AWS Trusted Advisor
AWS Trusted Advisor inspects your environment and provides real-time recommendations following AWS best practices across cost, security, and performance.
What is Trusted Advisor? (Simple Explanation)
Trusted Advisor is an AWS service in the Management category. AWS Trusted Advisor inspects your environment and provides real-time recommendations following AWS best practices across cost, security, and performance.
When Would You Use Trusted Advisor?
- Cost optimization and waste reduction
- Security best practice compliance
- Performance improvement
- Service limit monitoring
Who Uses Trusted Advisor?
From startups to enterprises, Trusted Advisor powers:
What Makes Trusted Advisor Powerful
Trusted Advisor Pricing & Free Tier
CloudWatch Free Tier: 10 metrics, 5GB log ingestion. Config: $0.003 per configuration item. CloudFormation: free (pay for created resources).
Trusted Advisor Best Practices
- 1Create a multi-account strategy with AWS Organizations from day one
- 2Enable consolidated billing and apply SCPs to restrict risky actions
- 3Use Infrastructure as Code (CloudFormation/Terraform) for all production resources
- 4Set budget alerts at 50%, 80%, and 100% of expected monthly spend
- 5Enable AWS Config with conformance packs for continuous compliance monitoring
Getting Started with Trusted Advisor in 5 Minutes
- 1Open the AWS Console and navigate to Trusted Advisor
- 2Click "Create" or "Get started" to begin configuration
- 3Configure the required settings — name, region, and access permissions
- 4Review and create — monitor the initial status in CloudWatch
Trusted Advisor CLI Quick Reference
2 production-ready commands. Full CLI Library (225+ services) →
aws trusted-advisor helpView all Trusted Advisor CLI v2 commands and subcommandsaws trusted-advisor describe-trustedadvisor --helpView options for describing Trusted Advisor resourcesPros & Cons of Trusted Advisor
Pros
- 7 core checks (Basic/Developer), 125+ (Business/Enterprise)
- Organizational multi-account dashboards
- Programmatic access via Support API
- Automated actions via EventBridge
- Prioritized recommendation lists
Cons
- ✕Vendor lock-in — migrating away from AWS requires significant effort
- ✕Costs can be unpredictable without proper monitoring and budgeting
- ✕Learning curve for beginners — AWS has 200+ services with complex IAM policies
Trusted Advisor vs Alternatives
Trusted Advisor vs Organizations
Choose Trusted Advisor for Cost optimization and waste reduction and Security best practice compliance. It excels at 7 core checks (basic/developer), 125+ (business/enterprise).
Choose Organizations as an alternative when your requirements differ. Each service in the Management category serves different architectural patterns.
Services That Work with Trusted Advisor
Trusted Advisor is rarely used alone. It is typically combined with:
Compliance & Security
How AWS Trusted Advisor fits into major compliance standards. Browse all 41 frameworks →
Trusted Advisor configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults.
NIST 800-53Trusted Advisor access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families.
PCI DSS 4.0Trusted Advisor encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments.
SOC 2Trusted Advisor security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.
ISO 27001Trusted Advisor configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trusted Advisor
What is AWS Trusted Advisor?
AWS Trusted Advisor inspects your environment and provides real-time recommendations following AWS best practices across cost, security, and performance.
What is Trusted Advisor used for?
Trusted Advisor is commonly used for: Cost optimization and waste reduction; Security best practice compliance; Performance improvement; Service limit monitoring. It's a core service in the management category of AWS.
Is Trusted Advisor free?
CloudWatch Free Tier: 10 metrics, 5GB log ingestion. Config: $0.003 per configuration item. CloudFormation: free (pay for created resources).
What are the key features of Trusted Advisor?
Trusted Advisor's most important capabilities include: 7 core checks (Basic/Developer), 125+ (Business/Enterprise). Organizational multi-account dashboards. Programmatic access via Support API. Automated actions via EventBridge. Prioritized recommendation lists. Each of these is designed to help teams cost optimization and waste reduction.
How does Trusted Advisor compare to alternatives?
Trusted Advisor competes with both AWS-native alternatives (Organizations, EventBridge, Config) and third-party equivalents. The right choice depends on your specific requirements for scalability, cost, and operational overhead. See the comparisons section below for detailed guidance.
Which compliance frameworks apply to Trusted Advisor?
CIS AWS v3.0: Trusted Advisor configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults. NIST 800-53: Trusted Advisor access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families. PCI DSS 4.0: Trusted Advisor encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments. SOC 2: Trusted Advisor security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria. ISO 27001: Trusted Advisor configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
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