Overview
Cost Analyzer is a Turbo360 module that gives organizations visibility and control over their Azure cloud spending. It pulls data from Azure Cost Management and breaks down spending across subscriptions, resource groups, services, and time periods, giving finance teams, cloud administrators, and engineering leaders a shared, data-driven view of cloud expenses.
The module is built around four core sections (Analysis, Monitoring, Optimization, and Reports) and includes built-in AI agents that deliver intelligent cost insights powered by Azure OpenAI.
Setting up Cost Analyzer requires a service principal with Reader access to your Azure subscriptions.
Business value
- Identify cost-saving opportunities before overspending occurs
- Maintain budget accountability across teams and subscriptions
- Automate resource optimization to reduce manual overhead
- Support cost governance with structured, audit-ready reporting
Prerequisites
Required permissions
A service principal with Reader access to the Azure subscriptions you want to analyze. This allows Cost Analyzer to retrieve data from Azure Cost Management.
Dependencies
- An active Azure subscription connected to Turbo360
- Azure Cost Management data available for the target subscriptions
How it works
Cost Analyzer surfaces Azure cost data across four sections, each serving a distinct role in the cost management lifecycle.
Analysis
Visualize Azure subscription costs using customizable chart-based views. Explore spending trends, compare costs, and understand how resources contribute to overall expenses.
Monitoring
Continuously track Azure spending over time. Monitor budget utilization and cost trends to identify changes in spending patterns and respond before costs overrun.
Optimization
Identify savings opportunities and automate actions to improve resource efficiency. Optimization includes rightsizing and reservation recommendations, schedule automation for off-peak resource management, automated workflows for cost-reduction tasks, savings plan and hybrid benefit visibility, spot instance tracking, and actionable recommendations for idle or underutilized resources.
Reports
Generate configurable reports to analyze cost trends across subscriptions and services. Reports support ongoing cost governance and stakeholder review.
AI agents
Cost Analyzer includes built-in AI agents that automatically analyze resources and surface cost insights, utilization efficiency, and optimization recommendations within the Cost Intelligence view.
Configuration
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Service principal | Required. A service principal with Reader access to Azure subscriptions. |
| Azure subscription | The subscription(s) to analyze. Configured during Azure Connection Setup. |
Permission behavior
With Reader access: All four sections are available. Cost Analyzer retrieves and displays data across all connected subscriptions.
Without Reader access: Cost Analyzer cannot retrieve cost data. Assign Reader access to the service principal at the subscription scope before setup.
Example scenario
A cloud administrator notices rising Azure costs. They use Analysis to identify which subscriptions are driving the increase, set up a budget alert in Monitoring, configure a shutdown schedule in Optimization for idle virtual machines, and share a monthly summary from Reports with the finance team.
Limitations
- Cost data may be delayed by up to 24 hours due to Azure Cost Management sync cycles.
- Only subscriptions where the service principal has Reader access are included in analysis.
- AI agent responses are AI-generated and may vary in accuracy. We recommend verifying critical information before acting on it.
Troubleshooting
-
Cost data is not appearing
Cause: The service principal may lack Reader access, or the Azure connection may not be configured.
Fix: Verify permissions and confirm the subscription is connected in Turbo360. -
Data appears outdated
Cause: Azure Cost Management data can lag by up to 24 hours.
Fix: Wait for the next sync before investigating further. -
Analysis charts are not loading
Cause: The selected subscription may have no cost data for the chosen time period.
Fix: Try a different date range or verify the subscription status in Azure. -
Budget alerts are not triggering
Cause: Alert thresholds or notification channels may not be correctly configured, or cost data has not been synced yet.
Fix: Confirm that alert thresholds and notification channels are correctly configured in Monitoring and verify that the subscription has current cost data.
FAQs
-
Can I analyze multiple subscriptions?
Yes. Cost Analyzer supports multiple connected subscriptions across Analysis, Monitoring, and Reports. -
How does Cost Analyzer differ from Azure Cost Management?
Azure Cost Management is Microsoft's native tool for viewing and managing Azure spend. Cost Analyzer builds on top of it — pulling that data into Turbo360 and adding cross-subscription grouping, budget monitoring, optimization recommendations, schedule automation, and AI-powered insights in a single workspace. It is designed for teams that need more than raw cost visibility. -
Is Cost Analyzer available for non-Azure cloud providers?
No. Cost Analyzer is built specifically for Azure and retrieves data through Azure Cost Management. Other cloud providers are not currently supported.