AWS Support Plans
AWS offers different tiers of support to meet different needs. Understanding the differences between them is critical for the exam, especially regarding pricing, response times, and access to Trusted Advisor.
Plan Comparison
| Feature | Basic | Developer | Business | Enterprise On-Ramp / Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | >$29 / month | >$100 / month | >$5,500 / $15,000 / month |
| Use Case | Account & Billing access | Experimenting & Testing | Production Workloads | Mission Critical Workloads |
| Tech Support | None (Docs only) | Email (Bus. Hours) | 24/7 Phone, Email, Chat | 24/7 Phone, Email, Chat |
| Response Time | N/A | < 12 hrs (System Impaired) | < 1 hr (Urgent)<br>< 4 hrs (Production Down) | < 15 min (Mission Critical) |
| Who opens cases? | N/A | Unlimited (Root/IAM) | Unlimited Contacts | Unlimited Contacts |
| Trusted Advisor | 7 Core Checks | 7 Core Checks | Full Set of Checks | Full Set of Checks |
| TAM | No | No | No | Yes (Technical Account Manager) |
| Concierge | No | No | No | Yes (Billing Concierge) |
Key Concepts
1. Technical Account Manager (TAM)
- Available ONLY on Enterprise plans.
- A designated person who helps you plan and build solutions using best practices and keeps your environment healthy.
2. Trusted Advisor Checks
- Basic & Developer: Access to only the 7 core checks (mostly security and quotas).
- Business & Enterprise: Access to the FULL set of checks (Cost Optimization, Performance, etc.).
3. Case Severity & Response Times (Business Plan example)
- General Guidance: < 24 hours
- System Impaired: < 12 hours
- Production System Down: < 1 hour
- (Enterprise adds "Business-Critical System Down" < 15 minutes)
Exam Tips
[!IMPORTANT] "Production Workloads": If a scenario mentions "Production workloads" and "24/7 support," the minimum plan is Business.
[!TIP] "TAM" or "Concierge": If a question mentions a "Technical Account Manager (TAM)" or "Support Concierge," the answer is Enterprise Support.
[!TIP] "Email Support Only": If a question mentions support via email during business hours only, it is Developer Support.
[!WARNING] Basic Plan: Remember that the Basic plan offers NO technical support for issues. It only helps with Account/Billing issues and Service Limit increases.