BotTools / Coding
AWS Emulator
Free local emulator of the AWS APIs from AWS: point the AWS CLI, SDKs or your coding agent at it to build and test without an AWS account or deployments.
Free tierFree (no service fee); open source (CC0)Coding
AWS Emulator at a glance
| Category | Coding |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (no service fee); open source (CC0) |
| Free tier | Yes |
| Pricing checked | 2026-11-12 |
| Official site | aws.amazon.com/products/developer-tools/emulator |
Good for
What AWS Emulator is used for
- Run your AWS SDK and CLI calls against a local endpoint to build and test without deploying.
- Let a coding agent create resources, test and fix its code locally; AWS provides an aws-emulator skill for coding agents.
- Give each test suite or CI job its own isolated emulator copy.
AWS Emulator pricing and key facts
- Announced and generally available on November 11, 2026.
- No AWS account needed and no service fee; you pay only for real AWS resources when you deploy.
- Source on GitHub under CC0 1.0 (code in vendor/ is Apache 2.0).
- Install from RPM or Debian packages on Linux, run it in Docker on macOS and Windows, or embed it in Rust tests.
- Install the coding-agent skill with aws agent-toolkit add-skill --skill-name aws-emulator (AWS CLI 2.35.0 or later).
- Limits: it doesn't evaluate IAM policies like AWS, so don't use it for security testing; each emulator is a single account with no cross-Region behavior; fidelity varies by service. Telemetry is on by default and can be turned off.
From the official site, checked 2026-11-12: aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/11/aws-emulator-now-available, aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/test-your-applications-against-aws-locally-with-aws-emulator, github.com/aws/aws-emulator, docs.aws.amazon.com/emulator/latest/userguide/getting-started.html.
AWS Emulator FAQ
Is AWS Emulator free?
Yes. It has no service fee and doesn't need an AWS account.
Can I use AWS Emulator with a coding agent?
Yes. Install the aws-emulator skill with the AWS CLI (2.35.0+) and ask your agent to set it up.
Does AWS Emulator work on Mac and Windows?
Yes, through Docker. On Linux you can install it from an RPM or Debian package.
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Pricing changes often; confirm on the official site before buying.