Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers various support plans to meet different business needs and requirements. This guide explains each support plan's features, benefits, and key differences to help you choose the right one for your organization.

AWS Support Plans Overview

AWS provides five support plans:

Basic
Developer
Business
Enterprise On-Ramp
Enterprise

Let's examine each plan in detail.

Detailed Comparison

Response Times and Access Levels

Support Feature	Basic	Developer	Business	Enterprise On-Ramp	Enterprise
Technical Support	No	Business hours	24/7	24/7	24/7
Case Severity Response Time	N/A	General: <24h	General: <24h Critical: <4h	General: <24h Critical: <4h Urgent: <1h	General: <24h Critical: <4h Urgent: <30min
Account Support	Email only	Email & Chat	Email, Chat & Phone	Email, Chat & Phone	Email, Chat & Phone
Technical Account Manager	No	No	No	Pool TAM	Dedicated TAM

Cost Structure

Plan Type	Monthly Cost (USD)	Additional Costs
Basic	Free	None
Developer	$29	None
Business	$100 or 3-10% of AWS spend	Based on usage
Enterprise On-Ramp	$5,500 or 10% of AWS spend	Based on usage
Enterprise	$15,000 or 10% of AWS spend	Based on usage

Detailed Feature Analysis

Basic Support

The Basic plan is included free with every AWS account and provides:

Access to whitepapers, documentation, and support communities
Access to six core Trusted Advisor checks
Access to Personal Health Dashboard
No technical support beyond documentation

Developer Support

Designed for individual developers and testing environments, offering:

Email support with response times under 24 hours
General guidance: < 24 business hours
System impaired: < 12 business hours
Limited to one primary contact

Business Support

Suitable for production workloads with features including:

Full set of Trusted Advisor checks
Direct phone access to support engineers
Infrastructure event management (additional fee)
Third-party software support
Contextual guidance based on your use-case

Enterprise On-Ramp

Designed for growing businesses requiring advanced support:

Pool of Technical Account Managers (TAMs)
Consultative architectural guidance
Infrastructure event management included
Access to proactive programs
Support automation tools

Enterprise

The most comprehensive support plan offering:

Designated Technical Account Manager
Concierge support team
Infrastructure event management included
Application architecture guidance
Operations support
Proactive reviews and recommendations

Choosing the Right Plan

Consider these factors when selecting a support plan:

Workload Criticality
- Production workloads should have Business support or higher
- Development/testing environments can use Developer support
Response Time Requirements
- Need urgent support? Consider Enterprise
- Can handle longer response times? Developer might suffice
Technical Expertise Needed
- Require architectural guidance? Choose Enterprise On-Ramp or Enterprise
- Need basic help? Business support may be adequate
Budget Considerations
- Calculate total AWS spending
- Factor in support plan costs
- Consider the value of included features

Best Practices

Start with Business support for production workloads
Upgrade to Enterprise On-Ramp when needing architectural guidance
Consider Enterprise for mission-critical applications
Review support utilization quarterly
Adjust plans based on changing business needs

Conclusion

AWS support plans provide varying levels of assistance to match different business needs and budgets. While Basic and Developer plans suit smaller workloads, Business and Enterprise levels offer comprehensive support for production environments. Regular evaluation of your support needs ensures you maintain the most cost-effective plan for your organization.

AWS Support Plans Comparison: Choosing the Right Plan for Your Needs