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AWS Config

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Company health

Employee growth
12% increase in the last year
Web traffic
3% decrease in the last quarter

Ratings

G2
4.4/5
(48)
Glassdoor
3.7/5
(206324)

AWS Config description

AWS Config helps you understand and manage the setup of your company's AWS resources. It provides a history of changes, shows how resources are connected, and checks if your setup follows your company's rules. This allows you to track what's happening, identify potential issues, and ensure everything is running as expected in your AWS environment.


What companies are using AWS Config?

Baker Tilly is using AWS Config
Baker Tilly
Genesys is using AWS Config
Genesys
GE Appliances | SmartHQ Pro is using AWS Config
GE Appliances | SmartHQ Pro
Zapier is used by Baker Tilly, Genesys, GE Appliances | SmartHQ Pro.

Who is AWS Config best for

AWS Config is a solid option for businesses, mainly in IT, DevOps, security, and compliance, seeking to manage their cloud infrastructure and ensure adherence to regulations. We find that companies appreciate the comprehensive resource tracking, real-time monitoring, and customizable compliance rules. Keep in mind that some users mention complex configuration and potentially high costs, especially for smaller setups.

  • Perfect for mid-sized to large companies (100+ employees) that require robust cloud infrastructure management.

  • Great fit for companies in software, IT, and telecommunications needing strong AWS resource configuration and compliance.


AWS Config features

Supported

Configuration history of resources: AWS Config provides a detailed history of resource configurations, allowing users to track changes over time and see how resources were configured at any point in the past. This includes details of what changes were made, when, and by whom. The history can be accessed through the AWS Management Console, API, or CLI, and is also automatically delivered to an S3 bucket.

Supported

Configuration history of software: AWS Config tracks changes made to software, including operating systems, applications, and other software components, giving you insights into your software's evolution and how these changes might impact your environment.

Supported

Resource relationships tracking: AWS Config discovers, maps, and tracks AWS resource relationships in your account. For example, if a new EC2 security group is associated with an EC2 instance, AWS Config records the updated configurations of both the EC2 security group and the EC2 instance.

Supported

Configurable and customizable rules: AWS Config allows you to define rules to check for specific resource configurations, deviations from best practices, or compliance violations. These rules can be based on predefined AWS managed rules or customized to your organization's policies.

Supported

Conformance packs: AWS Config conformance packs enable you to package a collection of Config rules and remediation actions into a single entity. This simplifies deploying and managing your compliance checks and automated remediation.

Supported

Multi-account, multi-Region data aggregation: AWS Config allows you to aggregate configuration data from multiple AWS accounts and Regions into a single, central location. This provides a consolidated view of your AWS resource configurations and simplifies compliance monitoring across your entire organization.

Supported

Querying configuration state: AWS Config allows you to query the current configuration state of your resources. You can use this to quickly assess compliance, troubleshoot issues, and gain insights into your infrastructure. AWS Config also provides generative AI-based natural language querying (available in preview), simplifying resource configuration investigations and saving you time when troubleshooting.


AWS Config reviews

We've summarised 48 AWS Config reviews (AWS Config G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.

Pros of AWS Config
  • Comprehensive resource inventory and configuration history tracking.
  • Real-time change monitoring and alerting.
  • Customizable compliance rules and automated remediation.
  • Integration with other AWS services for automation and alerting.
  • Enables compliance as code.
  • Useful for change management and troubleshooting.
  • Provides operational insights into resource performance, capacity, and usage.
  • Good customer support and a wide community for assistance.
Cons of AWS Config
  • Complex configuration and management, especially for new users.
  • High costs, particularly for smaller companies and multi-account/multi-region setups.
  • Config rules can be complex to define and manage, requiring coding for advanced use cases.
  • Non-intuitive interface and navigation.
  • Slow performance, especially with large number of resources and heavy server loads.
  • Limited AWS service coverage.
  • Lack of resource names, showing only AWS IDs, making identification difficult.
  • Billing model can lead to overpaying, especially for short-term usage.

AWS Config pricing

The commentary is based on 8 reviews from AWS Config G2 reviews.

We find that users appreciate AWS Config's ability to track changes and ensure compliance. However, the pricing, based on configuration items and rules evaluated, is a common concern, especially for smaller companies. Some also find the setup and management complex.

See the AWS Config pricing page.


AWS Config alternatives

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  • Logo of AWS Trusted Advisor
    AWS Trusted Advisor
    Optimizes AWS performance, security, and cost with tailored advice.
    Read more

AWS Config FAQ

  • What is AWS Config and what does AWS Config do?

    We find AWS Config invaluable for understanding and managing our AWS resources. It provides a history of changes, shows resource relationships, and checks compliance with our rules, ensuring our AWS environment runs smoothly.

  • How does AWS Config integrate with other tools?

    We find that AWS Config integrates with other AWS services, such as AWS CloudTrail, AWS Lambda, and AWS Security Hub, for enhanced security analysis, automated remediation, and centralized monitoring. It also works with conformance packs for simplified compliance checks.

  • What the main competitors of AWS Config?

    We find that AWS Config's main competitors include Azure Automation & Control, CloudQuery, and AWS Trusted Advisor. These alternatives offer similar functionalities, such as resource management, compliance checks, and cost optimization.

  • Is AWS Config legit?

    Yes, AWS Config is a legitimate service offered by Amazon Web Services. We find it's a widely used and trusted tool for managing and tracking AWS resources. It helps ensure security and compliance within your AWS environment.

  • How much does AWS Config cost?

    AWS Config charges \$0.003 per configuration item recorded per region. You are only charged for active resources, and you can use Config rules for free.

  • Is AWS Config customer service good?

    We find that users generally have a positive experience with AWS Config's customer support. They appreciate the paid support options and the helpful wider community available for assistance.


Reviewed by

MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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