How Zhihu Leverages FinOps and Mixed‑Cloud Architecture to Slash Costs

Introduction

This article introduces Zhihu’s big‑data practice for cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

Four Main Aspects

Background Introduction Zhihu is a high‑quality online Q&A community where users can ask, answer, like, and comment to obtain distinctive content.

FinOps‑Driven Cost Reduction Since 2022, Zhihu has built an internal economic billing system called FinOps to drive cost‑saving initiatives across the organization, emphasizing that cost reduction is a cross‑functional effort.

Technology‑Driven Cost Reduction Zhihu adopts a mixed‑cloud architecture using services from multiple cloud providers (IaaS, SaaS, PaaS), which adds complexity to cost management.

Summary and Outlook The article reflects on challenges and future directions for sustainable cost reduction.

Background Details

Zhihu’s platform enables users to engage in Q&A activities, delivering high‑quality content.

Mixed‑Cloud Architecture

The company utilizes multiple cloud vendors and services, increasing the difficulty of cost optimization.

FinOps Implementation

FinOps, launched in 2022, serves as a financial operations framework that promotes collaborative cost‑saving across teams.

Challenges in Enterprise Cost Reduction

Multiple vendors: Managing diverse resources from various cloud providers creates cost‑management headaches.

Organizational changes: Frequent restructuring can disrupt cost attribution to teams.

Sustainability: Short‑term cost‑cutting often fails to deliver long‑term savings; only 11% of enterprises achieve continuous reduction over three years.

Conclusion

Effective cost reduction requires both aggressive short‑term measures and steady, long‑term strategies, integrating FinOps, technology, and organizational alignment.