Container orchestration is essential for running containerized applications at scale. AWS offers two primary options: Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) and Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS). Understanding their differences helps you make the right choice for your organization.
> Key Takeaways > > - ECS is simpler to operate and has no control plane fees, making it ideal for AWS-centric teams > - EKS provides Kubernetes portability and a rich ecosystem but adds $73/month per cluster and operational complexity > - Startups and small teams typically get to production faster with ECS > - Organizations with existing Kubernetes expertise or multi-cloud requirements should choose EKS
What Are the Core Differences Between ECS and EKS?
Amazon ECS is AWS's proprietary container orchestration service with deep AWS integration and zero control plane costs, while Amazon EKS is a managed Kubernetes service that provides industry-standard APIs, multi-cloud portability, and access to the Kubernetes ecosystem.Amazon ECS
AWS's native container orchestration service:
- Deeply integrated with AWS services
- Simpler learning curve
- Lower operational overhead
- AWS-specific constructs and APIs
Amazon EKS
Managed Kubernetes on AWS:
- Industry-standard Kubernetes
- Portable across clouds and on-premises
- Rich ecosystem of tools
- Steeper learning curve
Feature Comparison
Control Plane
| Aspect | ECS | EKS | |--------|-----|-----| | Management | Fully managed, no cost | Managed, $0.10/hour/cluster | | API | AWS APIs | Kubernetes API | | Configuration | Task definitions | YAML manifests | | Updates | Automatic | Customer-managed |
Scheduling and Deployment
| Feature | ECS | EKS | |---------|-----|-----| | Scheduling | ECS service scheduler | Kubernetes scheduler | | Deployments | Rolling updates, blue/green | Rolling, blue/green, canary | | Autoscaling | Service auto scaling | HPA, VPA, Cluster Autoscaler | | Service Discovery | Cloud Map | CoreDNS, external DNS |
Integration with AWS Services
ECS Native Integration
ECS offers seamless integration with AWS services:
// ECS Task Definition with native integrations
{
"family": "my-app",
"networkMode": "awsvpc",
"requiresCompatibilities": ["FARGATE"],
"executionRoleArn": "arn:aws:iam::account:role/ecsTaskExecutionRole",
"containerDefinitions": [{
"name": "app",
"image": "my-app:latest",
"secrets": [{
"name": "DB_PASSWORD",
"valueFrom": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:region:account:secret:db-password"
}],
"logConfiguration": {
"logDriver": "awslogs",
"options": {
"awslogs-group": "/ecs/my-app",
"awslogs-region": "us-east-1"
}
}
}]
}EKS with AWS Integrations
EKS requires additional configuration for AWS integrations:
# EKS deployment with AWS integrations
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
name: my-app
spec:
template:
spec:
serviceAccountName: my-app-sa # For IRSA
containers:
- name: app
image: my-app:latest
env:
- name: DB_PASSWORD
valueFrom:
secretKeyRef:
name: db-secrets
key: password
---
Secrets CSI driver for Secrets Manager
apiVersion: secrets-store.csi.x-k8s.io/v1
kind: SecretProviderClass
metadata:
name: aws-secrets
spec:
provider: aws
parameters:
objects: |
- objectName: "db-password"
objectType: "secretsmanager"How Complex Is Kubernetes on EKS Compared to ECS?
EKS requires managing Kubernetes-specific concepts including RBAC, add-ons, cluster upgrades, and YAML manifests, while ECS uses simpler AWS-native APIs and task definitions that are significantly easier to learn and operate.ECS Operations
Simpler operational model:
- Fewer moving parts to understand
- AWS console provides comprehensive management
- Built-in monitoring with CloudWatch
- Straightforward IAM integration
EKS Operations
More components to manage:
- Kubernetes control plane concepts
- Add-ons (CoreDNS, kube-proxy, CNI)
- RBAC and service accounts
- Cluster upgrades require planning
How Does ECS Pricing Compare to EKS?
ECS has no control plane charges, meaning you only pay for the underlying compute resources (EC2 or Fargate). EKS adds a $0.10/hour cluster fee ($73/month per cluster) on top of compute costs, which can add up significantly for organizations running multiple clusters.ECS Costs
Total Cost = Compute (EC2/Fargate)
+ Data Transfer
+ Optional: Cloud MapNo control plane charges.
EKS Costs
Total Cost = Cluster fee ($0.10/hour = $73/month)
+ Compute (EC2/Fargate)
+ Data Transfer
+ Add-ons (some have costs)For multiple small clusters, EKS costs add up.
Both ECS and EKS support EC2 and Fargate as compute options. For a detailed comparison of these compute choices, see our guide on EC2 vs Fargate for containers. You can also reduce compute costs further by running on Graviton4 ARM instances.
Use Case Recommendations
Choose ECS When:
Choose EKS When:
Migration Considerations
From Docker Compose to ECS
ECS provides a familiar path for Docker users:
# Using ECS CLI
ecs-cli compose --file docker-compose.yml service upFrom Kubernetes to ECS
More significant changes required:
- Convert Kubernetes manifests to task definitions
- Adapt to ECS service concepts
- Update CI/CD pipelines
- Migrate service mesh if applicable
From ECS to EKS
Growing complexity often drives this migration:
- Create Kubernetes manifests from task definitions
- Set up IAM Roles for Service Accounts (IRSA)
- Configure networking and ingress
- Migrate secrets and configurations
Scaling Comparison
ECS Scaling
# Service Auto Scaling
aws application-autoscaling register-scalable-target \
--service-namespace ecs \
--scalable-dimension ecs:service:DesiredCount \
--resource-id service/my-cluster/my-service \
--min-capacity 2 \
--max-capacity 10
Scaling policy
aws application-autoscaling put-scaling-policy \
--policy-name cpu-scaling \
--service-namespace ecs \
--resource-id service/my-cluster/my-service \
--scalable-dimension ecs:service:DesiredCount \
--policy-type TargetTrackingScaling \
--target-tracking-scaling-policy-configuration \
"TargetValue=70.0,PredefinedMetricSpecification={PredefinedMetricType=ECSServiceAverageCPUUtilization}"EKS Scaling
# Horizontal Pod Autoscaler
apiVersion: autoscaling/v2
kind: HorizontalPodAutoscaler
metadata:
name: my-app-hpa
spec:
scaleTargetRef:
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
name: my-app
minReplicas: 2
maxReplicas: 10
metrics:
- type: Resource
resource:
name: cpu
target:
type: Utilization
averageUtilization: 70Security Comparison
ECS Security
- Task IAM roles for AWS permissions
- Security groups for network isolation
- Secrets Manager integration
- VPC networking
EKS Security
- IRSA for AWS permissions
- Kubernetes RBAC
- Network policies
- Pod security standards
- Secrets management (CSI driver or external)
Monitoring and Observability
ECS Native Monitoring
- CloudWatch Container Insights
- X-Ray integration
- CloudWatch Logs
- AWS-native dashboards
EKS Monitoring
- Kubernetes-native metrics
- Prometheus/Grafana ecosystem
- CloudWatch Container Insights
- Third-party observability tools
Decision Framework
Ask these questions:
How BeyondScale Can Help
At BeyondScale, we specialize in cloud infrastructure implementation and container orchestration strategy. Whether you're choosing between ECS and EKS for a new platform or migrating between orchestration services, our team can help you make the right decision and execute a smooth deployment.
Explore our Implementation Services to learn more.
Conclusion
Both ECS and EKS are production-ready container orchestration platforms. Your choice depends on team expertise, portability requirements, and operational preferences.
- ECS excels for AWS-centric deployments with simpler requirements
- EKS is ideal for Kubernetes expertise, multi-cloud needs, or ecosystem tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a startup choose ECS or EKS for container orchestration?
Most startups benefit from starting with ECS due to its simpler learning curve, zero control plane costs, and deep AWS integration. ECS lets small teams get to production faster without needing Kubernetes expertise. EKS becomes a better fit if your team already has Kubernetes experience or you anticipate needing multi-cloud portability.
How complex is Kubernetes on EKS compared to ECS?
EKS requires managing Kubernetes-specific concepts including RBAC, add-ons like CoreDNS and kube-proxy, cluster upgrades, and YAML manifests. ECS uses simpler AWS-native APIs and task definitions that are significantly easier to learn and operate, especially for teams that are new to container orchestration.
How does ECS pricing compare to EKS?
ECS has no control plane charges, so you only pay for the underlying compute (EC2 or Fargate). EKS adds a $0.10 per hour cluster fee, which comes to $73 per month per cluster, plus compute and add-on costs. For organizations running multiple small clusters, EKS costs can add up significantly compared to ECS.
Can I migrate from ECS to EKS or vice versa?
Yes, migration is possible in both directions. Moving from ECS to EKS requires converting task definitions to Kubernetes manifests, setting up IAM Roles for Service Accounts (IRSA), and configuring networking and ingress. Moving from EKS to ECS involves converting Kubernetes manifests to ECS task definitions and adapting to ECS service concepts.
BeyondScale Team
Cloud Team
Cloud Team at BeyondScale Technologies, an ISO 27001 certified AI consulting firm and AWS Partner. Specializing in enterprise AI agents, multi-agent systems, and cloud architecture.
