Cloud costs aren’t slowing down, and if you’re in fintech, you’re feeling it more than most. In 2025, the cloud will have become the core of financial technology. But here’s the problem: 84% of enterprises now say managing cloud spend is their biggest challenge. That’s huge. If your cloud strategy isn’t built with cost control in mind, it’s going to hurt your growth, fast. The good news? Fintech leaders are fighting back with FinOps.
Why FinOps Isn’t Optional Anymore
Let’s be clear, certainly, FinOps isn’t just a buzzword anymore. It’s a practical framework that brings your finance, tech, and also business teams together to control cloud spend in real-time. This year, 59% of companies say they now have FinOps teams in place, up from 51% last year. And that number is only going up. Indeed, for fintech companies, this shift is critical. With the fast pace of product releases, compliance requirements, and AI-driven services, it’s not enough to just “watch” your spend. You need active, collaborative cost control baked into every cloud decision.
Think you’ve got a handle on your SaaS subscriptions? Probably, you might want to take another look. According to the report, 34% of enterprises now spend over $1 million every month on SaaS alone. So, for fintech firms that rely on dozens of cloud-based tools for everything from payment gateways to compliance automation, these costs can spiral quickly. What’s worse, 24% of software spend in the cloud is still wasted.
Indeed, that’s where FinOps makes the difference. By not only bringing visibility to license usage, enabling smarter contract negotiations, but also avoiding vendor lock-in, fintechs are cutting costs without sacrificing performance. And strategies like BYOL (Bring Your Own License) or switching to usage-based pricing models? They’re becoming the new normal.
AI Is Driving Costs and It’s Not Slowing Down
Everyone’s talking about generative AI, and that’s also for good reason. In fintech, GenAI is powering faster fraud detection, smarter credit models, and even virtual assistants for customer service. But here’s the catch: 72% of organizations now say they’re using or experimenting with GenAI. And these tools don’t come cheap. Indeed, Training models, storing massive datasets, running continuous analyses, all of it eats into your cloud budget fast.
That’s why the smartest fintechs are building AI cost monitoring directly into their FinOps dashboards. They’re not just tracking traditional infrastructure anymore. They’re forecasting AI workloads, aligning them with business goals, and also making sure innovation doesn’t break the bank.
AWS or Azure? What is Best?
If you’re wondering where other fintechs are running their workloads, the numbers speak volumes. 81% of enterprises are using Microsoft Azure, while 79% are on AWS. Yes, it’s almost neck-and-neck. So what’s the difference?
Azure tends to win with large financial institutions thanks to its enterprise-friendly tools and tight compliance support. AWS, on the other hand, is still the go-to for fintech startups and scale-ups that need flexibility and rapid development options. Some companies are even leveraging both, picking the best of each for different use cases. Therefore, that’s where FinOps adds value again. It helps you manage costs across providers, compare pricing, and avoid getting locked into one vendor too deeply.
CCOEs: The Secret Weapon Behind FinOps Success
More and more fintechs are building centralized cloud teams known as Cloud Centers of Excellence (CCOEs) to lead the charge. These teams are not only advisors but also they are enablers. They define cloud standards, coach teams on cost-efficient deployment, and also make sure governance doesn’t slow down innovation.
If your fintech is scaling, a CCOE can bring structure to the chaos. It helps ensure your engineers know what resources cost. It empowers product teams to make smarter decisions. And it connects your CFO’s priorities with your CTO’s roadmap. FinOps lives at the center of that strategy, turning cloud spending into a strategic advantage, not just another line item.
You Shouldn’t Ignore This
Let’s face it, cloud isn’t getting cheaper. 28% of organizations expect their cloud spend to grow this year. That’s a big deal for any fintech managing investor expectations or fighting for profitability. And while some workloads are being repatriated, the reality is that net new workloads continue to move into the cloud at record speed.
If you’re not already investing in FinOps, now’s the time. Whether you’re a high-growth startup or an established fintech firm, the ability to make real-time, cost-aware cloud decisions will define your competitiveness. The companies that win in 2025 aren’t just innovating faster, they’re doing it smarter, with full visibility and financial discipline built into every layer of their tech stack.
Fintech success in 2025 comes down to one thing, and that is control. It’s not only The control to innovate without overspending, but also the control to scale without surprises. And the control to turn cloud costs into measurable value. That’s what FinOps delivers. Want to see how the top-performing fintechs are using FinOps to lead the market?
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FAQs
1. What is FinOps, and why is it especially critical for fintech companies in 2025?
FinOps is a cloud financial management framework that aligns engineering, finance, and business teams to manage cloud costs in real time. For fintechs—where speed, compliance, and innovation are key—FinOps ensures that cloud investments support growth without spiraling out of control.
2. How can FinOps help reduce wasted SaaS and cloud spend in fintech environments?
FinOps provides deep visibility into usage data, license tracking, and vendor pricing models. It enables fintechs to optimize SaaS spend, negotiate better contracts, adopt BYOL strategies, and avoid paying for unused or duplicated services, helping cut the 24% of waste seen in cloud software budgets.
3. What are the best practices for managing AI-related cloud costs using FinOps?
The most effective fintechs integrate AI workload forecasting and cost monitoring directly into FinOps dashboards. This allows them to track resource-heavy AI models, evaluate ROI, and align usage with business outcomes, preventing budget overruns while still accelerating AI innovation.
4. Should fintechs choose AWS or Azure for cloud operations in 2025?
Both platforms are heavily used by AWS by agile fintech startups and Azure by large financial institutions. The best choice depends on your specific needs for compliance, speed, and scalability. Many fintechs now adopt a multi-cloud strategy, and FinOps helps manage cross-cloud cost comparisons and governance.
5. What role does a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCOE) play in scaling FinOps across a fintech organization?
A CCOE drives standardization, cost transparency, and efficiency across teams. It ensures that FinOps practices are embedded in engineering workflows, supports smarter resource provisioning, and bridges the gap between business goals and technical execution essential for fintechs looking to scale responsibly.
