AWS License Manager
Software asset management (SAM) tools
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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Completely free
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- Information technology and software
- Banking and insurance
- Media and communications
What is AWS License Manager
AWS License Manager is a cloud service that helps organizations track and control software license usage across AWS environments and certain on-premises or multi-cloud deployments via integrations. It is primarily used by IT asset management, cloud operations, and compliance teams to enforce license rules, reduce over-deployment risk, and maintain an inventory of license configurations. The service integrates with AWS services such as AWS Systems Manager and AWS Organizations to apply license configurations, track usage, and generate compliance-oriented views.
Native AWS governance integration
AWS License Manager integrates with AWS Organizations and AWS Systems Manager to apply license configurations and track usage across multiple AWS accounts. This supports centralized policy enforcement and reporting without deploying a separate SAM platform for AWS-only estates. It fits well for teams already standardizing on AWS management tooling and identity controls.
Policy-based license enforcement
The service supports defining license rules (for example, per-instance, per-core, or per-user constraints depending on the license type) and associating them with resources. It can help prevent or flag deployments that exceed configured limits, which reduces manual compliance checks. This is particularly useful for controlling common commercial software deployments on EC2 and in virtualized environments.
AWS Marketplace license visibility
AWS License Manager provides visibility into licenses acquired through AWS Marketplace and can help track consumption tied to Marketplace products. This can simplify reconciliation between cloud usage and procurement records for Marketplace-based software. It also helps teams separate Marketplace entitlements from bring-your-own-license (BYOL) tracking in AWS.
Limited non-AWS depth
While it can integrate beyond AWS in some scenarios, the deepest controls and automation are centered on AWS services. Organizations with significant on-premises or multi-cloud estates may need additional tooling for comprehensive discovery, normalization, and end-to-end SAM processes. This can lead to split reporting and parallel workflows outside AWS.
Not a full SAM suite
AWS License Manager focuses on license tracking and enforcement rather than broader SAM capabilities such as contract management, vendor normalization, software request workflows, and enterprise-wide application portfolio analytics. Teams looking for a single system of record for all software assets may find gaps. As a result, it is often used alongside ITSM/asset platforms rather than replacing them.
Setup depends on tagging and data
Accurate compliance views depend on correct resource inventory, configurations, and (in many environments) consistent tagging and account structure. Misconfigured rules or incomplete inventory sources can produce false positives/negatives in compliance status. Ongoing governance is typically required to keep license configurations aligned with changing deployments and entitlements.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| AWS License Manager (core service) | No additional charge | License Manager itself is provided at no additional cost; you pay only for the underlying AWS resources (EC2, S3, Athena, Glue, etc.) used to run workloads. New customers eligible for the AWS Free Tier can run License Manager on free-tier-eligible resources without License Manager charges. |
Pricing model: Usage-based / Pay-as-you-go for user-based subscription products sold via AWS Marketplace (per-user monthly subscriptions). Free tier/trial: New AWS customers eligible for the AWS Free Tier can use License Manager on free-tier-eligible instances without incurring License Manager charges. Example costs (AWS Marketplace user-based subscriptions):
- Office LTSC Professional Plus — $21.43 per user / per month.
- Visual Studio Professional 2022 — $48.51 per user / per month.
- Visual Studio Enterprise 2022 — $304.15 per user / per month.
- Win Remote Desktop Services (RDS) SAL — $10.00 per user / per month. Discount options: No separate discounts for License Manager itself; discounts apply to the underlying AWS services (Reserved Instances, Savings Plans) and some Marketplace/contract pricing options for Marketplace products.
Seller details
Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Seattle, Washington, USA
2006
Subsidiary
https://aws.amazon.com/
https://x.com/awscloud
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon-web-services/
