Skip to content
SPECIFICTION
Get listed

Cloud Custodian

cloudcustodian.io

Free plan WindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted
Visit cloudcustodian.io
Spec score 8.1 #8 of 26 in Cloud Governance Software

What it is

Cloud Custodian manages cloud resources through policies written in YAML. Each policy names a resource type, filters for selecting resources, and actions to apply to matches. It supports security policy enforcement, compliance, tag policies, cleanup of unused resources, and cost management for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform resources. Policies can respond to provider events through serverless features or run on a cron schedule. Users can validate policies and preview matching resources in dry-run mode before actions execute. Runs can produce policy metrics, structured resource records, and logs for cloud metrics, storage, and logging services. Documented event connections include AWS CloudWatch Events and Config Rules, Azure EventGrid, and GCP AuditLog and Pub/Sub. Installation is documented for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with Docker and Kubernetes operation also described. Kubernetes, Tencent Cloud, and OpenStack support are in beta; Terraform integration is in alpha. Cloud Custodian is free at free and open source under Apache 2.0. An AWS constraint is that event-triggered policies run only in the same region and account, while periodic policies may run elsewhere.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Cloud Custodian manages cloud resources by filtering and tagging them, then applying actions through policies written in a YAML domain specific language.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Beta and alpha support
The homepage says Kubernetes, Tencent Cloud, and OpenStack support is in beta, while Terraform integration is currently in alpha.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Cloud providers
The documentation describes policy support for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform resources.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Community support
The project points users to Slack, a mailing list, GitHub discussions, and community meetings that are open to users and developers of every skill level.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Deployment options
The project documents installation on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and running through Docker or Kubernetes; its homepage also describes local, instance, and AWS Lambda execution.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Enforcement
Cloud Custodian integrates with provider serverless features to enforce policies in response to events, and can also run as a cron job on a server.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Integration examples
Documented event integrations include AWS CloudWatch Events and Config Rules, Azure EventGrid, and GCP AuditLog and Pub/Sub.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Maker and history
The site identifies the project as a community project and states that it was accepted to CNCF on June 25, 2020; it does not state a headquarters or founding date.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cncf.io
Metrics and records
Runs can produce policy metrics, structured resource records, and logs for cloud provider metrics, storage, and logging services.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Notable execution limit
The AWS documentation says event-triggered policies can run only in the same region and account, while periodic policies may run in a different region and account.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Policy controls
Policies specify a resource type, filters to narrow resources, and actions to apply to matching resources.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Policy preview
Users can validate policies and run them in dry-run mode to see matching resources without executing actions.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Security and cost
It supports security policy enforcement, compliance, tag policies, cleanup of unused resources, and cost management.Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io
Security reporting
The project asks people to report security vulnerabilities to its security team at [email protected] and says it will acknowledge reports by email.Read 29 Sep 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

Cloud Custodian Free Free for everyone to use Open source · Apache 2.0 license Read 29 Sep 2026 · cloudcustodian.io

Every Cloud Custodian plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Supports AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform
  • Dry-run previews matching resources before actions
  • Policies can respond to events or run periodically
  • Free and open source under Apache 2.0
  • Documented installation for Linux, macOS, and Windows

Limits

  • Kubernetes, Tencent Cloud, and OpenStack support are beta
  • Terraform integration is in alpha
  • AWS event policies must run in the same region and account

Who it suits

Cloud Custodian suits teams that want to express cloud security, compliance, tagging, cleanup, or cost policies in YAML. It is relevant to users managing AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform resources.

Verdict

Cloud Custodian offers policy validation, dry-run previews, and multiple execution paths for supported cloud resources. Treat beta and alpha integrations as distinct from its documented provider support, and account for the AWS event-policy constraint.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to Cloud CustodianAll alternatives →