Wozz vs CAST.AI: Privacy vs Automation
Two radically different approaches to Kubernetes cost optimization. One prioritizes privacy, the other automates everything. Here's how to choose.
The Fundamental Difference
CAST.AI is an automation platform that connects directly to your cloud provider and Kubernetes cluster to automatically optimize costs in real-time.
Wozz is a detection tool that finds waste using read-only local analysis. You implement the fixes manually.
⚠️ Key Question:
Are you willing to give a third party full write access to your production infrastructure in exchange for automated optimization?
What CAST.AI Actually Does
CAST.AI connects to your AWS/GCP/Azure account and Kubernetes cluster with full permissions. It then:
- Automatically provisions nodes: Spins up spot instances, downscales, changes instance types
- Moves workloads: Rebalances pods across nodes in real-time
- Adjusts autoscaling: Modifies HPA and VPA settings
- Terminates resources: Can shut down idle nodes and clusters
This is extremely powerful but requires immense trust. CAST.AI literally controls your production infrastructure.
What Wozz Does
Wozz runs a local kubectl analysis (read-only) and shows you:
- Over-provisioned pods: Where you've set memory/CPU limits too high
- Orphaned resources: Load balancers, volumes not attached to anything
- Idle workloads: Pods using <10% of requested resources
- Right-sizing recommendations: Exact kubectl commands to fix issues
You implement the fixes yourself via GitOps, Terraform, or kubectl. Wozz never touches your cluster.
Pricing Comparison
| Item | CAST.AI | Wozz |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | % of savings | Flat fee |
| Typical cost | ~$800/mo | $99/mo |
| Cluster access | Full (write) | None |
| Cloud account access | Required | Not needed |
CAST.AI charges based on savings (typically 20-30%). If they save you $3K/month, expect to pay $600-900/month.
Security & Compliance
CAST.AI Security Requirements
- ✗ Full AWS/GCP/Azure account access (IAM roles)
- ✗ Cluster admin permissions in Kubernetes
- ✗ Ability to provision/terminate infrastructure
- ✗ Continuous connection to production clusters
Wozz Security Model
- ✓ Zero cluster access required
- ✓ Zero cloud account access
- ✓ Runs locally with your existing kubectl
- ✓ You control what data leaves your environment
For regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government), CAST.AI's permissions may be a compliance blocker. Many security teams won't approve third-party write access to production.
When CAST.AI Wins
- You want hands-off optimization: Set it and forget it
- You're willing to grant full access: Security team approved it
- You need real-time autoscaling: Immediate response to traffic spikes
- Large-scale operations: 100+ clusters where manual fixes don't scale
When Wozz Wins
- Privacy is non-negotiable: Can't give third parties cluster access
- You want control: Prefer to review and approve changes
- Cost-conscious: Want predictable flat pricing
- GitOps workflow: All infrastructure changes go through PR reviews
Can You Use Both?
Actually, yes. Some teams use:
- Wozz to discover waste and validate savings opportunities
- CAST.AI only for specific workloads (non-prod, batch jobs)
This "validate then automate" approach gives you confidence before granting full access.