Quick Comparison
Key differences at a glance - platform requirements, pricing, and independence.
| Factor | Harness CCM | DeepCost |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone Purchase | No Must buy full platform | Yes Cost optimization only |
| Minimum Investment | $20K+ annually Platform bundling | $99/month Transparent pricing |
| Platform Independence | No CI/CD platform lock-in | Yes Works with any stack |
| AI/ML Cost Optimization | None Not supported | Full Support OpenAI, Anthropic, etc. |
| Real-time Optimization | Limited Basic automation | Advanced AI-powered automation |
Where Harness CCM Excels
Harness's genuine strengths for teams already committed to their platform.
Integrated Platform Experience
For teams already using the full Harness platform, having cost management integrated with CI/CD can provide workflow continuity.
CI/CD Cost Attribution
Can correlate deployment pipeline costs with infrastructure costs when using Harness for CI/CD.
Enterprise Support Model
Comprehensive enterprise support across the entire Harness platform for organizations using multiple Harness products.
Governance Integration
Cost policies can be integrated with deployment policies when using the broader Harness platform.
Where DeepCost is Better
Key advantages that make DeepCost a stronger choice for most teams.
No Platform Lock-in
Use any CI/CD platform (GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins) while still getting advanced cost optimization.
Affordable Standalone Pricing
Start at $99/month vs Harness's $20K+ annual commitment for cost management features.
AI/ML Cost Optimization
Comprehensive optimization for AI services (OpenAI, Anthropic, Claude) that Harness CCM completely lacks.
Advanced Automation
AI-powered optimization vs Harness's basic rule-based cost management automation.
Any Team Size
Designed for teams from 5 to 5000+ vs Harness's enterprise-only focus and pricing.
Which Tool for Which Use Case?
Honest recommendations based on your specific needs and platform preferences.
Full Harness Platform Users
If you're already heavily invested in the Harness platform for CI/CD and need integrated cost management, staying within Harness might make sense.
Cost Management Only
When you need cost optimization without being forced to adopt an entire CI/CD platform and its costs.
AI/ML Heavy Workloads
Harness CCM can't optimize AI service costs that represent 30-50% of modern infrastructure bills.
Multi-Platform Teams
When using GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins and don't want platform lock-in for cost optimization.
Budget Constraints
When $20K+ annual minimums aren't feasible but you still need enterprise-grade cost optimization.
Standalone Best-of-Breed
When you prefer choosing the best tool for each job rather than platform-based bundling.
Why Teams Switched to DeepCost
Real stories from teams who moved from Harness CCM to DeepCost.
ScaleOps Technologies
- Reduced tooling costs by 92%
- Same Kubernetes optimization quality
- Added AI cost optimization
- Kept our existing GitHub Actions workflow
"Harness forced us to buy an entire platform when we only needed cost management. DeepCost gives us better optimization at 1/10th the cost."
CloudFirst Innovations
- Kept existing GitLab workflow
- 46% infrastructure cost reduction
- Added AI service optimization
- No platform migration needed
"We needed cost optimization, not a new CI/CD platform. DeepCost works perfectly with our existing GitLab setup and optimizes our AI costs too."
Neutral Comparison FAQ
Honest answers to common questions about both platforms.
Is Harness CCM better than DeepCost for teams already using Harness?
For teams heavily invested in the full Harness platform, the integrated experience might be valuable. However, many Harness users still choose DeepCost for superior AI cost optimization and cost savings on tooling.
Which platform provides better cost optimization results?
Both provide solid Kubernetes optimization. DeepCost typically achieves better overall results by including AI/ML cost optimization that Harness CCM lacks entirely.
Can I use DeepCost alongside Harness CI/CD?
Yes. DeepCost is platform-agnostic and works perfectly with Harness CI/CD, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or any other CI/CD platform.
Which tool is more cost-effective?
DeepCost is significantly more cost-effective for most teams, starting at $99/month vs Harness's $20K+ annual minimums. Even for large teams, DeepCost often costs less while providing more comprehensive optimization.
Does Harness plan to add AI cost optimization?
Harness has not announced AI/ML cost optimization features. DeepCost already provides comprehensive AI service optimization for modern infrastructure stacks.
Which platform is better for smaller teams?
DeepCost is specifically designed to be accessible to teams of all sizes with transparent pricing. Harness CCM requires enterprise platform investment that's often prohibitive for smaller teams.