resource optimisation.
With built-in alerts and cross-cloud visibility, it’s designed to help teams make smarter spending decisions and avoid budget overruns before they happen.
Azure Cost Management pros:
- User interface
- Expenditure limits
- Cost management
- Microsoft support
Source: G2
Cloud cost optimisation platforms
Spending too much in the cloud? You’re not alone. That’s where cloud cost optimisation platforms come in: these tools identify savings opportunities, like idle resources and underused services, and help you rightsize your infrastructure for maximum efficiency – often with automation built in.
3. Spot (by NetApp)
Spot takes the guesswork – and the grunt work – out of cloud cost optimisation. Using AI-driven automation, it continuously finds and shifts workloads to the most cost-efficient infrastructure, including spot instances and reserved capacity.
It’s an ideal solution for DevOps teams who want performance without the premium price tag.
Spot pros:
- Simplicity
- Cost-saving
- Customer service
- Ease of integration
Source: G2
4. IBM Cloudability
Built for enterprises, Cloudability helps organisations optimise cloud costs at scale. It analyses usage across teams and providers, identifies savings opportunities and supports FinOps workflows like showback, forecasting and chargeback.
For finance and engineering teams looking to align on cloud spend, this one’s a heavyweight.
Cloudability pros:
- Insights
- Ease of use
- Reporting
- Cost management
- Recommendations
Source: G2
Cloud spend management and expense tracking tools
When cloud costs sprawl across teams and tools, it’s easy to lose track. These solutions collect all cloud-related expenses in one place, helping finance and operations teams monitor spend, tag it by team or project and stay within budget.
5. Pleo
With more than 1,480 five star reviews, Pleo is Europe’s most loved and trusted spend management platform.
With Pleo, you can track and manage all spending in one centralised place – whether it’s cloud costs, team travel, supplier invoices or everyday business costs. And with smart automation and intuitive tools, you can monitor budgets, enforce policies and approve expenses as they happen rather than weeks later.
Turn spend data into actionable insights with powerful analytics, automated workflows and seamless categorisation. Spend less time chasing receipts – and more time making strategic, data-driven decisions.
Pleo pros:
- Ease of use
- Seamless integrations
- Easy upload
- Expense management
- Simplicity
Source: G2
Want more proof? Take a look at this excellent review from Accountant Jon D.:
“Pleo have been great from start to finish. The platform is incredibly easy to use, but if you ever get stuck with anything, (it’s so easy, I’ve only ever got stuck once,) their team offer great assistance in getting things resolved.”
FinOps and cloud financial management platforms
Here’s where finance and engineering finally speak the same language. FinOps and cloud financial management platforms support FinOps practices by connecting cloud usage with business value, enabling teams to track unit economics, run chargebacks and align tech decisions with bottom-line impact.
6. CloudZero
CloudZero puts cloud spend in context. Instead of generic usage reports, it offers real-time insights into what your cloud costs mean – like how much it costs to support a customer, a feature or a team.
It’s a great tool for SaaS companies and FinOps teams who need to tie engineering decisions directly to business impact.
CloudZero pros:
- Ease of use
- Cost management
- Customer support
- Cost-saving
Source: G2
7. Zesty (for Kubernetes)
Zesty brings automation to the core of cloud cost management. It’s an optimisation platform specifically designed for the portable open-source platform Kubernetes.
The platform auto-scales infrastructure based on real-time usage, automatically buys and sells reserved instances and ensures you’re only paying for what you actually need.
Zesty pros:
- Ease of use
- Cost-saving
- Easy setup
- Set and forget
Source: G2
Procurement and subscription management tools
Cloud software is easy to buy – and even easier to forget about. Procurement and subscription management tools help businesses stay on top of software subscriptions, manage renewals, eliminate unused tools and negotiate better deals, all whilst keeping procurement workflows streamlined.
8. Zylo
If your SaaS stack is a tangled mess, Zylo brings the clarity you’re looking for. It gives you a single view of all your software subscriptions – usage, renewals and spend – so you can cut waste, consolidate tools and stay compliant.
It’s a must-have for finance and IT teams managing fast-growing toolsets across the business.
Zylo pros:
- Application integration
- Automation
- Data analytics
- Ease of use
Source: G2
9. Vendr
Vendr takes the pain out of buying and renewing SaaS. It handles procurement, negotiation and vendor management on your behalf, using benchmarking data to drive better pricing and faster deals.
For companies looking to save on software without building a full procurement team, Vendr is a no-brainer.
Vendr pros:
- Automation
- Procurement efficiency
- Time-saving
- Cost-saving
Source: G2
What to look for in a cloud cost optimisation tool
The tools listed above tackle different angles of cloud cost management, from infrastructure optimisation to real-time visibility and financial alignment.
Not every solution suits every business – but there are a few key features that are worth keeping an eye out for:
- Ease of use: Cloud cost control shouldn’t be rocket science. Look for platforms with a clear, intuitive interface that gives both finance and engineering teams a quick overview of usage, costs and trends without the need for a PhD in cloud architecture.
- Real-time spend tracking: Cloud bills can change fast – especially with auto-scaling and pay-as-you-go pricing. Choose tools that provide live insights into cloud spending across teams, services and providers.
- Budgeting and cost controls: You’ll want to go beyond passive reporting. Look for tools that let you set cloud budgets, track against them in real time and flag overspending early. Alerts, thresholds and smart notifications are key for keeping teams accountable and costs under control.
- Tagging and team-level visibility: Tagging and cost allocation features help break cloud spend down by project, department or product – essentials for shared accountability and helping business leaders make informed decisions.
- Automation and optimisation insights: Some platforms don’t just show you the problem; they help fix it. Whether it’s automated recommendations to rightsize resources or built-in approval flows for new cloud purchases, look for tools that reduce manual effort and help eliminate waste faster.
- Integration with your finance workflow: The best tools slot neatly into your existing workflow. Look for platforms that integrate with your accounting software, approval systems or procurement stack.
- Good value for money: It’s not just about cutting cloud costs – it’s about doing it efficiently. Look at what you’re getting in terms of visibility, automation and time savings, and make sure the benefits are worth the investment.
Ultimately, the right cloud cost management software should help you take control of your spend, reduce waste and align cloud usage with business value whilst making life a little easier for both finance and engineering.
Final thoughts
Cloud costs don’t have to be chaotic. With the right tools, you can move from reactive firefighting to proactive optimisation, turning your cloud bill from a mystery into a strategic asset.
Whether you’re just getting started with visibility tools or ready to scale your FinOps practices, there’s a solution out there to suit your needs, budget and tech stack. The key is choosing software that gives your teams clarity, control and the ability to act.
In a world where cloud spend is growing fast, smart cost management isn’t just a nice-to-have: it’s essential for staying ahead of the game.
