InfraSweep vs. native cloud tools

AWS, GCP and Azure each ship genuinely useful, mostly-free analysis tools, and you should use them. InfraSweep doesn't replace them; it unifies cost and security across every cloud, fills the gaps they leave, and even cross-checks their own recommendations.

The honest version first

The native tools are good. Compute Optimizer, GCP's Active Assist and Azure Advisor are free and surface real rightsizing wins; Security Command Center and Defender for Cloud are capable CSPM platforms. If you run a single cloud, already pay for the support or premium tier that unlocks the full depth, and are happy running cost in one console and security in another, you may not need anything else. InfraSweep earns its place precisely where that stops being true.

Where InfraSweep is different

Cost and security in one pass

Native tools

Split across separate tools and consoles, e.g. Compute Optimizer for spend and Security Hub for posture on AWS, each set up and read on its own.

InfraSweep

One read-only scan returns both wasted spend and security risk in a single, consistent finding model.

One tool across every cloud

Native tools

The native cost tools are single-cloud (Azure retired its AWS cost connector in 2025). Microsoft Defender for Cloud does span clouds, but it is security-only and its advanced posture is a paid tier.

InfraSweep

AWS, GCP, Azure, Alibaba and OCI in one place, for both cost and security.

Alibaba Cloud & Oracle Cloud

Native tools

Not covered by any of the big three's native tooling.

InfraSweep

First-class coverage of Alibaba Cloud and OCI, the estates most platforms ignore.

Full depth without a support or premium tier

Native tools

Much of the depth is gated: Trusted Advisor's full set needs Business/Enterprise Support, Security Command Center's advanced features need Premium, Defender CSPM is per-resource paid, and the Cost Explorer API bills per request.

InfraSweep

The full detector set across all five clouds is included in one flat plan.

A dollar value on every finding

Native tools

The cost tools estimate savings, but security findings aren't priced, and cost and security live in different products.

InfraSweep

Every finding, cost or security, is priced in real dollars with a confidence score and its pricing source labelled.

Evidence you can audit

Native tools

How much underlying detail a recommendation exposes varies from tool to tool.

InfraSweep

The raw cloud API response is kept behind every finding, so any number can be re-derived, not trusted blindly.

Cross-cloud history & before/after

Native tools

Per-cloud and fragmented; there's no single timeline across providers.

InfraSweep

One history and scan-over-scan diff across all your clouds: see exactly what got fixed, and what regressed.

We build on the natives, not against them

Where a cloud already offers a strong recommender, InfraSweep reads it and folds it into the findings: it can pull AWS Compute Optimizer, GCP Recommender and Azure Advisor as an optional cross-check, so a native recommendation and our own analysis agree (or disagree) in one place, rather than asking you to reconcile two dashboards by hand.

The native tools, accurately

A fair summary of what each provider gives you, and where the paid lines fall.

AWS

Trusted Advisor

Best-practice checks across cost, security, fault tolerance and service limits. The free tier covers service limits plus a selected subset of security/fault-tolerance checks; the full check set (including cost optimization), auto-refresh and API access require a Business or Enterprise Support plan.

Compute Optimizer

Free, opt-in rightsizing and idle-resource recommendations for EC2, Auto Scaling, EBS, Lambda and Fargate, on a 14-day lookback (a 93-day enhanced-metrics option is paid).

Cost Explorer & Cost Optimization Hub

Cost analysis, forecasting and consolidated cost recommendations in the console. Programmatic access through the Cost Explorer API is billed at $0.01 per request.

Security Hub · GuardDuty · Config

Security posture, threat detection and configuration history are separate, mostly usage-priced services, each enabled and managed on its own.

GCP

Active Assist (Recommender)

Free, in-console recommendations across 20+ recommenders: VM rightsizing, idle resources, committed-use discounts, IAM and security insights.

Security Command Center

The Standard tier is free for basic posture on Google Cloud. Advanced posture, attack-path and vulnerability features require the paid Premium tier, which carries a substantial annual minimum.

Cloud Billing reports

Cost reports, budgets and exports for Google Cloud, in the console.

Azure

Azure Advisor

Free recommendations across cost, security, reliability, performance and operational excellence, for a subset of Azure services.

Microsoft Cost Management

Cost analysis and budgets for Azure. Its connector for AWS cost data was retired on 31 March 2025, so it now centres on Azure and Microsoft Online Services.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Foundational CSPM (Secure Score, recommendations, the Microsoft cloud security benchmark) is free and spans Azure, AWS and GCP via connectors. Advanced posture, attack-path analysis and agentless vulnerability scanning are the paid Defender CSPM plan, priced per billable resource.

See what your native tools don't show in one place

1017 read-only checks across five clouds, cost and security together, every finding priced with the evidence behind it.

Start scanning free

Native-tool capabilities and pricing reflect each provider's publicly documented behaviour as of mid-2026 and can change. Trademarks and product names belong to their respective owners; this comparison is for informational purposes and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by AWS, Google Cloud or Microsoft.