Why AWS ECS (with Fargate) is Better than Kubernetes

Matías Salinas
3 min readMar 12, 2023

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AWS ECS (with Fargate) has emerged as a powerful platform for running serverless workloads, offering organizations cost-effective and scalable solutions. One of the biggest advantages of AWS ECS (with Fargate) over Kubernetes is its pay-per-container pricing model. With this model, organizations only pay for the exact resources they consume, and they are not charged for the entire node or cluster as they would be with Kubernetes. This model makes AWS ECS (with Fargate) a better choice for organizations looking to optimize their costs and improve their flexibility.

The following are some of the main reasons why AWS ECS (with Fargate) is better than Kubernetes for serverless computing and pay-per-container pricing model:

1.- Cost Savings

AWS ECS (with Fargate) offers a significant cost advantage over Kubernetes. With AWS ECS (with Fargate), organizations only pay for the resources they use, while with Kubernetes, they have to pay for the entire node, even if it is not fully utilized. This pay-per-container pricing model allows organizations to scale their workloads up or down without incurring unnecessary costs.

2.- Flexibility

AWS ECS (with Fargate) provides a more flexible model for running workloads. Organizations can choose the amount of resources they need for each container, and they can scale up or down as required. They can also launch new containers on-demand and terminate them when they are no longer needed. Kubernetes, on the other hand, requires organizations to have the infrastructure of nodes previously provisioned and pay for those nodes, limiting their flexibility.

3.- Simplicity

AWS ECS (with Fargate) offers a simple and easy-to-use platform for running serverless workloads. The platform abstracts much of the complexity of container orchestration, allowing developers to focus on writing code rather than managing infrastructure. Kubernetes, on the other hand, is a more complex platform that requires significant expertise to set up and maintain.

4.- Security

AWS ECS (with Fargate) offers a highly secure platform for running workloads. It provides features such as automatic patching, encryption, and IAM roles, ensuring that organizations can protect their applications and data from cyber threats. Kubernetes also offers security features, but it requires significant expertise to set up and maintain a secure environment.

5.- Integration with AWS Services

AWS ECS (with Fargate) integrates seamlessly with other AWS services, such as AWS CloudFormation, AWS CodePipeline, and AWS CodeBuild. This makes it easy for organizations to set up and manage their workloads within the AWS ecosystem. Kubernetes, on the other hand, requires significant customization and integration efforts to achieve the same level of integration with AWS services.

Conclusion:

AWS ECS (with Fargate) is a better choice for organizations looking for a cost-effective and scalable platform for running serverless workloads. Its pay-per-container pricing model allows organizations to optimize their costs and improve their flexibility. Additionally, its simplicity, security, and integration with AWS services make it an attractive option for organizations. While Kubernetes is a popular platform, its requirement to pay for nodes and have infrastructure previously provisioned makes it less cost-effective and less flexible than AWS ECS (with Fargate).

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Matías Salinas
Matías Salinas

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