Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service: A broad managed Kubernetes service for teams already invested in AWS. Ranked #6 of 30 in Container Orchestration Software by our editors (8.6/10); pricing: Paid; best for managed Kubernetes on AWS.
At a glance
- Editor score8.6 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forManaged Kubernetes on AWS
- Free planNo
- Paid from$0.10/unit usage-based
- Multi-cluster managementYes
- Founded2006 · Seattle, Washington, United States
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Managed control planes with node groups, updates, and rollback support
- EC2, Fargate, hybrid nodes, and EKS Auto Mode provide compute choice
- IAM, add-ons, GitOps, and broad AWS service integrations
Where it doesn't
- Worker-node compute and other AWS resources cost extra
- There is no free plan for the standard EKS service
- Its broad feature set is closely tied to the AWS ecosystem
Our verdict on Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) is a managed Kubernetes service for teams running containerized applications on AWS, on-premises, and at the edge. AWS manages the Kubernetes control plane, while teams can choose Amazon EC2, AWS Fargate, managed node groups, or EKS Auto Mode for compute. Kubernetes network policies, IAM-integrated role-based access control, a hosted console, version updates, add-ons, and observability integrations support production operations across environments. It is most suitable for organizations that want Kubernetes compatibility alongside AWS infrastructure and services.
Pricing is based on the Kubernetes control plane. According to the vendor's pricing details, standard EKS versions cost $0.10 per cluster per hour. Worker-node compute and other AWS resources are billed separately, while extended support and optional EKS features have separate charges. The published offering has no free plan. Paid capabilities include managed node groups with updates and scaling, EKS Auto Mode for automated compute, storage, and networking management, and support for multiple compute models. Buyers should budget for both cluster charges and the surrounding AWS resources required by their workloads.
EKS stands out through its fit with the AWS platform. It integrates with EC2, Fargate, EBS, EFS, S3, Elastic Load Balancing, IAM, VPC, and CloudWatch, while EKS add-ons cover DNS, networking, storage, security, and observability. Managed GitOps with Argo CD, plus AWS Controllers for Kubernetes and the Kubernetes Resource Orchestrator, extends the platform into application and AWS resource management. Choose EKS when AWS integration, managed operations, policy controls, autoscaling, rolling updates, and multi-cluster management matter. Teams seeking a free Kubernetes service or a platform less tied to AWS should consider alternatives.
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Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service pricing
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Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $0.10/unit usage-based |
| Deployment model | Hybrid |
| Multi-cluster management | Yes |
| Autoscaling | Yes |
| Rolling updates | Yes |
| Policy controls | Yes |
| Cluster limit | Not verified |
| Node limit | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Compliance & security | PCI DSS, HIPAA |
| Support | Live chat, Phone, Email, Community, Docs · 24/7 |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 16 integrations: Amazon EC2, AWS Fargate, Amazon Elastic Load Balancing, AWS Identity and Access Management, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud, AWS CloudTrail … See all → |
| Pricing | Paid (source) |
| Website | aws.amazon.com |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service integrations
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service lists 16 integrations on its own site.
- Amazon EC2
- AWS Fargate
- Amazon Elastic Load Balancing
- AWS Identity and Access Management
- Amazon Virtual Private Cloud
- AWS CloudTrail
- AWS Backup
- AWS CloudFormation
- AWS CodeConnections
- Amazon Detective
- Amazon GuardDuty
- AWS Local Zones
- AWS Resilience Hub
- AWS Secrets Manager
- AWS Security Lake
- Amazon VPC Lattice
See all Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service integrations →
Alternatives to Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service
- KubernetesA flexible, open-source foundation for broad Kubernetes container orchestration needs.9.4
- Azure Kubernetes ServiceA strong Azure-native choice for managed Kubernetes, scaling, governance, and hybrid deployment.9.2
- Kubermatic Kubernetes PlatformA broad, open-source Kubernetes control plane for teams managing clusters across many environments.9.0
See all Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service alternatives →
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service vs the competition
- Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service vs Kubernetes
- Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service vs Azure Kubernetes Service
- Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service vs Kubermatic Kubernetes Platform
- Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service vs Rancher
- Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service vs Google Kubernetes Engine
- Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service vs KubeSphere
Compare Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service is ranked in 4 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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