{"id":31417,"date":"2026-10-06T16:10:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T09:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renovacloud.com\/?p=31417"},"modified":"2026-10-06T16:11:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T09:11:25","slug":"what-is-amazon-eks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renovacloud.com\/en\/what-is-amazon-eks\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Amazon EKS? Kubernetes on AWS \u2014 Architecture, Pricing, and EKS vs ECS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amazon EKS (Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service) is a managed service from AWS that runs Kubernetes for you. AWS looks after the “brain” of the cluster, and your team focuses on deploying and running applications in containers. In short, EKS gives you standard Kubernetes on AWS without the job of building and patching the control servers yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have been asking what is Amazon EKS and whether your company needs it, this guide explains it in plain language. You will learn how EKS works, what it costs in 2026, how it compares with Amazon ECS, and how to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Amazon EKS?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Amazon EKS is a service that lets you run<\/span> Kubernetes<\/span><\/a> on AWS while AWS handles the hardest parts of keeping it running. Kubernetes is free, open-source software that starts, stops, scales, and repairs containers across a group of servers. Google first built it, and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) now looks after it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kubernetes is powerful, and it is also a lot of work to run on your own. Someone has to set up the management servers, keep them patched, back up the database that stores cluster settings, and fix things at 2 a.m. when they break.<\/span> Amazon EKS<\/span><\/a> takes that work away. AWS sets up the management layer, spreads it across several data centers, and keeps it healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because EKS runs standard Kubernetes, the tools your developers already know will work as normal. That includes kubectl, Helm, and Argo CD. An app that runs on Kubernetes somewhere else will run on EKS with little or no change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kubernetes has become the normal way to run containers. The<\/span> CNCF Annual Cloud Native Survey<\/span><\/a> published in January 2026 found that 82% of container users run Kubernetes in production. For companies already on AWS, EKS is usually the easiest way to join them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/span> The Comparison of AWS ECS vs Kubernetes<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

How Does Amazon EKS Work?<\/b><\/h2>\n

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An EKS cluster has two parts. The control plane makes decisions, such as where each container should run. The data plane is the set of servers where your containers actually run. AWS owns the first part, and you own the second, unless you hand it to AWS too.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Control Plane (Managed by AWS)<\/b><\/h3>\n

The control plane holds the Kubernetes API server, the scheduler, and a database called etcd that remembers the state of everything in the cluster. EKS runs these across three Availability Zones, which are separate data centers in the same AWS region. If one data center has a problem, the cluster keeps working. AWS also scales and patches the control plane, so you never size or update those servers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worker Nodes (Where Your Apps Run)<\/b><\/h3>\n

Worker nodes are usually<\/span> Amazon EC2<\/span><\/a> servers that join your cluster. You pick the server type that suits the job. Small general-purpose servers work well for websites and APIs. GPU servers suit AI training. These nodes live inside your own<\/span> Amazon VPC<\/span><\/a>, which is your private network on AWS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Networking<\/b><\/h3>\n

EKS uses the<\/span> Amazon VPC CNI plugin<\/span><\/a>, which gives each container group (called a pod) its own IP address in your VPC. Pods can reach your databases and internal systems the same way any other AWS server can. One thing to plan for early: every pod uses an IP address, so give your subnets plenty of room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Access and Security<\/b><\/h3>\n

EKS works with<\/span> AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)<\/span><\/a>. Your engineers log in to the cluster with their normal AWS accounts. For apps,<\/span> EKS Pod Identity<\/span><\/a> gives each pod its own set of permissions. Your payment service can read one storage bucket, and your reporting service can read a different one, with no passwords stored in the cluster.<\/span><\/p>\n

Storage and Traffic<\/b><\/h3>\n

Apps that need to save data can use<\/span> Amazon EBS<\/span><\/a> for storage tied to one pod, or<\/span> Amazon EFS<\/span><\/a> for shared storage that many pods can use at once. To let users reach your apps, the AWS Load Balancer Controller creates<\/span> Elastic Load Balancing<\/span><\/a> resources for you. Application Load Balancers handle web traffic, and Network Load Balancers handle high-volume network traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n

>>> Read more:<\/i><\/b> Driving Financial Innovation: A Leading Bank’s Adoption of AWS Landing Zone and EKS<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

What Are the Compute Options on Amazon EKS?<\/b><\/h2>\n

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You can run your containers on EKS in five main ways. The choice affects your monthly bill and how much server work your team takes on. Here is a side-by-side view.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Option<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Who manages the servers<\/b><\/td>\nGood for<\/b><\/td>\n\n

Watch out for<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Managed node groups<\/span><\/td>\nYou pick the servers, AWS helps with setup and updates<\/span><\/td>\nTeams that want to choose exact server types<\/span><\/td>\nYou still plan capacity and start upgrades<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Self-managed nodes<\/span><\/td>\nYou do everything<\/span><\/td>\nCustom server images or strict compliance rules<\/span><\/td>\nThe most hands-on work<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
AWS Fargate<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nAWS, with no servers for you to see<\/span><\/td>\nSmall apps, batch jobs, traffic that comes and goes<\/span><\/td>\nNo GPU support, higher cost per unit<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EKS Auto Mode<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nAWS, using managed Karpenter<\/span><\/td>\nTeams new to Kubernetes who want less to manage<\/span><\/td>\nAn extra fee on each server<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EKS Anywhere<\/span><\/a> and Hybrid Nodes<\/span><\/td>\nYou run the hardware in your own data center<\/span><\/td>\nData that must stay on-site<\/span><\/td>\nYou still maintain the physical machines<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

EKS Auto Mode is the easiest place to start for most teams. It uses<\/span> Karpenter<\/span><\/a>, an open-source tool, to add servers when your apps need more room and remove them when they sit idle. It also keeps the server operating system (<\/span>Bottlerocket<\/span><\/a>) up to date and replaces every server at least once every 21 days, so old, unpatched machines do not pile up. You can still mix Auto Mode servers with your own in the same cluster. The<\/span> AWS guide to EKS Auto Mode<\/span><\/a> covers when it fits.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Much Does Amazon EKS Cost?<\/b><\/h2>\n

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Amazon EKS costs $0.10 per cluster per hour, which is about $73 a month, plus whatever you spend on servers, storage, and networking. The cluster fee is small. The servers are where most of your money goes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prices below are for US regions and come from the<\/span> official Amazon EKS pricing<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cluster Fee and Why Upgrades Matter<\/b><\/h3>\n

Every Kubernetes version gets 14 months of standard support on EKS. During that time you pay $0.10 per hour per cluster. After 14 months, the cluster moves into extended support for up to 12 more months, and the fee rises to $0.60 per hour. That is about $438 a month, six times the normal price, and it happens automatically. AWS gives worked examples in its<\/span> extended support pricing blog<\/span><\/a>, and you can check version dates on the<\/span> EKS Kubernetes versions page<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Very large clusters with heavy traffic to the Kubernetes API can pay for reserved control plane capacity. These Provisioned Control Plane tiers start at $1.65 per hour for XL and go up to $13.90 per hour for 8XL. Most companies never need them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The EKS Auto Mode Fee<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you turn on Auto Mode, AWS adds a small charge for each server it manages, on top of the normal EC2 price. It is billed by the second. An analysis by<\/span> FactualMinds<\/span><\/a> estimates the extra cost at around 12% of your EC2 spend. For many teams, that costs less than the engineering time needed to manage servers by hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Servers, Storage, and Networking<\/b><\/h3>\n

You pay normal AWS prices for EC2 servers, Fargate usage, EBS storage, load balancers, NAT gateways, and data moving between data centers. Storing container images in<\/span> Amazon ECR<\/span><\/a> also has a small cost, though pulling images inside the same region is free.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

What you pay for<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Price (US regions)<\/b><\/td>\n\n

Roughly per month<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Cluster fee, standard support<\/span><\/td>\n$0.10 per hour<\/span><\/td>\n$73<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cluster fee, extended support<\/span><\/td>\n$0.60 per hour<\/span><\/td>\n$438<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Provisioned Control Plane XL (optional)<\/span><\/td>\n$1.65 per hour, added on<\/span><\/td>\n$1,205<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EKS Auto Mode fee (optional)<\/span><\/td>\nDepends on server type<\/span><\/td>\nAbout 12% on top of EC2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Servers, storage, networking<\/span><\/td>\nNormal AWS rates<\/span><\/td>\nDepends on your apps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Simple ways to keep your EKS bill under control:<\/span><\/p>\n