In early October, we launched Dimension Studio, a new visual editor for engineers and others that brings point-and-click simplicity to the same powerful, precise allocation engine CloudZero is known for.
Before that, when CloudZero users built cloud cost allocations, they got it from our YAML-based CostFormation engine, a code-driven way to describe how cloud and AI costs roll up to products, customers, or teams. YAML has always been the language of engineers, and it’s one reason the world’s most sophisticated FinOps teams at companies like Coinbase and Grammarly trust CloudZero. It’s auditable, version-controlled, and precise.
But not everyone speaks YAML, and not every team has the time or appetite to manage YAML files just to get their allocations right. Hence, our new visual interface, which makes the most accurate allocation FinOps engine also the most flexible for users.
Left: YAML editor. Right: visual editor.
Why A Visual Editor?
The FinOps world has evolved. CloudZero’s user base has grown beyond engineering and now includes finance, product, and operations teams. Many understand cloud economics but aren’t going to edit a YAML file. We want them to be able to contribute too, to experiment, explore, and build cost lenses that reflect how they think about the business.
And, we wanted to give engineers the option to use a simple interface if they choose to (or toggle between both if they want to).
When we first built CostFormation, we intentionally went YAML-first. Enterprise customers demanded auditability and control, things you can’t fake with simple rule builders.
But now, Dimension Studio delivers a graphical editor that lets any user create and edit allocation rules through a modern point-and-click interface. Under the hood, it still writes compliant YAML, and YAML-capable engineers can open that view anytime. Finance or FinOps practitioners can stay in the new interface. Both remain in sync.
Bottom line: We’re giving teams the choice to work the way they want to work.
Power And Ease: The Best Of Both Worlds
Dimension Studio is for both the engineers who demand precision and the teams who need speed. You can start visually, refine in code, or vice versa. Every change appears in both views instantly.
And because the graphical user interface — or GUI — sits atop the same CostFormation engine, none of CloudZero’s enterprise capabilities change.
You still get:
- Multi-factor dimensions: Combine multiple attributes — for example, product, environment, and region — to build rich, layered cost groupings
- Shared-cost intelligence: Allocate untagged or multi-tenant resources with accuracy.
- Governance and compliance: Every rule is validated, version-controlled, and SOC-ready.
Dimension Studio just makes all of this faster to build, easier to maintain and edit, and accessible to a broader set of people in the business.
What It Means For FinOps Teams
Cloud cost allocation is a CloudZero superpower. It’s the foundation of everything that follows: unit cost metrics, cost per customer, margin analysis, pricing strategy, and engineering accountability. Dimension Studio makes our foundation stronger.
Teams now get:
- Speed: Build or update/edit dimensions in minutes instead of hours.
- Collaboration: Finance and engineering can co-create allocation rules in a shared view.
- Consistency: Every change in the interface is mirrored in YAML, so governance never slips.
- Scalability: As AI, Kubernetes, and multi-cloud usage grow, allocation logic can keep pace.
Allocation is now easier than ever in CloudZero.
Why It Matters
CloudZero customers are already allocating cloud and AI spend across AWS, GCP, Azure, OCI, Snowflake, MongoDB, OpenAI and more to relevant business constructs. With Dimension Studio, they’ll get there faster. We see customers iterating, testing and refining without friction. Users will continue to rely on the same YAML logic that’s made CloudZero the most trusted allocation platform in FinOps.
And, a wider set of users can participate in FinOps. Engineers, FinOps pros, finance, product teams can work the way they want, without compromising the rigor enterprises expect.
Learn more about FinOps allocation — and, in particular, the three biggest allocation mistakes you can make. Register for our webinar on Oct. 30 now.
The Cloud Cost Playbook
The step-by-step guide to cost maturity
