AWS database waste and commitment blindspots

AWS cloud cost optimization often fails because waste hides in places that are hard to see, and commitments are scattered across consoles, spreadsheets, and tribal knowledge.

Over the past months, Unicorne focused on two things that matter most to teams managing AWS at scale. Eliminating high-impact cost waste where it actually lives, and removing friction from everyday FinOps workflows.

Here is what’s new in our AWS cloud optimization platform, Stable, and why it matters.

Turning database and storage spend into real savings

For most AWS environments, databases represent the largest share of monthly spend. Not because teams overprovision on purpose, but because optimization opportunities are buried deep in service-specific details.

Stable now surfaces those opportunities clearly and actionably.

For Amazon Aurora, we identify when moving from Standard to IO-Optimized storage makes financial sense and when steady workloads should be migrated from Serverless to provisioned instances to reduce cost without sacrificing performance.

For DynamoDB, we introduced granular checks that expose unused Global Secondary Indexes. These often linger long after they stop delivering value, yet continue generating storage and replication costs. Stable now flags them so teams can clean up safely. We also detect when switching tables between Standard and Infrequent Access storage classes results in immediate savings.

On the storage side, Stable now highlights idle Elastic File Systems that have not been accessed. These systems rarely draw attention, but over time they quietly drain budgets. With visibility comes control.

OpenSearch is powerful, but default configurations are rarely cost-efficient over time. We added targeted recommendations to modernize search infrastructure without risking performance.

Stable now identifies older instance generations that should be upgraded to newer, more efficient types. We also recommend migrating OpenSearch volumes from GP2 to GP3, giving teams better performance control at a lower cost.

These changes help teams keep search responsive while eliminating unnecessary spend that often goes unnoticed.

Introducing the Commitment Manager

As organizations mature their FinOps practice, understanding commitments becomes just as important as tracking usage.

The new Commitment Manager gives teams a centralized view of their Reserved Instances and Savings Plans. No more switching between AWS console pages to understand what you are locked into paying for.

Database Savings Plans are now integrated directly into the Cost Explorer. You can clearly see how these commitments apply to your usage and identify gaps where savings are being left behind.

This feature is currently in beta, and it lays the foundation for more proactive commitment intelligence in the months ahead.

Usability improvements that remove annoying friction

Power users often analyze multiple services and scenarios at the same time. Stable now supports middle-click and Ctrl+Click navigation so links open in new tabs naturally.

We also improved onboarding transparency for new tenants. If data ingestion is still in progress, the platform clearly displays AWS backfill status for the current month so teams know exactly when analysis is ready.

Accuracy you can trust

Behind the scenes, Unicorne continues to refine Stable’s cost logic to eliminate false positives and edge cases.

We resolved calculation issues related to QuickSight idle users, OpenSearch Reserved Instances, and RDS storage upgrades. We also corrected discrepancies in CloudFront and RDS cost calculations so your Stable dashboard matches your AWS invoices down to the cent.

Our EBS recommendations now fully respect the latest AWS gp3 throughput limits, ensuring guidance stays aligned with current AWS capabilities.

Stable is built to underscore the decisions that matter most, reduce noise, and give teams confidence in every optimization they make. Our updates generate even clearer savings, optimized FinOps workflows, and stronger financial visibility as you plan for the year ahead.