SQS Request Volume Estimator

Estimate monthly SQS request volume by modeling messages per month, requests per message, retry multipliers, and peak volume.

Inputs

Messages (per month)
Base requests per message
Typical baseline is 3 (Send + Receive + Delete).
Retry multiplier (%)
100% = no retries.
Extra requests per message
Visibility extensions or extra API calls.
Scenario presets
Use total requests in the SQS cost calculator.

Results

Estimated requests per message
3.6
Total requests (per month)
720,000,000
Messages (per month)
200,000,000
Retry multiplier
120%

How to get your inputs

  • Messages: use CloudWatch metrics or queue metrics exports.
  • Requests per message: count Send + Receive + Delete and any retries.
  • Retries: add a multiplier for timeouts, retries, and failures.

Next steps

AWS SQS cost calculator Guide: estimate SQS requests
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Example scenario

  • 200M messages/month with 3 requests/message and a 120% retry multiplier.
  • Use a peak scenario for incident or batch spikes.

Included

  • Estimated requests per message from base + retries + extra APIs.
  • Total requests per month from message volume.
  • Optional peak scenario on message volume.

Not included

  • Per-request pricing (use the SQS cost calculator).
  • Downstream compute or storage costs.

How we calculate

  • Estimated req/message = base x retry multiplier + extra requests.
  • Total requests = messages/month x estimated req/message.

FAQ

Why is the baseline 3 requests per message?
Send + Receive + Delete are the common baseline. Retries and visibility extensions add more.
Do retries matter?
Yes. Retries can multiply request volume during failures or timeouts.
What counts as extra requests?
Visibility extensions, change visibility, or additional Receive calls in polling loops.

Related tools

AWS SQS cost calculator Guide: estimate SQS requests Guide: reduce SQS costs

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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: 2026-01-30