Comparison
Duckbill Group alternative for UK SMEs
The Duckbill Group is one of the best-known names in AWS cost consulting — deep expertise, bespoke engagements, and a deserved reputation, built for organisations with large cloud bills. If your AWS spend is £2k–£30k a month, the honest question isn’t whether they’re good; it’s whether a bespoke consultancy engagement is the right shape and price for your bill.
See the number first: the free scan shows your estimated saving before you talk to anyone — us included.
Run the free scanHow the two approaches differ
- →Engagement model. Duckbill runs bespoke consulting engagements scoped per client (as of mid-2026 — check their site for current offerings). We run one fixed product: £499 audit, defined deliverable, guarantee attached. No scoping calls, no proposals.
- →Who each fits. Bespoke consulting makes economic sense when the bill is large enough that fractions of a percent pay the fee — typically six-figure-plus annual spends. At £2k–£30k/month, a fixed-price audit keeps the maths simple: the guarantee is 20%+ of monthly spend found, or it’s free.
- →Where the work starts. We start with a free automated scan — read-only, no keys, ~20 minutes — so you see the estimated saving before any money or meeting. You qualify us with a number, not a call.
- →Geography and size. We are UK-based and built for UK SMEs: UK company, UK hours, pricing in pounds, and audits of exactly the account shapes 10–80-person companies actually run.
Put numbers on it
Frequently asked questions
Is this a criticism of Duckbill Group?
No — they are genuinely respected in this space, and for large AWS spenders a bespoke engagement is often the right call. This page exists because companies at SME spend levels find bespoke consulting mis-sized for their bill, and want to know what the fixed-price equivalent looks like.
What exactly does the £499 audit include?
70+ automated checks across every active region with 14-day CloudWatch evidence windows, human verification of every finding, and a report listing each resource, its monthly cost, the fix and the saving — sorted by saving-per-effort. Guarantee: 20%+ of monthly spend or £499+/month found, or the audit is free.
£499 fixed. Free scan first. 20%+ found or it’s free.
The scan is read-only — a role you create and delete, no keys shared — and shows your estimated monthly saving before anyone talks about money.