Choosing Between Amazon EKS and ECS - Rafay
Choosing Between Amazon ECS and EKS
March 24, 2024
Overview
We frequently get asked by users that are currently on AWS whether they should be using Amazon ECS or EKS to deploy and operate their containerized applications. Since this is such a common question and the answers are somewhat nuanced, we wanted to share our thoughts and recommendations for the benefit of all users. Here is a table summarizing all the important criteria you need to factor in as you evaluate between Amazon ECS and EKS.
| Criteria | Amazon ECS | Amazon EKS |
|---|---|---|
| Application Type | Simple app with few microservices | Large, complex app with many microservices |
| Dependencies | Minimal distributed dependencies | Complex inter-app dependencies |
| App Team | Part time job in Infra/Ops | Existing IT/Ops team to support |
| Infrastructure | AWS as the only provider | Design for multi-cloud or hybrid |
| Cost Concern | Budget is not major | Cost controls are critical |
Why Amazon ECS?
If you are new to containers and cloud, and if the app team is being forced to make infrastructure decisions for their containerized application, they will find it extremely easy to get started with Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS). They typically experience the following benefits:
- No issues with changing Kubernetes versions.
- Zero cost for the managed ECS control plane.
- Pay-as-you-go model for the Fargate data plane.
Why Amazon EKS?
To help understand this better, look at this from the lens of Kubernetes with Amazon EKS:
Low Control Plane Cost
Monthly cost for the managed control plane is only ~$70 per month. EKS integrates natively with AWS services such as Spot, IAM, and Fargate.
Forced Update Cadence
A forced update cadence ensures organizations benefit from enhancements via new upstream Kubernetes releases.
Access to IT/Ops Talent
With CNCF backing Kubernetes, there is a large pool of talent available for operations and DevOps roles.
Standardized API
Kubernetes applications use a standardized, portable, version-controlled API, allowing identical application deployments across multiple clouds.
No Vendor Lock-in
EKS allows integration with a wide range of 3rd party tools and avoids closed, proprietary solutions like ECS.
Identical Developer Environments
EKS enables nearly identical setups for production and local testing.
Best of Breed Patterns
Utilize battle-tested patterns such as GitOps from various providers.
Customization
Kubernetes offers well-documented patterns for customization compared to the constraints of ECS.
Segregation of Access
EKS allows for more detailed access management compared to ECS’s IAM model.
Summary
For mid-to-large organizations, opting for Amazon EKS makes sense for future support and flexibility. Leveraging the Rafay Platform can streamline and optimize operations for containerized applications.