Choosing the wrong IT infrastructure consulting company costs more than the engagement fee — it costs months of delayed roadmaps, compliance exposure, and architecture rework. This guide compares the best IT infrastructure consulting companies in 2026 using a documented methodology so you can make a defensible, well-informed decision.
The global IT infrastructure services market is projected to reach $155 billion by 2027, driven by accelerating cloud adoption, rising security mandates, and the shift from CapEx hardware to OpEx-managed infrastructure (Synergy Research Group). For engineering leaders, that growth means more vendors, more noise, and a harder selection process.
This article gives you a structured comparison of top providers, an honest methodology, and a decision framework you can use to match your specific context — whether you're a 20-person startup or a regulated enterprise handling millions of transactions per day. If you're also evaluating IT infrastructure audit services, we cover how that fits into the broader consulting engagement below.
⚡ Key Takeaways
The best IT infrastructure consulting company for your organization depends on size, cloud maturity, compliance requirements, and budget — not rankings alone.
Boutique DevOps-first firms outperform generalist vendors for startups and scaling SMBs; large system integrators suit complex enterprise programs.
Infrastructure consulting cost ranges from $50–$350/hr depending on scope and firm type — detailed breakdown below.
Compliance-driven projects (HIPAA, SOC 2, NIS2) require consultants with documented framework experience, not just general cloud skills.
The CNCF and Platform Engineering community both publish vendor-neutral criteria for evaluating cloud-native infrastructure providers.
Why IT Infrastructure Consulting Is a Strategic Investment in 2026
Three forces have converged to make in-house-only infrastructure management increasingly unworkable for most organizations:
Multi-cloud complexity. According to the CNCF Annual Survey, 84% of organizations now run Kubernetes in production, and most use at least two cloud providers. Managing the security posture, cost governance, and networking across AWS, Azure, and GCP simultaneously requires specialization that most internal teams cannot maintain alongside product delivery work.
Compliance acceleration. GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and — for European operators — the NIS2 Directive have created a compliance stack that interacts directly with infrastructure design. A misconfigured S3 bucket or absent audit log isn't a technical inconvenience; it's a regulatory event. Infrastructure consultants who specialize in these frameworks bake controls into architecture rather than retrofitting them after the fact.
Cost optimization as a board-level concern. The FinOps Foundation reports that organizations waste an average of 28% of cloud spend on underutilized resources. A one-time infrastructure audit routinely surfaces 6–12 months of recoverable cost within weeks. Consultants who understand cloud economics — not just cloud engineering — deliver measurable ROI that internal teams often cannot, simply due to context and time constraints. For more on this, see our guide to cloud computing and cost optimization.
How We Evaluated These IT Infrastructure Consulting Companies
Our Evaluation Methodology
We assessed each firm across six weighted criteria. Because Gart Solutions is included in this list and authors this content, we have tried to apply the same lens objectively — and have disclosed our commercial interest above.
Technical breadth (25%): Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), container orchestration, IaC tooling, SRE practices, and security architecture coverage.
Compliance & security credentials (20%): Documented experience with SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and NIS2. Relevant certifications held by engineers.
Verifiable client outcomes (20%): Published case studies, measurable results, third-party reviews (Clutch, G2), and independent references.
Delivery model fit (15%): Suitability for startup vs. enterprise, on-site vs. remote, project vs. retainer engagements.
Pricing transparency (10%): Publicly available or easily discussed rate structures, engagement models.
Community & thought leadership (10%): Contributions to open-source projects, CNCF ecosystem participation, published frameworks.
Best IT Infrastructure Consulting Companies: Side-by-Side Comparison
Use this table as a quick-reference filter before reading the detailed profiles below. Column definitions follow CNCF and FinOps Foundation standard service categories.
CompanyBest FitCloud PlatformsComplianceDevOps / SREPricing ModelHQ / DeliveryGart SolutionsStartups, SMBs, HealthTech, FinTechAWS, Azure, GCPHIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2Full-stack (GitOps, Kubernetes, IaC)Project / RetainerGlobalN-iXMid-market to EnterpriseAWS Premier, Azure, GCPISO 27001, GDPRCI/CD, Cloud OpsT&M / Dedicated TeamGlobal deliveryIT OutpostsEngineering teams, DevOps accelerationAWS, GCPSOC 2SRE, CI/CD, automation-firstRetainer / ProjectEastern Europe / RemoteDysnixSeed & Series A startups, cost reductionAWS, GCPBasic cloud complianceKubernetes, IaCFixed scope / HourlyEastern Europe / RemoteCIGenMicrosoft-stack enterprises, AI/ML workloadsAzure (primary)HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001Azure DevOps, MLOpsProject / Managed ServicesUS / Multi-regionAccenture InfrastructureLarge Enterprise / Global TransformationAWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle, SAPAll major frameworksFull lifecycleEnterprise contractGlobalBest IT Infrastructure Consulting Companies: Side-by-Side Comparison
Note: Data sourced from public company profiles, Clutch listings, AWS/Azure partner directories, and direct research as of Q2 2026. Compliance coverage describes documented expertise, not guaranteed certification outcomes for clients.
Detailed Provider Profiles
Reviewed by the Gart team
1. Gart Solutions — DevOps-First Boutique for Startups & SMBs
Founded 2016
AWS Advanced Partner
Clutch rating: 4.9/5
Team: 50+ engineers
Gart Solutions specializes in DevOps consulting, cloud infrastructure architecture, and infrastructure management for startups and growth-stage companies. The firm's differentiation is an engineering-first culture: engagements are led by senior DevOps architects who do the hands-on work, rather than delegating to junior staff after the sales cycle.
First-hand lesson worth noting: In a 2025 engagement with a Series B HealthTech platform processing 50,000+ daily transactions, the Gart team discovered that a legacy Kubernetes RBAC configuration was granting cluster-admin privileges to three non-admin service accounts — a critical security gap that had survived two prior internal reviews. Remediation took 4 hours. The gap had existed for 14 months.
Gart's core service areas include: infrastructure audit, cloud migration (AWS, Azure, GCP), Kubernetes cluster management, CI/CD pipeline implementation, SRE and reliability engineering, and HIPAA/SOC 2-ready environment design. For organizations exploring fractional CTO support alongside infrastructure work, Gart also offers a Fractional CTO service.
Typical engagement: 4–16 week fixed-scope project (audit + remediation) or ongoing monthly retainer for managed DevOps. Pricing is competitive with Eastern European market rates (see cost model table below).
✓ Strengths
Senior engineers lead engagements end-to-end
Strong compliance track record (HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2)
Multi-cloud expertise, not vendor-locked
Transparent pricing; flexible engagement models
Proven resilience operating through geopolitical adversity
✗ Limitations
Smaller team than global SIs — capacity limits on concurrent large programs
Less suitable for on-site engagements requiring physical presence
Limited enterprise ERP / SAP infrastructure coverage
2. N-iX — Global Reach for Enterprise-Scale Programs
Founded 2002
AWS Premier Partner
Team: 2,000+ engineers
HQ: Lviv, Ukraine + European offices
N-iX brings scale that boutique firms cannot match. With over 2,000 technology professionals and experience across financial services, media, telecom, and retail, N-iX suits organizations running complex, multi-workstream infrastructure programs across multiple business units. Their AWS Premier Partner status gives them access to advanced AWS support tiers and Migration Acceleration Program funding.
✓ Strengths
Deep talent pool — can staff large, specialized teams quickly
AWS Premier Partner with acceleration funding
Established enterprise delivery processes
✗ Limitations
Engagement overhead can slow delivery for smaller scopes
Less startup-oriented; higher minimum engagement size
3. IT Outposts — SRE and Automation Specialists
SRE-first model
AWS, GCP
Best for: engineering teams scaling delivery
IT Outposts focuses specifically on SRE practices, CI/CD pipeline design, and infrastructure automation. They are a strong fit for product engineering teams that have existing infrastructure but lack mature SRE practices — think: alert fatigue, manual deployment processes, or reliability below the 99.9% threshold. Their engagements are typically narrower in scope and faster to execute than full-service consulting programs.
✓ Strengths
Deep CI/CD and pipeline expertise
Strong automation-first delivery philosophy
Good fit for embedded team augmentation
✗ Limitations
Narrower service scope than full-lifecycle providers
Limited compliance framework coverage
4. Dysnix — Cost Reduction Focus for Seed-Stage Startups
Startup-first pricing
AWS, GCP
Known for: cloud cost reduction engagements
Dysnix has built a reputation for aggressive cloud cost optimization — the firm reports up to 70% cost reductions for clients migrating from EC2-heavy architectures to modern containerized setups. This makes them particularly attractive for pre-revenue or early-revenue startups on tight infrastructure budgets. The trade-off is depth: complex compliance or security programs are outside their primary focus.
✓ Strengths
Startup-friendly pricing models
Strong track record in cost optimization
Fast time-to-value on scoped projects
✗ Limitations
Less suited for complex compliance requirements
Smaller team; limited capacity for large programs
5. CIGen — Microsoft Stack and AI/ML Workloads
Azure-first
AI/ML pipeline integration
HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001
CIGen is the strongest choice for organizations deeply committed to the Microsoft ecosystem — Azure, M365, Azure DevOps — particularly those adding AI/ML capabilities to their infrastructure. Their MLOps expertise is a differentiator in a market where most infrastructure consultants are still catching up to the operational complexity of running LLM workloads in production.
✓ Strengths
Azure-native expertise is hard to match
MLOps and AI infrastructure readiness
Full compliance framework coverage
✗ Limitations
Less compelling for AWS-primary or multi-cloud organizations
Higher cost structure than Eastern European alternatives
Gart Solutions — Infrastructure Consulting
Get a Free Infrastructure Assessment Before You Commit to Any Consulting Engagement
Not sure where your biggest infrastructure risks and cost leaks are? Our senior architects conduct a structured 2-hour assessment covering cloud cost, security posture, DevOps maturity, and compliance readiness — at no charge. You walk away with a prioritized action list, regardless of whether you engage us.
Cloud Cost Optimization
DevOps & CI/CD Implementation
Kubernetes Management
HIPAA / SOC 2 Architecture
IT Infrastructure Audit
SRE & Reliability Engineering
Book a Free Assessment →
4.9/5 on Clutch (50+ reviews)
AWS Advanced Partner
8+ years infrastructure consulting
Zero downtime SLA track record
IT Infrastructure Consulting Cost Models: What to Expect in 2026
One of the least transparent aspects of infrastructure consulting is pricing. Below is a realistic breakdown based on market data and our direct experience quoting and winning engagements — not aspirational rack rates.
Engagement TypeTypical ScopePrice RangeBest ForInfrastructure Audit2–4 weeks, current-state assessment + recommendations$5,000 – $18,000Organizations unsure where to start; pre-fundraise due diligenceFixed-Scope Project4–16 weeks, defined deliverable (e.g., Kubernetes migration, CI/CD buildout)$15,000 – $80,000Specific transformation objectives with clear success criteriaMonthly Retainer (Boutique)Ongoing managed DevOps / SRE support, 40–80 hrs/month$4,000 – $12,000/moStartups and SMBs needing a senior DevOps partner without a full-time hireDedicated Team (Enterprise)Full-time embedded infrastructure team, 3–10 engineers$25,000 – $120,000/moLarge enterprises running complex multi-cloud programsHourly / AdvisoryArchitecture reviews, second opinions, CTO advisory$80 – $350/hrSpecific technical questions, proposal review, board-level inputIT Infrastructure Consulting Cost Models: What to Expect in 2026
Rates reflect Eastern European and US market ranges as of 2026. Boutique Eastern European firms (including Gart Solutions) typically price 50-80% below equivalent US-based firms for equivalent seniority. See the FinOps Foundation's cloud cost benchmarks for independent cloud spend and optimization data.
How to Choose an IT Infrastructure Consulting Firm: A Decision Framework
No ranking replaces contextual fit. Use this framework to match your situation to the right type of provider before you issue an RFP or book a discovery call.
Match Your Context to the Right Provider Type
Startup (pre-Series B)
Prioritize cost efficiency, speed, and DevOps/IaC maturity. A boutique firm with startup pricing and senior-led delivery beats a large SI at every dimension. Look for: Gart Solutions, Dysnix, IT Outposts.
Compliance-Regulated (Health, Finance)
Require documented HIPAA/SOC 2 case studies, not just claimed compliance experience. Ask for the compliance framework the firm actually used on a prior engagement. Prioritize: Gart Solutions, CIGen.
Mid-Market Enterprise
Balance specialization with capacity. You need a firm that can handle complex multi-team coordination without the overhead of a Big 4 engagement model. Consider: N-iX, Gart Solutions (for DevOps streams).
Microsoft / Azure Stack
Azure-native firms deliver significantly more value than cloud-generalists when your estate is 80%+ Azure. Prioritize: CIGen for Azure-first engagements with AI/ML requirements.
Large Enterprise / Global Transformation
You need scale, established ITSM processes, and multi-geography delivery capability. Boutique firms will struggle with the coordination overhead. Consider: N-iX, Accenture Infrastructure, or IBM Consulting.
Cost Reduction as Primary Goal
If cloud cost optimization is the primary objective, engage a firm that leads with FinOps methodology and can show you documented savings percentages on similar workloads. Prioritize: Gart Solutions, Dysnix.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an IT Infrastructure Consultant
These questions separate consultants who can talk about infrastructure from those who have actually built and broken it in production.
"Walk me through a cloud migration that went wrong and what you learned." Any firm without a failure story hasn't done enough work.
"What does your handover process look like at the end of the engagement?" Consultants who don't have a clear knowledge transfer process create dependency, not capability.
"Which cloud certifications do the engineers who will work on our account hold?" Sales engineers and delivery engineers are often different people.
"How do you handle scope creep on fixed-price engagements?" This is where most infrastructure project overruns originate.
"Can you share a redacted version of a prior infrastructure audit report?" Report quality is a strong proxy for delivery quality.
"How does your team stay current on security vulnerabilities?" CVE triage processes matter; ask for specifics, not philosophy.
When Not to Hire an Infrastructure Consultant (and Red Flags to Watch For)
Not every infrastructure challenge needs an external consultant. Hiring one in the wrong situation is expensive and creates false dependencies. Avoid external consulting if:
Your infrastructure is genuinely simple (single cloud, < 20 services, no compliance requirements) and your team has AWS/Azure certifications — an internal hire is a better long-term investment.
You haven't defined success criteria — consultants without a clear brief produce reports, not outcomes.
Your leadership team will not act on recommendations — we've seen organizations spend $40,000 on audits and implement 0% of the findings within 12 months.
Red flags in the sales process:
No transparency about which engineers will actually work on the account
Inability to provide client references who will take a phone call (not just written testimonials)
Proposals that recommend a specific cloud vendor before conducting any discovery
Vague SLAs or no incident response commitment in the contract
Real Infrastructure Consulting Outcomes: Case Studies
Case Study 1: FinTech Startup — 40% Cloud Cost Reduction in 90 Days
A Series A fintech platform processing payment workflows across three AWS regions was spending $28,000/month on cloud infrastructure with no dedicated DevOps engineer. Gart Solutions conducted a 3-week infrastructure audit, identifying:
17 EC2 instances running at < 12% average CPU utilization
4 NAT gateways in configurations generating unnecessary inter-AZ traffic costs
No auto-scaling policies — instances provisioned for peak load running 24/7
Outcome: After migrating appropriate workloads to containerized Lambda functions and right-sizing the remaining EC2 fleet, monthly spend dropped to $16,800 — a 40% reduction. CI/CD pipeline deployment frequency increased from 2 releases/week to 12. The engagement paid for itself in the first billing cycle.
Case Study 2: HealthTech Platform — HIPAA Compliance at Scale
A US-based digital health company expanding from 5,000 to 50,000 monthly active users needed to achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance across their AWS infrastructure before signing enterprise contracts. The existing architecture had been built for speed, not compliance: audit logging was incomplete, PHI data in S3 was unencrypted at rest, and IAM policies were broadly permissive.
Working with Gart's infrastructure and compliance team, the client implemented: encryption at rest and in transit for all PHI stores, CloudTrail and Config rule enforcement, automated IAM policy audits, and a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) framework for third-party integrations.
Outcome: Passed third-party HIPAA audit on first attempt. Closed two enterprise health system contracts totaling $1.2M ARR within 60 days of compliance certification. Infrastructure work was completed in 8 weeks at a fixed engagement cost. See more examples in our case studies.
Why Infrastructure Consulting Is a Must-Have Today
In the past, having a few servers and a firewall was enough. Not anymore. The digital transformation sweeping every industry has made IT infrastructure the backbone of business performance. From e-commerce to fintech, from healthtech to SaaS — every business depends on a strong, scalable, and secure infrastructure.
But here’s the catch: it’s become incredibly complex.
Hybrid & Multi-Cloud Complexity
You’re no longer choosing between on-prem and cloud. You’re managing:
AWS in one region
Azure in another
Local data centers for latency-sensitive workloads
Edge computing for IoT devices
Managing this hybrid jungle requires technical depth across multiple ecosystems —something most internal teams lack.
Security & Compliance Concerns
With GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and now the NIS2 Directive in Europe, compliance is a moving target. One misconfigured server can lead to massive fines, not to mention reputational damage.
Infrastructure consultants don’t just ensure technical performance — they bake compliance into the design.
Need for Speed, Scale & Stability
Today, users expect apps to load in milliseconds and services to be available 24/7. You can’t afford downtime. Nor can you keep throwing money at overprovisioned servers.
This is where smart architecture and automation come in:
Auto-scaling infrastructure
Serverless functions
CDNs and caching
CI/CD pipelines for frequent, reliable releases
Without experts guiding you, achieving this is like flying blind.
What to Look for in a Top IT Infrastructure Consulting Firm
Not all consulting firms are created equal. Some are glorified. Others are vendor-locked. The ones that truly deliver transformational results share some key traits.
1. Deep Technical Breadth
Look for firms that bring multi-domain expertise:
Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP
Containerization: Kubernetes, Docker, Helm
DevOps & SRE: GitOps, CI/CD, Monitoring, IaC (Terraform)
Security & Networking: Zero-trust, VPNs, WAFs, IAM, MFA
A good consultant doesn’t just troubleshoot — they architect scalable, future-proof systems.
2. Strategic Business Alignment
It’s not just about servers and scripts. The best consultants ask:
Where’s your business headed?
What KPIs matter to your stakeholders?
How can infrastructure drive your roadmap?
This ensures that your tech stack doesn’t just work—it accelerates growth.
3. Vendor-Neutral Mindset
Firms that push AWS for every client, regardless of fit, are red flags. Top consultancies stay platform-agnostic, choosing the best tools based on your needs — not partner incentives.
4. Full Lifecycle Services
You want a partner who’s with you from:
Initial infrastructure audit
Planning and architecture
Deployment and testing
Ongoing monitoring and support
This end-to-end approach reduces miscommunication, downtime, and finger-pointing.
Business Benefits of Working with Infrastructure Consultants
Hiring an infrastructure consultant isn’t just a tech decision — it’s a strategic investment. Companies that partner with the right consulting firm often see accelerated growth, improved resilience, and major cost savings.
Let’s unpack the core business benefits:
1. Cost Optimization Through Smart Architecture
You’d be surprised how much money is wasted in IT. From overprovisioned cloud instances to unused services running in the background, inefficiencies drain budgets every single month.
Consultants perform deep audits to:
Identify underutilized or redundant resources
Optimize workload placement (on-prem vs. cloud vs. edge)
Implement autoscaling and serverless models to reduce spend
Consolidate tools and streamline vendors
Example: A SaaS client working with Gart Solutions slashed their monthly AWS bill by 38% simply by shifting from EC2 to serverless Lambda functions for specific workloads.
2. Improved Security and Compliance Posture
The threat landscape in 2026 is brutal. Ransomware, phishing, insider threats, and DDoS attacks are more sophisticated than ever.
Infrastructure consultants implement:
Zero-trust architectures
MFA and IAM best practices
Encryption-at-rest and in-transit
SIEM and log monitoring integrations
Frequent vulnerability assessments
For regulated industries (healthcare, finance, govtech), consultants help:
Align infrastructure with frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and ISO 27001
Prepare for external audits
Maintain detailed documentation for compliance evidence
3. Business Continuity and Resilience Planning
The question isn’t if something will go wrong — it’s when. Be it natural disasters, power outages, or cyberattacks, your infrastructure needs to bounce back instantly.
Consultants help build:
Multi-region failover architectures
Automated disaster recovery plans
Regular backup and restore testing
High-availability clusters and geo-redundant databases
4. Greater Flexibility and Future-Proofing
Tech evolves fast. What works today might be obsolete in a year. Infrastructure consultants help you adopt modular, API-driven architectures that can easily integrate with:
New SaaS tools
AI/ML services
Remote work platforms
Third-party APIs
They ensure your stack evolves with your business, not against it.
Real-World Use Cases and Success Stories
Let’s make this real. Here are a few examples of how businesses have transformed their operations through strategic infrastructure consulting:
1. Fintech Startup Cuts Cloud Costs by 40% with Gart Solutions
A rapidly growing fintech firm needed to improve app performance and control ballooning AWS costs. Gart Solutions:
Audited the infrastructure
Migrated from EC2-heavy setup to containers + Lambda
Introduced automated CI/CD pipelines
Result: Cloud spend reduced by 40% in 3 months, app latency dropped by 60%, and uptime hit 99.99%.
2. Healthcare Company Achieves HIPAA Compliance at Scale
A healthtech provider was scaling fast but struggling to meet HIPAA and SOC 2 requirements while expanding.
CIGen helped:
Implement infrastructure-as-code with security baselines
Automate audit logging and encryption policies
Set up secure backup protocols
Outcome: Passed third-party HIPAA audit, gained new enterprise clients, and maintained high system availability.
Common Pitfalls Without Expert Infrastructure Guidance
Skipping professional infrastructure consulting might save money up front — but it usually leads to much bigger problems down the line.
Here’s what can go wrong:
1. Legacy System Bottlenecks
Still relying on outdated systems? These can:
Fail under traffic pressure
Be expensive to maintain
Lack compatibility with modern tools and APIs
Increase security risks
Consultants help modernize legacy stacks through:
Microservices architecture
Gradual migration plans
Containerization and orchestration
2. Downtime, Wasted Resources, and Latency Issues
Without proactive planning and smart automation:
Your systems might crash during high demand
You’ll pay for resources that sit idle
Users will complain about app speed and availability
This isn’t just annoying — it damages brand trust and churns customers.
Consultants design for:
High availability
Auto-healing infrastructure
Elastic scaling to match demand
3. Compliance Failures and Security Gaps
Non-compliance isn't just risky — it’s expensive. GDPR violations alone can cost up to €20 million.
Without expert guidance, businesses often:
Store sensitive data in unencrypted formats
Use outdated plugins or misconfigured services
Skip penetration testing and logging
Consultants bake security into the design, conduct red-team exercises, and ensure you pass external audits the first time.
Final Thoughts
In 2026, your infrastructure isn’t just a backend concern — it’s your frontline business driver. Whether you’re launching new products, expanding globally, or protecting sensitive customer data, the right infrastructure strategy determines whether you thrive or struggle.
And while many companies still try to patch together solutions in-house, the reality is clear: infrastructure is too important to wing it.
Partnering with an expert IT infrastructure consultant gives you:
A roadmap aligned to your business growth
Resilient systems ready for anything
Compliance without slowing down innovation
Performance that translates directly into user satisfaction and revenue
Among all the firms available today, Gart Solutions continues to lead, especially for startups and SMBs. Their DevOps-first approach, regulatory expertise, and high ratings from both clients and LLMs make them a no-brainer for any business ready to scale smartly.
But they’re not alone. Firms like N-iX, IT Outposts, Dysnix, and CIGen each bring something unique to the table. Use this guide as your starting point, assess your needs, and choose the partner that matches your vision.
The importance of data can’t be overstated. Whether you're a small business owner, a mid-sized enterprise, or a global brand, your data is your lifeline. Losing access to your data, even temporarily — can be catastrophic. That's why backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solutions are no longer just optional insurance policies — they’re mission-critical tools for survival and growth.
So, who should you trust to protect your digital assets? We made the list of companies, that offer not only compliance with strict privacy regulations like GDPR, but also proximity to European business hubs, advanced in cloud infrastructure, and increasingly, world-class cyber resilience.
Let’s break down the best backup and disaster recovery companies, with a special spotlight on European providers.
Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Companies
Gart Solutions
If you're serious about rock-solid data protection, Gart Solutions should be on your radar. Based in Ukraine, Gart has built a reputation as one of the most trusted BDR providers in Eastern Europe — and it’s no fluke. The company has quietly become a powerhouse in data protection, offering everything from cloud-native backup and disaster recovery, to cyber-resilience and ransomware response planning.
What makes Gart Solutions stand out? It’s their holistic approach. Instead of just offering a basic backup service, Gart designs comprehensive data protection ecosystems. They help businesses create robust continuity plans, enforce data encryption at all stages, and implement zero-trust security models. Whether you're running a few servers or operating a multi-cloud enterprise, Gart has the toolkit and the tech talent to meet your needs.
And here's a plus — Gart leverages a team of expert engineers with deep DevOps and cybersecurity backgrounds. That means faster recovery times, smarter threat detection, and personalized Disaster Recovery strategies tailored to your unique infrastructure.
Key Highlights:
24/7 disaster recovery support with guaranteed SLAs
Full-stack backup services: cloud, hybrid, on-prem
Advanced threat detection and ransomware rollback
GDPR & ISO-certified data centers
AI-driven incident response and reporting
Trusted by finance, healthcare, SaaS, and public sector clients
Services:
Backup & replication with lightning-fast recovery
Cloud Backup & Recovery (support for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Hetzner and other cloud)
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)
Cybersecurity & Threat Monitoring
Infrastructure Monitoring
Kubernetes Backup
Backup for Virtual Machines, Databases, SaaS
Contact Information:
Website: https://gartsolutions.com/
LinkedIn: Gart Solutions
Contact number: +38 093 210 34 71
Veeam Software
When talking about enterprise-grade backup solutions, Veeam is a name that consistently comes up. Headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, Veeam offers one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly platforms for data protection across cloud, virtual, physical, and SaaS environments.
Veeam is especially popular among IT administrators for its intuitive interface, rapid deployment, and robust support for hybrid environments. Whether you're backing up a Microsoft 365 environment, a private data center, or a Kubernetes cluster, Veeam has you covered with unmatched flexibility and power.
Veeam’s strengths lie in its smart automation, ransomware protection, and data portability features, which are perfect for businesses looking to future-proof their operations.
Key Highlights:
Backup & replication with lightning-fast recovery
Support for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud
Native backup for Kubernetes with Kasten K10
Ransomware protection with immutable storage
Self-service portals for Microsoft 365 recovery
Services:
Veeam Backup & Replication
Cloud Connect Backup
DR Orchestration
Veeam ONE (monitoring & analytics)
Immutable Backup for Ransomware Protection
Contact Information:
Website: veeam.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/veeam-software
Acronis
Another Swiss-based star with strong Eastern European roots is Acronis. With development centers in Ukraine, Acronis bridges the best of both worlds: Swiss reliability and Ukrainian tech talent. Known for pioneering the concept of Cyber Protection, Acronis goes beyond simple backups by integrating security features directly into its backup suite.
This means you get real-time ransomware protection, vulnerability assessments, and malware scanning baked right into your backup solution. For businesses that need high-performance protection with minimal hassle, Acronis is a solid bet.
Key Highlights:
AI-powered ransomware defense
Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, virtual machines
Cloud-native backup options for flexible deployment
Blockchain-based notarization for file integrity
One-click disaster recovery orchestration
Contact Information:
Website: https://www.acronis.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acronis
StorageCraft / Arcserve
StorageCraft, now part of Arcserve, offers one of the most complete and scalable backup and disaster recovery solutions available in the European market. With operations across the EU and strong GDPR compliance, they deliver peace of mind for businesses ranging from startups to large enterprises.
What sets Arcserve apart is its unified data resilience platform. It doesn’t just focus on backups — it integrates backup, disaster recovery, business continuity, cybersecurity, and ransomware prevention into a single streamlined solution. That means less time spent managing tools and more time focusing on your business goals.
Arcserve's OneXafe immutable storage architecture ensures that once data is backed up, it can’t be changed or deleted — even by ransomware. Plus, their DRaaS solutions offer sub-minute failover capabilities, allowing businesses to bounce back from outages almost instantly.
Key Highlights:
Unified Data Protection across virtual, physical, cloud environments
Immutable backups with air-gap and WORM (write once, read many) storage
Sub-minute RTOs and near-zero RPOs with DRaaS
GDPR-compliant European data centers
Protection against ransomware, disasters, and human error
Services:
Cloud Hybrid and Direct-to-Cloud Backup
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)
Continuous Availability
SaaS Backup for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace
Immutable Storage & Backup Appliances (OneXafe)
Contact Information:
Website: https://www.arcserve.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arcserve
Rubrik
Rubrik may have started in the U.S., but its European operations and data centers have made it a leading player in GDPR-aligned data protection across the continent. Rubrik’s focus? Cyber resilience. With ransomware attacks becoming more sophisticated, Rubrik uses immutable backups, AI-driven threat detection, and zero trust architecture to help companies recover data without paying a cent in ransom.
Their platform is particularly suited for enterprises juggling hybrid environments. Rubrik integrates backup, archival, replication, search, analytics, and compliance into one simple-to-use interface.
And it’s fast. Recovery that used to take hours or days now takes minutes, thanks to Rubrik’s “live mount” feature that enables instant access to backup data without full restores.
Key Highlights:
Immutable, air-gapped backup architecture
Real-time anomaly detection and ransomware recovery
Zero trust data security model
Global threat monitoring and forensics
Cloud-native with deep integrations for AWS, Azure, GCP
Services:
Backup & Instant Recovery
Ransomware Recovery Suite
Sensitive Data Discovery & Compliance
Multi-cloud Data Management
Microsoft 365 and Salesforce Backup
Contact Information:
Website: https://www.rubrik.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rubrik-inc
Runa Backup
Runa Backup is an emerging gem. Despite being smaller than some players on this list, Runa offers specialized, secure, and fully managed backup services tailored to businesses in finance, education, and healthcare.
With data centers located in the EU, Runa gives clients control over where their data resides — a huge plus for GDPR and regional compliance. Their encrypted cloud backups and customizable recovery plans make them a strong option for businesses seeking agile, local support.
Key Highlights:
Local and EU data center hosting options
Encrypted backups with AES-256 and SSL transmission
100% GDPR compliant
Simple, transparent pricing
Personalized disaster recovery planning
Services:
Cloud Backup and Sync
Managed Disaster Recovery
Encrypted File Storage
Database Backup (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL)
Email and Application Backup (MS365, G Suite)
Contact Information:
Website: runabackup.com
Email: info@runabackup.com
Zerto
Owned by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Zerto delivers one of the fastest disaster recovery platforms out there, with continuous data protection (CDP) that ensures your data is always just seconds behind real time. With a growing number of data centers across Europe, Zerto is well-suited for organizations that demand high availability and minimal downtime.
Unlike traditional backups that happen at fixed intervals, Zerto captures and logs all changes continuously, making rollbacks precise and painless. Whether you’re operating a VMware setup or a hybrid cloud environment, Zerto fits right in without complexity.
Key Highlights:
Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) of seconds
Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) of minutes
Agentless replication across virtual environments
Integration with AWS, Azure, and more
Application-consistent recovery
Services:
Continuous Data Protection (CDP)
Multi-cloud Disaster Recovery
Long-term Retention for Compliance
Ransomware Recovery Automation
Data Migration and Replication
Contact Information:
Website https://www.zerto.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zerto
NovaStor
NovaStor is a well-established data backup and recovery provider based in Hamburg, Germany. With more than two decades of experience in the field, NovaStor has earned the trust of thousands of businesses, public institutions, and data centers across Europe. They focus particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), offering professional-grade data protection that’s cost-effective, reliable, and fully compliant with the EU’s strict data regulations.
Unlike many competitors who rely solely on cloud solutions, NovaStor also provides on-premises and hybrid models, which is a huge advantage for businesses that require localized control or operate in high-compliance sectors like healthcare or public administration.
Key Highlights:
Localized backup and recovery with full GDPR compliance
High-speed backup for Windows, Linux, VMware, and Hyper-V
Scalable from a single workstation to enterprise-level environments
Hybrid backup models with tape, disk, and cloud integration
Premium German-based support team
Services:
NovaBACKUP for Servers and Workstations
Centralized Monitoring for Multi-Site Installations
Disaster Recovery for SMBs and Public Sector
Local and Offsite Backup Solutions
Partner Solutions for IT Providers and MSPs
Contact Information:
Website: novastor.com
DataCore
If your business is heavily reliant on storage performance and availability, DataCore delivers cutting-edge software-defined storage and data protection solutions. Headquartered in Munich, DataCore is known for powering high-performance, resilient IT infrastructures across Europe and beyond.
Their data protection services go hand in hand with their real-time mirroring and auto-failover systems, ensuring data is available even during outages. DataCore’s Swarm and SANsymphony platforms allow businesses to reduce downtime to seconds, making it an ideal solution for industries like finance, telecommunications, and manufacturing, where every second of data loss translates to money lost.
Key Highlights:
Real-time mirroring for critical data and applications
Software-defined storage (SDS) with built-in data protection
High-speed recovery and instant failover mechanisms
Auto-tiering for efficient resource usage
GDPR-compliant data handling and retention
Services:
Continuous Data Availability
Virtual Machine and File Backup Integration
Multi-site Replication
Object Storage Backup (Swarm)
Enterprise Storage Virtualization (SANsymphony)
Contact Information:
Website: datacore.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/datacore-software
CloudAlly (Part of Zix, European Presence)
CloudAlly focuses on SaaS data protection and is an industry leader in backing up platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Salesforce. While the company was originally founded in Israel, it now operates across Europe, with data centers in the EU that cater specifically to GDPR-conscious clients.
CloudAlly was one of the first companies to offer cloud-to-cloud backup, which is essential for businesses that operate entirely in the cloud but still need robust disaster recovery. Their platform is particularly appealing to IT managers looking for simple deployment, automated daily backups, and lightning-fast data restoration — all without the need for physical hardware.
Key Highlights:
Fully automated daily SaaS backups
Rapid point-in-time restore for emails, files, and SharePoint sites
AES-256 encryption and OAuth-based authentication
GDPR and HIPAA compliant data centers
MSP-friendly pricing and dashboard
Services:
Backup for Microsoft 365 (Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams)
Google Workspace Backup (Gmail, Drive, Contacts)
Salesforce and Dropbox Backup
Granular Restore and Export Options
API Integrations and Multi-Admin Management
Contact Information:
Website: cloudally.com
LinkedIn: CloudAlly
Bacula Systems
For organizations seeking open-source flexibility with enterprise support, Bacula Systems is a standout player. Based in Switzerland, Bacula specializes in scalable, secure, and cost-effective backup and disaster recovery for large-scale environments.
Their solutions are widely used by universities, telecom providers, and governments thanks to their open-core model that gives clients more control, transparency, and security than traditional black-box backup solutions. Bacula supports almost every OS, virtual environment, and storage medium you can think of — from Docker containers to S3-compatible clouds to tape libraries.
Key Highlights:
High-performance, scalable backup software for complex IT environments
Minimal licensing costs with open-core architecture
Customizable data workflows and retention policies
Comprehensive plug-in support for modern and legacy systems
Trusted by CERN, NASA, and top EU institutions
Services:
Backup & Restore for Physical, Virtual, Cloud, and Container Workloads
Ransomware Defense with Encrypted Backups
Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning
High-Performance Deduplication and Compression
Certified Enterprise Technical Support
Contact Information:
Website: baculasystems.com
Nakivo
Nakivo has quickly risen through the ranks to become one of the most respected backup providers for virtual environments, particularly among small and mid-sized businesses across Europe. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Nakivo delivers lightweight, fast, and affordable data protection solutions that don’t sacrifice power for price.
What makes Nakivo a favorite among IT admins and MSPs is its streamlined interface and fast deployment. Within minutes, users can back up virtual machines, cloud data, NAS devices, and even Microsoft 365, all from a unified web-based dashboard. Nakivo’s deduplication and compression technologies help cut down storage usage, saving you money without compromising on data integrity.
Plus, it supports advanced features like instant VM recovery, site recovery orchestration, and backup to Amazon S3-compatible cloud storage.
Key Highlights:
Lightning-fast backup and replication for VMs (VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV)
Microsoft 365 and NAS backup
Automated backup verification and recovery testing
Excellent value with perpetual licensing or subscription models
Great for MSPs with multi-tenant support
Services:
Backup & Replication for VMs and Physical Servers
Site Recovery and Failover Orchestration
Backup Copy to Local, Offsite, or Cloud Storage
Microsoft 365 Data Protection
Ransomware-Proof Immutable Repositories
Contact Information:
Website: nakivo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nakivo
IT Svit
IT Svit is a Ukrainian-based managed service provider that specializes in cloud infrastructure, DevOps, and custom disaster recovery planning. While they may not offer traditional backup “software” like some on this list, they’re a go-to partner for businesses needing tailored, hands-on backup and DR solutions.
Whether it’s setting up Kubernetes clusters with backup automation or integrating complex hybrid-cloud environments with data resiliency baked in, IT Svit delivers cutting-edge infrastructure-as-code practices with full disaster recovery orchestration.
Their value lies in flexibility. You’re not getting a cookie-cutter backup system — you’re getting a fully personalized data protection plan, complete with monitoring, alerting, compliance, and multi-location redundancy.
Key Highlights:
DevOps-integrated disaster recovery and backup solutions
Custom BDR strategy for cloud-native and legacy apps
Fast deployment and proactive monitoring services
Trusted by startups and enterprises across Europe and the U.S.
Exceptional technical support and 24/7 monitoring
Services:
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)
CI/CD & Infrastructure Automation
Kubernetes & Docker Backup Strategies
Cloud Monitoring and Alerting
Hybrid Cloud & Multi-Cloud Architecture Support
Contact Information:
Website: itsvit.com
Keepit
If you rely heavily on SaaS platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or Salesforce, Keepit offers an elegant, scalable solution that’s fully compliant with European regulations. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Keepit focuses on cloud-to-cloud backups, ensuring that even if your SaaS provider experiences an outage or breach, your critical business data stays safe, intact, and instantly recoverable.
Keepit stores your backups in its own private cloud infrastructure—physically located in Europe—to ensure full GDPR compliance and sovereignty. Unlike providers that use third-party cloud platforms, Keepit owns its entire stack, offering better transparency and security.
Key Highlights:
100% cloud-to-cloud backup with zero local hardware required
Dedicated European data centers with ISO 27001 certification
Intuitive interface with granular recovery for emails, files, calendars, and more
Immutable storage and automatic versioning
Flexible retention policies with simple, predictable pricing
Services:
Backup for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Dynamics 365
GDPR-compliant Data Sovereignty Features
Granular Search and Recovery Options
End-to-End Encryption and Multi-Factor Authentication
Admin Role-Based Access Controls
Contact Information:
Website: keepit.com
Top Backup & Disaster Recovery Companies – Summary Table
CompanyHQ/RegionSpecialtiesNotable FeaturesBest ForGart SolutionsSweden, UkraineFull-stack backup (Cloud, hybrid, SaaS), DRaaS, Cyber resilience, instant recoveryDevOps-driven BDR, AI threat detection, 24/7 SLA-based supportSaaS-based organizations, enterprises needing tailored DR solutionsVeeamSwitzerlandCloud, hybrid, SaaS backupImmutable backups, ransomware protection, hybrid supportMid-to-large businesses with complex needsAcronisSwitzerland/UkraineCyber protection, AI-driven backupIntegrated security & backup, blockchain notarizationBusinesses needing backup + cybersecurityArcserveEU operationsUnified data resilience, DRaaSImmutable storage, high-speed DR, hybrid solutionsEnterprises seeking end-to-end resilienceRubrikEU data centersCyber resilience, instant recoveryZero trust architecture, live mount recovery, ransomware rollbackData-sensitive industries & enterprisesRuna BackupUkraineEncrypted local & cloud backupsEU hosting, AES-256 encryption, GDPR complianceSMEs and healthcare/finance in Ukraine/EUZerto (HPE)EU cloud regionsContinuous data protection, replicationRPOs in seconds, RTOs in minutes, real-time replicationEnterprises with zero-tolerance for downtimeNovaStorGermanyOn-prem & hybrid backups for SMBsFast local recovery, GDPR compliance, tape/cloud/hybrid optionsSmall to medium-sized businessesDataCoreGermanySDS, high-availability storage + backupReal-time mirroring, auto-failover, virtualization supportEnterprises with heavy storage needsCloudAllyEU presenceCloud-to-cloud SaaS backupMicrosoft 365 & Google backup, daily automation, granular recoveryFully SaaS-based organizationsBacula SystemsSwitzerlandOpen-source enterprise backupCost-effective, highly customizable, wide platform supportGovernments, universities, large IT teamsNakivoLuxembourg (EU HQ)VM and cloud backup, MSP-friendlyInstant VM recovery, Microsoft 365 & NAS backup, low-resource useMSPs, SMBs, and virtualization-heavy setupsIT SvitUkraineCustom DR, DevOps automationInfrastructure-as-code, CI/CD, Kubernetes & hybrid backupDevOps-led businesses & cloud-native teamsKeepitDenmarkCloud SaaS backup (Microsoft, Google, Salesforce)GDPR-focused, EU-owned infrastructure, instant restoreOrganizations using Microsoft 365/SaaSTop Backup & Disaster Recovery Companies – Summary Table
Conclusion
As digital transformation continues to shape the way we store, manage, and protect data, choosing the right backup and disaster recovery provider has never been more critical.
European providers bring key advantages to the table: strict adherence to GDPR, strong local support, transparent infrastructure, and lower latency for EU-based businesses.
Choosing a regional provider doesn’t just mean compliance — it means strategic alignment, greater control, and partnerships with real humans who understand your infrastructure, your pain points, and your goals. Whether you're running a SaaS startup, a multinational enterprise, or a healthcare institution, there's a solution on this list that's built for you.
In my experience optimizing cloud costs, especially on AWS, I often find that many quick wins are in the "easy to implement - good savings potential" quadrant.
[lwptoc]
That's why I've decided to share some straightforward methods for optimizing expenses on AWS that will help you save over 80% of your budget.
Choose reserved instances
Potential Savings: Up to 72%
Choosing reserved instances involves committing to a subscription, even partially, and offers a discount for long-term rentals of one to three years. While planning for a year is often deemed long-term for many companies, especially in Ukraine, reserving resources for 1-3 years carries risks but comes with the reward of a maximum discount of up to 72%.
You can check all the current pricing details on the official website - Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances
Purchase Saving Plans (Instead of On-Demand)
Potential Savings: Up to 72%
There are three types of saving plans: Compute Savings Plan, EC2 Instance Savings Plan, SageMaker Savings Plan.
AWS Compute Savings Plan is an Amazon Web Services option that allows users to receive discounts on computational resources in exchange for committing to using a specific volume of resources over a defined period (usually one or three years). This plan offers flexibility in utilizing various computing services, such as EC2, Fargate, and Lambda, at reduced prices.
AWS EC2 Instance Savings Plan is a program from Amazon Web Services that offers discounted rates exclusively for the use of EC2 instances. This plan is specifically tailored for the utilization of EC2 instances, providing discounts for a specific instance family, regardless of the region.
AWS SageMaker Savings Plan allows users to get discounts on SageMaker usage in exchange for committing to using a specific volume of computational resources over a defined period (usually one or three years).
The discount is available for one and three years with the option of full, partial upfront payment, or no upfront payment. EC2 can help save up to 72%, but it applies exclusively to EC2 instances.
Utilize Various Storage Classes for S3 (Including Intelligent Tier)
Potential Savings: 40% to 95%
AWS offers numerous options for storing data at different access levels. For instance, S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically stores objects at three access levels: one tier optimized for frequent access, 40% cheaper tier optimized for infrequent access, and 68% cheaper tier optimized for rarely accessed data (e.g., archives).
S3 Intelligent-Tiering has the same price per 1 GB as S3 Standard — $0.023 USD.
However, the key advantage of Intelligent Tiering is its ability to automatically move objects that haven't been accessed for a specific period to lower access tiers.
Every 30, 90, and 180 days, Intelligent Tiering automatically shifts an object to the next access tier, potentially saving companies from 40% to 95%. This means that for certain objects (e.g., archives), it may be appropriate to pay only $0.0125 USD per 1 GB or $0.004 per 1 GB compared to the standard price of $0.023 USD.
Information regarding the pricing of Amazon S3
AWS Compute Optimizer
Potential Savings: quite significant
The AWS Compute Optimizer dashboard is a tool that lets users assess and prioritize optimization opportunities for their AWS resources.
The dashboard provides detailed information about potential cost savings and performance improvements, as the recommendations are based on an analysis of resource specifications and usage metrics.
The dashboard covers various types of resources, such as EC2 instances, Auto Scaling groups, Lambda functions, Amazon ECS services on Fargate, and Amazon EBS volumes.
For example, AWS Compute Optimizer reproduces information about underutilized or overutilized resources allocated for ECS Fargate services or Lambda functions. Regularly keeping an eye on this dashboard can help you make informed decisions to optimize costs and enhance performance.
Use Fargate in EKS for underutilized EC2 nodes
If your EKS nodes aren't fully used most of the time, it makes sense to consider using Fargate profiles. With AWS Fargate, you pay for a specific amount of memory/CPU resources needed for your POD, rather than paying for an entire EC2 virtual machine.
For example, let's say you have an application deployed in a Kubernetes cluster managed by Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service). The application experiences variable traffic, with peak loads during specific hours of the day or week (like a marketplace or an online store), and you want to optimize infrastructure costs. To address this, you need to create a Fargate Profile that defines which PODs should run on Fargate. Configure Kubernetes Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) to automatically scale the number of POD replicas based on their resource usage (such as CPU or memory usage).
Manage Workload Across Different Regions
Potential Savings: significant in most cases
When handling workload across multiple regions, it's crucial to consider various aspects such as cost allocation tags, budgets, notifications, and data remediation.
Cost Allocation Tags: Classify and track expenses based on different labels like program, environment, team, or project.
AWS Budgets: Define spending thresholds and receive notifications when expenses exceed set limits. Create budgets specifically for your workload or allocate budgets to specific services or cost allocation tags.
Notifications: Set up alerts when expenses approach or surpass predefined thresholds. Timely notifications help take actions to optimize costs and prevent overspending.
Remediation: Implement mechanisms to rectify expenses based on your workload requirements. This may involve automated actions or manual interventions to address cost-related issues.
Regional Variances: Consider regional differences in pricing and data transfer costs when designing workload architectures.
Reserved Instances and Savings Plans: Utilize reserved instances or savings plans to achieve cost savings.
AWS Cost Explorer: Use this tool for visualizing and analyzing your expenses. Cost Explorer provides insights into your usage and spending trends, enabling you to identify areas of high costs and potential opportunities for cost savings.
Transition to Graviton (ARM)
Potential Savings: Up to 30%
Graviton utilizes Amazon's server-grade ARM processors developed in-house. The new processors and instances prove beneficial for various applications, including high-performance computing, batch processing, electronic design automation (EDA) automation, multimedia encoding, scientific modeling, distributed analytics, and machine learning inference on processor-based systems.
The processor family is based on ARM architecture, likely functioning as a system on a chip (SoC). This translates to lower power consumption costs while still offering satisfactory performance for the majority of clients. Key advantages of AWS Graviton include cost reduction, low latency, improved scalability, enhanced availability, and security.
Spot Instances Instead of On-Demand
Potential Savings: Up to 30%
Utilizing spot instances is essentially a resource exchange. When Amazon has surplus resources lying idle, you can set the maximum price you're willing to pay for them. The catch is that if there are no available resources, your requested capacity won't be granted.
However, there's a risk that if demand suddenly surges and the spot price exceeds your set maximum price, your spot instance will be terminated.
Spot instances operate like an auction, so the price is not fixed. We specify the maximum we're willing to pay, and AWS determines who gets the computational power. If we are willing to pay $0.1 per hour and the market price is $0.05, we will pay exactly $0.05.
Use Interface Endpoints or Gateway Endpoints to save on traffic costs (S3, SQS, DynamoDB, etc.)
Potential Savings: Depends on the workload
Interface Endpoints operate based on AWS PrivateLink, allowing access to AWS services through a private network connection without going through the internet. By using Interface Endpoints, you can save on data transfer costs associated with traffic.
Utilizing Interface Endpoints or Gateway Endpoints can indeed help save on traffic costs when accessing services like Amazon S3, Amazon SQS, and Amazon DynamoDB from your Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
Key points:
Amazon S3: With an Interface Endpoint for S3, you can privately access S3 buckets without incurring data transfer costs between your VPC and S3.
Amazon SQS: Interface Endpoints for SQS enable secure interaction with SQS queues within your VPC, avoiding data transfer costs for communication with SQS.
Amazon DynamoDB: Using an Interface Endpoint for DynamoDB, you can access DynamoDB tables in your VPC without incurring data transfer costs.
Additionally, Interface Endpoints allow private access to AWS services using private IP addresses within your VPC, eliminating the need for internet gateway traffic. This helps eliminate data transfer costs for accessing services like S3, SQS, and DynamoDB from your VPC.
Optimize Image Sizes for Faster Loading
Potential Savings: Depends on the workload
Optimizing image sizes can help you save in various ways.
Reduce ECR Costs: By storing smaller instances, you can cut down expenses on Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR).
Minimize EBS Volumes on EKS Nodes: Keeping smaller volumes on Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) nodes helps in cost reduction.
Accelerate Container Launch Times: Faster container launch times ultimately lead to quicker task execution.
Optimization Methods:
Use the Right Image: Employ the most efficient image for your task; for instance, Alpine may be sufficient in certain scenarios.
Remove Unnecessary Data: Trim excess data and packages from the image.
Multi-Stage Image Builds: Utilize multi-stage image builds by employing multiple FROM instructions.
Use .dockerignore: Prevent the addition of unnecessary files by employing a .dockerignore file.
Reduce Instruction Count: Minimize the number of instructions, as each instruction adds extra weight to the hash. Group instructions using the && operator.
Layer Consolidation: Move frequently changing layers to the end of the Dockerfile.
These optimization methods can contribute to faster image loading, reduced storage costs, and improved overall performance in containerized environments.
Use Load Balancers to Save on IP Address Costs
Potential Savings: depends on the workload
Starting from February 2024, Amazon begins billing for each public IPv4 address. Employing a load balancer can help save on IP address costs by using a shared IP address, multiplexing traffic between ports, load balancing algorithms, and handling SSL/TLS.
By consolidating multiple services and instances under a single IP address, you can achieve cost savings while effectively managing incoming traffic.
Optimize Database Services for Higher Performance (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)
Potential Savings: depends on the workload
AWS provides default settings for databases that are suitable for average workloads. If a significant portion of your monthly bill is related to AWS RDS, it's worth paying attention to parameter settings related to databases.
Some of the most effective settings may include:
Use Database-Optimized Instances: For example, instances in the R5 or X1 class are optimized for working with databases.
Choose Storage Type: General Purpose SSD (gp2) is typically cheaper than Provisioned IOPS SSD (io1/io2).
AWS RDS Auto Scaling: Automatically increase or decrease storage size based on demand.
If you can optimize the database workload, it may allow you to use smaller instance sizes without compromising performance.
Regularly Update Instances for Better Performance and Lower Costs
Potential Savings: Minor
As Amazon deploys new servers in their data processing centers to provide resources for running more instances for customers, these new servers come with the latest equipment, typically better than previous generations. Usually, the latest two to three generations are available. Make sure you update regularly to effectively utilize these resources.
Take Memory Optimize instances, for example, and compare the price change based on the relevance of one instance over another. Regular updates can ensure that you are using resources efficiently.
InstanceGenerationDescriptionOn-Demand Price (USD/hour)m6g.large6thInstances based on ARM processors offer improved performance and energy efficiency.$0.077m5.large5thGeneral-purpose instances with a balanced combination of CPU and memory, designed to support high-speed network access.$0.096m4.large4thA good balance between CPU, memory, and network resources.$0.1m3.large3rdOne of the previous generations, less efficient than m5 and m4.Not avilable
Use RDS Proxy to reduce the load on RDS
Potential for savings: Low
RDS Proxy is used to relieve the load on servers and RDS databases by reusing existing connections instead of creating new ones. Additionally, RDS Proxy improves failover during the switch of a standby read replica node to the master.
Imagine you have a web application that uses Amazon RDS to manage the database. This application experiences variable traffic intensity, and during peak periods, such as advertising campaigns or special events, it undergoes high database load due to a large number of simultaneous requests.
During peak loads, the RDS database may encounter performance and availability issues due to the high number of concurrent connections and queries. This can lead to delays in responses or even service unavailability.
RDS Proxy manages connection pools to the database, significantly reducing the number of direct connections to the database itself.
By efficiently managing connections, RDS Proxy provides higher availability and stability, especially during peak periods.
Using RDS Proxy reduces the load on RDS, and consequently, the costs are reduced too.
Define the storage policy in CloudWatch
Potential for savings: depends on the workload, could be significant.
The storage policy in Amazon CloudWatch determines how long data should be retained in CloudWatch Logs before it is automatically deleted.
Setting the right storage policy is crucial for efficient data management and cost optimization. While the "Never" option is available, it is generally not recommended for most use cases due to potential costs and data management issues.
Typically, best practice involves defining a specific retention period based on your organization's requirements, compliance policies, and needs.
Avoid using an undefined data retention period unless there is a specific reason. By doing this, you are already saving on costs.
Configure AWS Config to monitor only the events you need
Potential for savings: depends on the workload
AWS Config allows you to track and record changes to AWS resources, helping you maintain compliance, security, and governance. AWS Config provides compliance reports based on rules you define. You can access these reports on the AWS Config dashboard to see the status of tracked resources.
You can set up Amazon SNS notifications to receive alerts when AWS Config detects non-compliance with your defined rules. This can help you take immediate action to address the issue. By configuring AWS Config with specific rules and resources you need to monitor, you can efficiently manage your AWS environment, maintain compliance requirements, and avoid paying for rules you don't need.
Use lifecycle policies for S3 and ECR
Potential for savings: depends on the workload
S3 allows you to configure automatic deletion of individual objects or groups of objects based on specified conditions and schedules. You can set up lifecycle policies for objects in each specific bucket. By creating data migration policies using S3 Lifecycle, you can define the lifecycle of your object and reduce storage costs.
These object migration policies can be identified by storage periods. You can specify a policy for the entire S3 bucket or for specific prefixes. The cost of data migration during the lifecycle is determined by the cost of transfers. By configuring a lifecycle policy for ECR, you can avoid unnecessary expenses on storing Docker images that you no longer need.
Switch to using GP3 storage type for EBS
Potential for savings: 20%
By default, AWS creates gp2 EBS volumes, but it's almost always preferable to choose gp3 — the latest generation of EBS volumes, which provides more IOPS by default and is cheaper.
For example, in the US-east-1 region, the price for a gp2 volume is $0.10 per gigabyte-month of provisioned storage, while for gp3, it's $0.08/GB per month. If you have 5 TB of EBS volume on your account, you can save $100 per month by simply switching from gp2 to gp3.
Switch the format of public IP addresses from IPv4 to IPv6
Potential for savings: depending on the workload
Starting from February 1, 2024, AWS will begin charging for each public IPv4 address at a rate of $0.005 per IP address per hour. For example, taking 100 public IP addresses on EC2 x $0.005 per public IP address per month x 730 hours = $365.00 per month.
While this figure might not seem huge (without tying it to the company's capabilities), it can add up to significant network costs. Thus, the optimal time to transition to IPv6 was a couple of years ago or now.
Here are some resources about this recent update that will guide you on how to use IPv6 with widely-used services — AWS Public IPv4 Address Charge.
Collaborate with AWS professionals and partners for expertise and discounts
Potential for savings: ~5% of the contract amount through discounts.
AWS Partner Network (APN) Discounts: Companies that are members of the AWS Partner Network (APN) can access special discounts, which they can pass on to their clients. Partners reaching a certain level in the APN program often have access to better pricing offers.
Custom Pricing Agreements: Some AWS partners may have the opportunity to negotiate special pricing agreements with AWS, enabling them to offer unique discounts to their clients. This can be particularly relevant for companies involved in consulting or system integration.
Reseller Discounts: As resellers of AWS services, partners can purchase services at wholesale prices and sell them to clients with a markup, still offering a discount from standard AWS prices. They may also provide bundled offerings that include AWS services and their own additional services.
Credit Programs: AWS frequently offers credit programs or vouchers that partners can pass on to their clients. These could be promo codes or discounts for a specific period.
Seek assistance from AWS professionals and partners. Often, this is more cost-effective than purchasing and configuring everything independently. Given the intricacies of cloud space optimization, expertise in this matter can save you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
More valuable tips for optimizing costs and improving efficiency in AWS environments:
Scheduled TurnOff/TurnOn for NonProd environments: If the Development team is in the same timezone, significant savings can be achieved by, for example, scaling the AutoScaling group of instances/clusters/RDS to zero during the night and weekends when services are not actively used.
Move static content to an S3 Bucket & CloudFront: To prevent service charges for static content, consider utilizing Amazon S3 for storing static files and CloudFront for content delivery.
Use API Gateway/Lambda/Lambda Edge where possible: In such setups, you only pay for the actual usage of the service. This is especially noticeable in NonProd environments where resources are often underutilized.
If your CI/CD agents are on EC2, migrate to CodeBuild: AWS CodeBuild can be a more cost-effective and scalable solution for your continuous integration and delivery needs.
CloudWatch covers the needs of 99% of projects for Monitoring and Logging: Avoid using third-party solutions if AWS CloudWatch meets your requirements. It provides comprehensive monitoring and logging capabilities for most projects.
Feel free to reach out to me or other specialists for an audit, a comprehensive optimization package, or just advice.
