EKS vs ECS

Both AWS EKS and AWS ECS are container orchestration services provided by AWS, but they differ in underlying architecture, flexibility, operational complexity, and use cases. Below is a detailed comparison.

Core Concepts

Feature	EKS	ECS
Definition	Managed Kubernetes service that allows you to run Kubernetes clusters on AWS.	AWS’s native container orchestration service that does not require Kubernetes.
Underlying Technology	Kubernetes (open-source container orchestration system).	AWS-proprietary orchestration platform (no Kubernetes).
Launch Types	Supports both Fargate and EC2-backed worker nodes.	Supports both Fargate and EC2-backed container instances.

Similarities

• Container Management Both EKS and ECS are designed to run and manage containers at scale. They enable deployment, scaling, and management of containerised applications.

• Support for AWS Compute Options Both support EC2 instances (traditional VM-backed workloads) and AWS Fargate (serverless compute for containers).

• Service Integration Both integrate well with other AWS services like IAM, CloudWatch, Secrets Manager, VPC, Load Balancers, and Auto Scaling.

• Use of Docker Both support containers built with Docker or any other OCI-compliant container runtime.

• High Availability Both offer managed, high-availability control planes with integrations to multi-AZ for resiliency.

Key Differences

Feature	EKS	ECS
Orchestration Platform	Uses Kubernetes (an open-source standard).	Proprietary to AWS, tightly integrated with AWS services.
Complexity	Requires Kubernetes expertise and management.	Simpler to use, no Kubernetes knowledge needed.
Customizability	Highly customizable (e.g., custom schedulers, custom networking).	Less customisable; AWS manages the orchestration.
Ecosystem	Access to the Kubernetes ecosystem and community (e.g., Helm, Istio).	Limited to AWS-native ecosystem.
Networking	Advanced networking features via Kubernetes, including CNI plugins and custom ingress.	Simpler networking options managed directly by AWS.
Portability	Vendor-neutral (Kubernetes can run on any platform).	Vendor lock-in (AWS-only service).
Use Case	Best for workloads requiring Kubernetes-specific features or multi-cloud/hybrid cloud setups.	Best for AWS-only deployments or teams that want simplicity.
Pricing	Additional cost for EKS control plane ($0.10/ hour).	No extra cost for ECS (you pay for the resources used).
Scaling	Kubernetes-native scaling (Horizontal Pod Autoscaler).	Simplified ECS-native auto-scaling or Fargate scaling.
Community	Kubernetes has a large, active open-source community.	AWS maintains ECS; smaller user base compared to Kubernetes.

When to Use AWS EKS

• Use Cases:

  • You need Kubernetes-specific features like custom schedulers, CRDs (Custom Resource Definitions), or advanced networking.
  • You are running Kubernetes in a multi-cloud or hybrid environment and want to use a consistent platform across clouds.
  • Your team already has expertise in Kubernetes and wants access to the broader Kubernetes ecosystem (e.g., Helm charts, Istio, etc.).
  • You have complex workloads that benefit from Kubernetes features like namespaces, custom controllers, and fine-grained resource management.

• Pros:

  • Kubernetes is an industry standard, making workloads portable.
  • Access to a large ecosystem of Kubernetes tools.
  • Ideal for hybrid or multi-cloud architectures.

• Cons:

  • Higher operational complexity (you need to manage Kubernetes concepts like Pods, Services, Deployments, etc.).
  • Additional cost for the EKS control plane.

When to Use AWS ECS

• Use Cases:

  • You want a simple, tightly integrated AWS-native solution for container orchestration.
  • You are running workloads exclusively on AWS and do not need Kubernetes-specific features.
  • You have a team without Kubernetes experience and need a straightforward container orchestration platform.
  • You prefer a managed solution with minimal operational overhead.

• Pros:

  • Simple setup and operation.
  • No additional cost for the control plane.
  • Seamless integration with other AWS services.

• Cons:

  • Vendor lock-in (ECS is AWS-only).
  • Limited flexibility and ecosystem compared to Kubernetes.