GKE, AKS, and EKS Cost Comparison: Which is the Best Option for Your Kubernetes Cluster?
The choice of container management platform is crucial, and one of the deciding factors is usually cost. Today, we will compare the costs of three top options: Amazon EKS, Azure AKS, and Google GKE in the context of Kubernetes.
To consider this, I will compare the costs of primary nodes, standard worker nodes, and serverless options. In addition, savings options such as reserved instances, spot instances, or savings plans are not being considered. In addition, Storage or Networking costs are not being taken into account.
EKS vs. AKS vs. GKE: A Cost Comparison
1. Cluster Service Fees
EKS: Amazon EKS charges hourly rates of $0.10 for each cluster you run.
AKS: Azure AKS has a similar pricing model, with hourly rates per cluster of $0.10. In addition to having a premium option of 0.60 USD per hour.
GKE: Google GKE also bills hourly, around $0.10, but its pricing structure may vary by location.
2. Computing Resources
For this test, images with 8Gb of RAM and 2CPUs are considered.
EKS: Amazon EKS allows you to use EC2 nodes. The t3.2xlarge instance costs $60.74 per month.
AKS: Azure AKS uses virtual nodes, and costs are based on your chosen VM SKUs, around 60.74 USD per month.
GKE: Google GKE offers Google Compute Engine (GCE) nodes; costs depend on VM configuration and region, around 48.92 USD per month.
3. Serverless (Fargate, Cloud Run, Container Instances)
1CPU and 2GB RAM nodes are considered.
AWS Fargate: Estimated Cost: (720 hours x $0.040) + (720 hours x $0.005) = $28.80 + $3.60 = $32.40
Google Cloud Run: Estimated cost: (30 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds) x $0.000024 = $62.21
Azure Container Instances: Estimated cost: (720 hours x $0.05) + (720 hours x $0.01) = $36 + $7.20 = $43.20
It is important to note that costs vary significantly based on usage and geographic location. Before deciding, it is essential to carefully analyze your needs and compare prices based on your specific use case.
In short, the choice between EKS, AKS, and GKE is about technical characteristics and costs. Carefully evaluate your requirements and budget before making a final decision. If you are going to use Dedicated Nodes, GKE is much cheaper. However, AWS EKS has a greater variety of node types for different workloads.
On the other hand, if you use Serverless Nodes, AWS Fargate stands out as the cheapest alternative. However, the other two options must be taken into account. They are easier to use, as they have a friendlier and more understandable interface.
The choice between serverless VMs and containers will depend on your workload and management preferences. Considering cost, flexibility, performance, and other factors relevant to your application is essential. Before deciding, we recommend evaluating your needs and testing different options to find the solution that best suits your cloud use case.
Enjoy deploying!
