Costs
How much does an AWS Well-Architected review cost?
The AWS Well-Architected Tool is free: what a review costs is the time it takes, done in-house or by a partner. This guide breaks down the cost of each option, what it covers, and when an automated audit is a better fit.
In short
- The tool is free: AWS charges nothing for the Well-Architected Tool, you pay only for your own AWS resources.
- The real cost is time: workshops with your architects and engineers, then analysis and an improvement plan.
- With a partner: a consulting engagement priced on quotation. AWS has funded some partner-led reviews in the past: ask your AWS account team or partner whether a programme applies today.
- An automated audit scores the six pillars from the actual configuration, for 299 USD, without workshops; it does not replace the discussion about your processes.
What a Well-Architected review is
A Well-Architected review assesses one workload against the six pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework: operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimisation and sustainability.
It is run with the AWS Well-Architected Tool, a questionnaire in the AWS console: for each question, your teams state which best practices they apply. The tool then lists high and medium risks, and you can save milestones to measure progress.
The review is declarative: its quality depends on the answers given and on the experience of whoever leads it.
The cost of each option
| Option | Direct cost | Time for your teams | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house, with the Well-Architected Tool | None: the tool is free | Workshops per workload, then analysis and an improvement plan | Risks listed in the tool, plan to write yourself |
| Review led by an AWS partner | On quotation; funding may apply | Workshops and interviews with the partner | Review recorded in the tool, report and improvement plan |
| Silamir automated audit | 299 USD per audit, billed by AWS | Deploy a read-only role, choose the regions | Score for each of the six pillars from the configuration, plus nine other domains, P0/P1/P2 plan and board deck within the hour |
What drives the price of a partner-led review
- The number of workloads reviewed: a review covers one workload, not a whole account.
- The lenses added to the six pillars (serverless, SaaS, financial services…).
- The depth of the improvement plan, and whether the partner also performs the remediation.
- The availability of your teams for the workshops.
What an automated audit adds, and what it does not
- Adds: findings based on the actual configuration, each naming the affected resource, rather than on declared practices.
- Adds: domains a review covers only briefly, such as FinOps savings in euros, CIS v5.0 and FSBP compliance, and attack scenarios across domains.
- Does not replace: the discussion about your processes, incident response or organisation, which only workshops bring out.
- Does not record a review in the AWS Well-Architected Tool: if a partner or AWS asks for one, plan the workshops too.
A useful combination: run the automated audit first, then use its findings to focus the workshops on the pillars that need them.
Well-Architected review: frequently asked questions
Is the AWS Well-Architected Tool free?
Yes. AWS charges nothing for the Well-Architected Tool; you pay only for the AWS resources you use. The cost of a review is the time of your teams, or of the partner who leads it.
How long does a Well-Architected review take?
It depends on the workload and the lenses used. Plan for workshops with your architects and engineers on each pillar, then time to analyse the risks and write the improvement plan.
Can AWS fund a Well-Architected review?
AWS has funded some reviews led by Well-Architected partners, under eligibility conditions that change over time. Ask your AWS account team or partner whether a programme currently applies to your workload.
Does the Silamir audit cover the Well-Architected Framework?
Yes: the Well-Architected domain scores each of the six pillars out of 100 from the collected configuration, alongside nine other domains. It does not replace the workshops of a formal review recorded in the Well-Architected Tool.
Where does your AWS account stand?
Ten questions, three minutes, no access to your account: a security score, a FinOps score and the article to read for each of your three weakest points. Your answers stay in your browser.
Ready to audit your AWS account?
Subscribe on AWS Marketplace, deploy the read-only role and get your reports within the hour.