What is CloudBurn?
CloudBurn is an open-source command-line tool that functions as a deterministic AWS cost policy engine. It scans your Terraform and CloudFormation configurations in CI to catch wasteful spending patterns before they reach production, and can also inspect live AWS accounts to identify resources that are already burning money. The same rule engine powers both modes, ensuring consistent cost checks across your infrastructure lifecycle.
Built for teams that want to move FinOps left, CloudBurn runs explicit, readable rules that are easy to trust and roll out. It blocks common anti-patterns like missing lifecycle policies, non-current-generation instance types, and redundant global CloudTrail trails. Installation is straightforward with Homebrew or npm, and the CLI requires no AWS credentials for infrastructure-as-code scanning. Output is available as clear tables for humans or JSON for automation and reporting.
By integrating cost review into the normal delivery pipeline, CloudBurn helps engineering teams own cost decisions and avoid expensive post-deploy surprises. It is not another dashboard—it’s a practical, embeddable cost safety net.
How to use CloudBurn
- 1
Install the open-source CLI via Homebrew (brew install towardsthecloud/tap/cloudburn) or npm.
- 2
Run ‘cloudburn scan ./iac --exit-code‘ against your Terraform or CloudFormation directory in CI.
- 3
Initialize AWS Resource Explorer and run ‘cloudburn discover --region all‘ to audit live resources.
- 4
Review the table output or add ‘--format json‘ to feed results into other tools or reports.
- 5
Add cost checks to pull requests, CI jobs, or periodic audit pipelines.
Key features
Scan Terraform and CloudFormation in CI to block wasteful infrastructure before merge.
Discover live AWS resources with the same deterministic cost rules across all regions.
Output findings as human-readable tables or machine-friendly JSON for automation.
No AWS credentials required for IaC scanning in pull requests or local checks.
Predefined rules for known AWS spending anti-patterns like missing lifecycle policies.
Use cases
- Block expensive instance types or missing lifecycle policies in Terraform PRs.
- Audit existing AWS accounts to find waste like unattached EBS volumes or old-generation instances.
- Enforce cost policies consistently across engineering teams via CI/CD integration.
- Generate JSON reports for FinOps dashboards or automated cost review processes.
- Prevent budget overruns by catching bad spending practices before deployment.
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Frequently asked questions about CloudBurn
Common questions to help you decide if CloudBurn is right for you.