EKS vs GKE vs AKS: The Managed Kubernetes Services Comparison
Published: 2023-01-23 18:39:36

Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) are all fully managed Kubernetes services offered by the three major cloud providers: AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, respectively. Each of these services allows you to launch and manage Kubernetes clusters in a highly available and scalable manner, without the need to operate your own Kubernetes control plane. However, there are some key differences between the three services that you should be aware of before deciding which one to use.
**Infrastructure:**
One of the main differences between EKS, GKE, and AKS is the underlying infrastructure. EKS runs on AWS, GKE runs on Google Cloud, and AKS runs on Azure. This means that if you are already using one of these cloud providers, it may be easier to use the corresponding Kubernetes service, as it will integrate more seamlessly with the other services you are already using. For example, if you are already using AWS for your storage, database, and other needs, it may make sense to use EKS for your Kubernetes needs as well.
However, it's worth noting that all three services can be used with other cloud providers, if you prefer. For example, you can run AKS on Azure but use AWS or Google Cloud storage and database services.
**Pricing:** 
Another difference between EKS, GKE and AKS is the pricing model. EKS charges on an hourly basis for each worker node and control plane, while GKE charges on a per-second basis for each worker node and control plane. AKS charges on a per-second basis for each worker node and control plane. Additionally, GKE and AKS offer a free tier for certain resources, while EKS does not.
When it comes to cost, it's important to consider not just the pricing model but also the cost of other services that you may need to use in conjunction with the Kubernetes service. For example, if you are using AKS, you will also need to pay for Azure storage and other services, which can add up. Similarly, if you are using EKS, you will need to pay for AWS storage and other services.
**Features:**
When it comes to features, EKS, GKE, and AKS offer many similar features, such as automatic scaling, automatic upgrades, and automatic self-healing. However, there are some differences worth noting.
For example, GKE offers a feature called "Auto Upgrade" which automatically upgrades your clusters to the latest version of Kubernetes, while EKS and AKS do not have this feature. GKE
also offers a feature called "Auto Repair" which automatically repairs any unhealthy nodes in your cluster, while EKS and AKS do not have this feature.
Another feature that sets GKE apart is its ability to run Windows nodes, which is not supported by EKS or AKS. This can be useful for organizations that need to run Windows-based workloads in their Kubernetes clusters.
EKS, on the other hand, offers a feature called **"Fargate"** which allows you to run your containerized workloads without having to provision or manage the underlying EC2 instances. This can simplify the process of running containers and reduce costs.
AKS offers a feature called **"Azure Policy"** which allows you to enforce governance policies on your AKS clusters, while EKS and GKE do not have this feature. This can be useful for organizations that need to comply with certain regulations or standards.
**Integration:** 
All three services, EKS, GKE, and AKS, offer integration with other services offered by their respective cloud providers. This allows you to easily create highly available and scalable applications that can take advantage of the power of Kubernetes and the cloud provider's infrastructure.
**EKS integrates:**
With other AWS services such as Elastic Load Balancing, Elastic Block Store, and RDS, allowing you to easily create highly available and scalable applications that can take advantage of the power of Kubernetes and AWS. Additionally, EKS integrates with other AWS security services such as AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to provide even more security options.
**GKE integrates:**
With other Google Cloud services such as Cloud Load Balancing and Cloud Storage, allowing you to easily create highly available and scalable applications that can take advantage of the power of Kubernetes and Google Cloud. GKE also integrates with other Google Cloud security services such as Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to provide even more security options.
**AKS integrates:**
With other Azure services such as Azure Load Balancer and Azure Storage, allowing you to easily create highly available and scalable applications that can take advantage of the power of Kubernetes and Azure. AKS also integrates with other Azure security services such as Azure Active Directory and Azure Virtual Network to provide even more security options.
In addition, all three services offer integration with popular tools and technologies such as Helm, Prometheus, and Istio, making it easy to deploy and manage your applications.
It's also worth noting that all three services offer APIs and CLI tools that allow you to automate the provisioning and management of your clusters, making it easy to integrate with your existing DevOps and CI/CD pipelines.
All three services, EKS, GKE, and AKS, offer integration with other services offered by their respective cloud providers and popular tools and technologies, making it easy to create highly available and scalable applications that can take advantage of the power of Kubernetes and the cloud infrastructure.
**EKS (Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service)** is a fully managed Kubernetes service offered by AWS. While it shares many similarities with other fully managed Kubernetes services such as GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine) and AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service), there are a few key features that make EKS unique and special.
One of the **key features** that sets EKS apart is its tight integration with other AWS services. EKS integrates seamlessly with a wide range of AWS services such as Elastic Load Balancing, Elastic Block Store, and RDS, allowing you to easily create highly available and scalable applications that can take advantage of the power of Kubernetes and the full range of AWS services. This can be particularly useful for organizations that are already using many AWS services and want to take advantage of the scalability and reliability of the AWS infrastructure when running their Kubernetes clusters.
Another feature that sets EKS apart is its **Fargate integration**. Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers that allows you to run your containerized workloads without having to provision or manage the underlying EC2 instances. This can simplify the process of running containers and reduce costs, which can be particularly useful for organizations that want to run containers without the operational overhead of managing the underlying infrastructure.
EKS also offers **built-in security** features such as network segmentation and role-based access control, and integrates with other AWS security services such as IAM and VPC, to provide even more security options. This can be particularly useful for organizations that want to ensure that their Kubernetes clusters are secure and comply with regulatory requirements.
**In conclusion,** Every service has its own pros and cons, and its selection totally depend on your use case and requirements. For example, EKS offers a range of features that make it special compared to GKE and AKS, including its tight integration with other AWS services, its Fargate integration, and its security capabilities. This makes it particularly well-suited for organizations that are already using many AWS services and want to take advantage of the scalability and reliability of the AWS infrastructure when running their Kubernetes clusters.
**Reference Links:**
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/
https://cloud.google.com/docs
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/
https://www.google.com/