Assess · Fixed scope + optional implementation
Kubernetes Cost Optimization
acks.io Kubernetes cost optimization starts with a fixed-scope cost audit: we compare what your workloads request with what they actually use, review node pools, autoscaling, storage and idle resources, and show where your cluster spend goes. You get a ranked list of savings with the reliability risk of each, and can have us implement them.
For teams whose Kubernetes bill grows faster than their traffic, and who want to cut it without trading away reliability.
Who it is for
Signs your clusters cost more than they should
- Requests were set once and never revisited. Teams copy the last service's values and nobody checks actual usage.
- Nodes are busy on paper and idle in reality. The scheduler sees full nodes; your metrics show low utilisation.
- Nobody can say which team or service drives the bill. Kubernetes spend shows up as one line on the cloud invoice.
- Non-production environments run around the clock at production size.
- Finance is asking questions and engineering needs numbers it can defend.
What we review
Where Kubernetes spend actually goes
Requests and limits
- Requested vs. actual CPU and memory per workload
- Over- and under-provisioned services
- Limits causing throttling or OOM kills
- Defaults and LimitRanges per namespace
Nodes and capacity
- Node pool layout and instance types
- Bin-packing efficiency and fragmentation
- Spot / preemptible capacity where safe
- Reservations and committed-use options
Autoscaling
- Horizontal Pod Autoscaler targets and metrics
- Cluster autoscaler or Karpenter configuration
- Scale-down blockers and PodDisruptionBudgets
- Scheduling non-production environments down
Idle and orphaned resources
- Unused persistent volumes and snapshots
- Load balancers and IPs with no traffic
- Forgotten namespaces and preview environments
Storage and network
- Storage classes and volume sizing
- Cross-zone and egress traffic costs
- Logging and metrics volume and retention
Cost visibility
- Cost allocation by namespace, team and label
- Budgets and anomaly alerts
- Dashboards engineers actually look at
What you receive
Savings you can defend, risks you can see
- Cost breakdownWhere your cluster spend goes today: by node pool, namespace and workload.
- Ranked savings planEach opportunity with estimated impact, effort and reliability risk, so you choose which to take.
- Concrete changesProposed requests, limits, autoscaler and node pool settings, ready to apply through your normal change process.
- Readout sessionWe walk engineering and finance through the findings together.
Our approach
Cheaper, not more fragile
Cutting cost by squeezing every workload to its average usage is easy, and it is how outages start. We size against real peaks, change one thing at a time, and watch latency, throttling and error rates after each change.
We don't promise a percentage before we have seen your clusters. The audit tells you what is realistically achievable, and you decide what to implement.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does a Kubernetes cost audit include?
We measure actual CPU and memory usage against requests and limits, review node pool sizing and instance types, autoscaling configuration, idle and orphaned resources, storage and network costs, and how spend is attributed to teams. You get a list of savings opportunities ranked by impact and risk.
Will cost optimization affect reliability?
It should not, and that is the point of doing it carefully. Every recommendation states its reliability risk, and changes are rolled out gradually with monitoring rather than all at once.
Can you guarantee a specific saving?
No. Savings depend entirely on how your clusters are configured today. The audit tells you what is realistically achievable before you commit to any changes.
Do you implement the changes?
Optionally. Many teams implement the recommendations themselves from the report; others ask us to do it as a follow-up project.
Talk to an engineer about your infrastructure
A 30-minute call with a senior engineer, not a sales rep. We ask about your setup and what is worrying you, and tell you honestly whether we can help.