Understanding Security Hub Pricing: A Practical Guide for AWS Users

Overview: Why pricing matters for Security Hub

AWS Security Hub is a centralized service designed to help you monitor security posture across your AWS environment. For budget-conscious teams, understanding the Security Hub pricing model is essential to forecast monthly expenses and avoid surprises. The pricing structure typically combines a straightforward account-based component with usage-based charges tied to the findings and insights Security Hub processes. Because prices vary by region and can change over time, it’s important to check the official AWS pricing page and calculate costs based on your organization’s setup. This guide explains the main pricing components and offers practical steps to estimate and optimize your Security Hub costs.

Pricing components: the two main drivers

Most Security Hub pricing models revolve around two primary elements. Keeping these in mind will help you compare total costs across different configurations and regions.

1) Per-account monthly fee

There is a charge for each AWS account in which Security Hub is enabled. If you operate an AWS Organization, you can enable Security Hub across multiple member accounts, and the per-account monthly fee applies to each enabled account. This component is straightforward: add up the number of enabled accounts and multiply by the regional rate for the service. The more accounts you have, the higher the fixed monthly base cost, regardless of how many findings Security Hub processes.

2) Findings and insights usage charges

In addition to the per-account fee, Security Hub pricing generally includes usage-based charges tied to the findings and insights the service ingests, analyzes, and stores. This can include findings generated by Security Hub standards and providers, as well as any long-term retention or data export activities. The exact per-findings or per-unit rates are region-dependent and can vary with data volume, retention, and feature usage. In practice, you’ll see a cost component that scales with the number of findings Security Hub handles and the related processing work performed in your account.

Regional differences and what that means for your budget

Pricing for Security Hub is not uniform across all regions. Each AWS region has its own pricing schedule, so a monthly fee that applies in one region may be different in another. If your organization operates in multiple regions, you’ll need to account for regional price differences and the distribution of accounts and findings across those regions. Regional differences can affect both the per-account charge and the rate for findings processing, so it’s wise to prepare a region-by-region forecast if you have a multi-region presence.

Estimating costs: a practical framework

Because exact numbers depend on your region and configuration, use a simple costing framework to estimate Security Hub pricing. Think of costs in two parts: the fixed monthly base and the variable findings charge. You can model this with straightforward math and update it as your environment evolves.

Step-by-step estimation approach

Identify the number of enabled accounts where Security Hub is active. Let this be A.
Determine the regional per-account monthly rate. Call it P (regional value).
Estimate the expected monthly number of findings and insights processed. Let F represent this quantity.
Determine the per-findings rate. Call it R (regional value).
Calculate the monthly cost as: Total monthly cost ≈ (A × P) + (F × R).
Consider additional factors such as data retention, export, or partner integrations, which may add optional charges depending on your usage.

Example using placeholders: If you enable Security Hub on 12 AWS accounts in a given region with a per-account rate P, and you expect 40,000 findings in a month with a per-findings rate R, your rough monthly estimate would be: Total ≈ (12 × P) + (40,000 × R). Replace P and R with the actual regional values from the AWS pricing page to get a concrete figure. This approach keeps your calculation transparent and adaptable as your environment grows or scales back.

Cost optimization: practical tips to control Security Hub pricing

Use AWS Organizations to centralize and limit enabled accounts. If some accounts don’t require Security Hub, keep them disabled to reduce the per-account base cost.
Enable Security Hub strategically by region. If a particular region has low security risk exposure or limited workloads, consider postponing enabling Security Hub there until needed.
Leverage standards and controls that align with your compliance goals. While standards themselves do not usually alter the base pricing, focusing on essential standards can help you concentrate findings on the most relevant risks, potentially reducing processing load.
Regularly review and tune findings generation. High-volume sources or overly broad data collection can increase the findings count. Implement data filters and sensible scoped ingestions to keep F manageable.
Automate cost tracking. Use AWS Cost Explorer and tag-based cost allocation to monitor Security Hub spending by account, region, and workload. This helps you identify cost drivers and adjust usage proactively.
Set up alerts for cost thresholds. Define budgets or alarms tied to Security Hub-related line items so you receive early warnings if costs spike unexpectedly.
Consolidate findings where possible. If you aggregate findings into a centralized security operations workflow, you may be able to optimize how long findings are retained and how often they’re exported, which can influence the ongoing cost footprint.

What to compare when evaluating Security Hub pricing

When you compare Security Hub pricing across regions or against alternatives, consider these factors to ensure apples-to-apples comparisons:

Number of AWS accounts you enable Security Hub for and whether you use multi-account management via Organizations.
Expected findings volume based on workload size, services in use, and monitoring scope.
Regional price differences and how they align with your data residency or sovereignty requirements.
Retention and export needs, including how long you keep findings in Security Hub or external storage, which can affect ongoing costs.
Potential discounts or changes tied to contract terms, enterprise agreements, or volume commitments.

Common questions about Security Hub pricing

Is there a free tier for Security Hub? Pricing is designed around usage and regional rates; check the AWS pricing page for the most current terms and any regional offerings.
Can I disable Security Hub at any time? Yes. You can enable or disable Security Hub per account, or disable it across an entire Organization as needed to manage costs.
Do I pay for findings I don’t actively investigate? Pricing generally reflects findings ingested and stored during your chosen retention window and in your active regions, so minimizing unnecessary data can help control costs.
How often do prices update? AWS periodically updates pricing, and regional differences may apply. Plan for periodic reviews of your costs as part of your security operations routine.

Conclusion: making Security Hub pricing work for your organization

Security Hub pricing is shaped by two core factors: the number of enabled accounts and the volume of findings and insights processed. Because region and usage influence charges, a careful, data-driven approach to enabling the service, selecting regions, and tuning findings can lead to meaningful cost control. Start with a clear map of how many accounts require Security Hub and a realistic projection of findings for each region. Use this information to build a transparent budget, monitor costs with native AWS tools, and adjust your configuration as your security program matures. By aligning Security Hub pricing with your security objectives, you can sustain robust posture management without letting costs drift from your plans.

For the most accurate and up-to-date numbers, consult the official AWS Security Hub pricing page and perform a fresh cost estimate based on your current account structure and regional deployment. This approach ensures your budgeting stays reliable and reflective of your evolving cloud environment.