AWS SQS Cost Calculator

Estimate SQS-style request cost with a simple model: messages/month x requests per message x $ per 1M requests. Compare baseline vs peak traffic with your pricing.

Inputs

Messages (per month)
Avg 76.15 msgs/sec.
Requests per message
Total ~228.44 req/sec at baseline.
Common baseline: 3 (Send + Receive + Delete). Add more for retries, visibility timeouts, or extra API calls.
Base req/msg
Baseline is usually 3.
Retry multiplier (%)
100% = no retries.
Extra req/msg
Visibility extensions or extra APIs.
Est 3.6 req/msg.
Price ($ / 1M requests)
Free requests (per month)
Optional. Set to 0 if you don't have a free allowance.
Scenario presets

Results

Estimated monthly request cost
$240.00
Total requests (per month)
600,000,000
Billable requests
600,000,000
Cost per 1M messages
$1.20

How to get your inputs

  • Inputs: use billing exports, metrics, or logs to get real counts/GB where possible.
  • Units: convert throughput (Mbps) or rates (RPS) into monthly units when needed.
  • Scenarios: build a baseline and a high-usage scenario to avoid under-budgeting.

Result interpretation

  • Requests per message is the biggest lever; retries multiply cost fast.
  • If costs spike, inspect visibility timeout and retry behavior.

Common mistakes

  • Using a single average and ignoring peak/incident scenarios.
  • Double-counting or missing adjacent line items (transfer, logs, retries).

Advanced inputs to capture

  • Use messages per month and requests per message as the core driver.
  • Batch sizes and long polling reduce receive calls.
  • Retries and visibility timeout extensions add extra requests.
  • Separate FIFO vs standard usage if you mix them.

Scenario planning

Scenario Messages Req/msg Total requests
Baseline Expected Typical Derived
Peak High High Derived

Validate after changes

  • Compare your estimate to the first real bill and adjust assumptions.
  • Track the primary driver metric (requests/GB/count) over time.

Next steps

Guides All calculators Guide: SQS pricing (what to include) Guide: estimate SQS requests SQS request volume estimator Guide: SQS cost optimization Lambda cost calculator
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Example scenario

  • 200M messages/month with 3 requests per message at $0.40 per 1M requests.
  • Peak 220% scenario highlights retry-heavy spikes.

Included

  • Request cost from total request count and $ per 1M requests.
  • A simple multiplier to account for Receive/Delete/retries (requests per message).
  • Optional retry/extra request estimator.
  • Optional free request allowance.
  • Baseline vs peak scenario table for message spikes.

Not included

  • Data transfer, message payload size effects, and downstream service costs.
  • Per-feature add-ons (e.g., extended retention) unless you model them separately.

How we calculate

  • Total requests = messages per month x requests per message.
  • Billable requests = max(total requests -free requests, 0).
  • Cost = (billable requests / 1,000,000) x $ per 1M requests.

FAQ

What should I use for requests per message?
A common baseline is 3 (Send + Receive + Delete). Increase it if you have retries, visibility timeout extensions, or extra API calls.
Does message size change SQS cost?
SQS billing is primarily request-based, but large payloads can impact retries and downstream costs. Model size-driven effects as higher requests per message or as separate line items.
Does this include Lambda triggers or DynamoDB writes?
No. This is only SQS request cost. Model downstream services separately (Lambda, DynamoDB, logs, etc).

Related tools

Guide: SQS pricing (what to include) Guide: estimate SQS requests Guide: SQS cost optimization SQS request volume estimator Lambda cost calculator

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Disclaimer

Educational use only. Not legal, financial, or professional advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs and assumptions shown on this page. Verify pricing and limits with your providers and documentation.

Last updated: 2026-02-07