Question 1

How is AWS ALB priced?

Accepted Answer

AWS ALB is priced based on the time it runs (hourly rate) and the LCUs consumed. LCUs are calculated based on new connections, active connections, processed bytes, and rule evaluations.

Question 2

What can unexpectedly increase my AWS ALB costs?

Accepted Answer

Surges in traffic leading to high LCU usage, misconfigured routing rules, or underutilized ALBs can increase costs. Monitoring traffic and adjusting configurations can help manage these costs.

Question 3

How can I reduce my AWS ALB costs?

Accepted Answer

To cut AWS ALB costs, consider consolidating load balancers, switching to NLB for workloads that don't need Layer 7 features, optimizing connection management, and using CloudZero for cost management. You can also turn off ALBs when not in use, especially in development environments.

Question 4

Are there any free-tier options available for AWS ALB?

Accepted Answer

Yes, AWS offers a Free Tier for new accounts. It includes 750 hours per month shared between Classic and Application Load Balancers, plus 15 LCUs for AWS ALB. This free tier is available for 12 months following your AWS sign-up date.

Question 5

Does AWS charge for idle ALBs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, AWS charges for ALBs as long as they are running, regardless of traffic. Turning off unused ALBs can avoid these charges.

Question 6

Where can I find tools to help manage AWS ALB costs?

Accepted Answer

AWS provides tools like the Cost Explorer and the AWS Pricing Calculator. CloudZero also offers advanced analytics and cost optimization recommendations for AWS services.

Question 7

How does integrating AWS Lambda with AWS ALB affect costs?

Accepted Answer

Using AWS Lambda with AWS ALB lets you route traffic directly to Lambda functions, bypassing the need for EC2 instances. This can lower costs, as you pay only for Lambda execution and the data ALB processes. Remember, ALB charges still apply, including hourly rates and LCUs. You can reduce these costs by optimizing function execution times and efficient request routing.

Question 8

What should I consider about ALB costs when using Amazon EC2 instances?

Accepted Answer

With Amazon EC2 instances, consider the active connections and data ALB processes. ALB spreads incoming traffic across EC2 instances, so using them efficiently is important. Auto Scaling helps match EC2 usage to actual traffic, cutting costs during low demand. Also, check EC2 performance often. This will help avoid directing traffic to slow instances, which can raise costs.

Question 9

How does ALB pricing compare to NLB pricing?

Accepted Answer

ALB and NLB share the same base hourly rate ($0.0225/hr in US East Ohio), but their capacity unit costs differ. ALB charges $0.008 per LCU-hour while NLB charges $0.006 per NLCU-hour. NLB also uses fewer billing dimensions (no rule evaluations), which can result in lower capacity unit consumption for TCP/UDP workloads. For applications that need HTTP-level routing, ALB remains the better fit despite the slightly higher per-unit cost. Software and pricing information last verified April 2026. Features, pricing, and availability may have changed. Please verify current details with vendors before making decisions.

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