Fargate vs EKS: Why You Should Always Start with AWS ECS Fargate

Introduction: The Myth of Kubernetes as the Default

Kubernetes has become the gold standard for container orchestration, but does every startup really need AWS EKS Fargate? The short answer: No. Unless you have a dedicated platform engineer with Kubernetes experience, running EKS Fargate can quickly turn into an operational nightmare.

AWS ECS Fargate, on the other hand, provides a simpler, cost-effective, and fully managed solution that requires zero cluster maintenance. While Kubernetes excels in complex, multi-cluster environments, ECS Fargate is the right tool for 90% of containerized workloads—especially for startups and small teams.

Let’s dive into the real differences between these two services and why starting with Fargate makes more sense.

1. AWS ECS Fargate: The Simple, Cost-Effective Choice

Amazon ECS Fargate is a fully managed serverless container platform. Unlike EKS Fargate, there’s no need to worry about Kubernetes clusters, control planes, or complex networking configurations.

Why Choose ECS Fargate?

• No Cluster Management – AWS manages everything under the hood.
• Lower Operational Overhead – No need to hire Kubernetes specialists.
• Better Cost Efficiency – You only pay for running tasks, avoiding cluster management costs.
• Faster Onboarding – Deploying workloads takes minutes, not days.

When Does ECS Fargate Make Sense?

• You’re running microservices and need a simple way to deploy containers.
• You don’t have a DevOps team to maintain complex Kubernetes infrastructure.
• You want to minimize infrastructure management and focus on application logic.

For teams that just need containers running without headaches, ECS Fargate is the clear winner.

2. AWS EKS Fargate: The Kubernetes Beast

Amazon EKS Fargate runs Kubernetes workloads in a serverless fashion, but it doesn’t eliminate Kubernetes complexity. The Kubernetes control plane still needs upgrades, monitoring, and networking configuration—all of which require expertise.

The Hidden Costs of EKS Fargate

• Platform Upgrades – Kubernetes isn’t static. You need to maintain and upgrade clusters regularly.
• Operational Complexity – Managing networking, service discovery, and ingress is non-trivial.
• Specialized Knowledge Required – You’ll need a Kubernetes expert or spend months learning it.
• Slow Time-to-Value – Setting up EKS takes longer compared to ECS.

When Does EKS Fargate Make Sense?

• You’re already running Kubernetes workloads and want to offload worker node management.
• You have a Kubernetes specialist or a dedicated platform engineering team.
• You need Kubernetes-native features like Helm, CRDs, and Kubernetes networking.

If your startup is still figuring out its product-market fit, diving into EKS too early can be a costly distraction.

3. Cost Comparison: ECS Fargate vs EKS Fargate

Let’s talk numbers. While both services eliminate EC2 instance management, EKS Fargate incurs additional costs due to Kubernetes control plane fees and networking overhead.

For small teams, the extra operational costs of EKS quickly add up—making ECS the more cost-efficient choice.

4. Scaling and Performance: Do You Really Need Kubernetes?

A common misconception is that EKS Fargate scales better than ECS. The reality? ECS Fargate scales just fine for most applications.

ECS Fargate Scaling

• Supports automatic scaling with AWS Application Auto Scaling.
• Works seamlessly with service discovery and ALB integration.
• Less latency when launching tasks since AWS doesn’t need to spin up Kubernetes pods.

EKS Fargate Scaling

• Scaling decisions require Kubernetes Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA).
• Cluster upgrades can cause downtime if mismanaged.
• You need Kubernetes expertise to fine-tune performance.

Unless you have specific Kubernetes needs, ECS Fargate handles scaling just fine for 90% of workloads.

5. When to Migrate from ECS to EKS?

There are cases where EKS becomes necessary. Large-scale, multi-region, or hybrid-cloud workloads benefit from Kubernetes orchestration. But for most companies, sticking with ECS until you outgrow it is the best approach.

Consider migrating to EKS only when:

• You have a dedicated DevOps team to manage Kubernetes.
• Your workloads demand Kubernetes-specific features like Istio or multi-cluster setups.
• You’re running on multiple cloud providers and need Kubernetes for portability.

Otherwise, ECS Fargate keeps things simple, cost-effective, and easy to manage.

Conclusion: Start with Fargate, Graduate to EKS (If Needed)

If your goal is to deploy and scale containers quickly, start with ECS Fargate. AWS manages everything, cutting down on complexity and cost.

Jumping straight into EKS Fargate might seem like a future-proof choice, but it’s a beast that requires Kubernetes expertise. Without proper management, it can consume engineering time and resources that could be spent on product development.

Rule of thumb:

• For startups & small teams → ECS Fargate.
• For Kubernetes-heavy environments → EKS Fargate (if you have a specialist).

Choose wisely, and don’t let infrastructure management become a distraction from building great products.

AWS ECS Fargate vs AWS EKS