What is CostCutter?

DANGER

CostCutter deletes resources. Always start with a dry run and restrict usage to disposable AWS accounts.

CostCutter is a Python-based CLI for reclaiming AWS spend quickly. It enumerates the services you enable, records what it finds in a Rich-powered table, and deletes every matching resource when you opt out of dry run mode.

Why people use it

• 🚀 Students and tinkerers who want a clean slate after labs or experiments
• 💼 Consultants and freelancers who reset test environments between engagements
• 🌱 Startups protecting free-tier budgets by purging unused infrastructure
• 🧪 Engineering teams who need a repeatable teardown tool for pre-production accounts

How it runs

• One CLI: invoke costcutter (or uvx costcutter) from your shell or automation.
• Layered configuration: defaults, home overrides, explicit files, environment variables, and CLI flags merge into a single runtime config.
• Threaded orchestration: (region, service) pairs fan out in a thread pool so large accounts finish faster.

Safety model

• Dry run is enabled by default. Handlers either set DryRun=True on AWS APIs or short-circuit before deletion.
• Verbose reporting streams to the terminal and can optionally be written to CSV for auditing.
• Disabling dry run (--no-dry-run) irrevocably deletes the resources targeted by the handlers. There is no undo.

Ready to try it? Continue with the Getting Started guide and review Supported Services & Resources for the latest coverage.