As businesses modernize and move to the cloud, one key decision developers and IT leaders face is how to deploy and run applications on AWS. Amazon Web Services offers multiple compute services, notably EC2, ECS, and EKS, each suited for different use cases and levels of complexity.
While all three services allow you to run applications on AWS infrastructure, the key difference lies in how they handle application execution, scalability, and infrastructure management. To make informed decisions, it’s essential to first understand the underlying components involved in modern cloud-based application deployment.
Before comparing EC2, ECS, and EKS, it’s important to understand the two key building blocks they are based on: Virtual Machines (VMs) and Containers.
Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) gives you virtual servers in the cloud. You control everything, from operating system installation to application deployment.
Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) is a managed service for running containerized applications. A container includes everything needed to run your app, code, libraries, and system tools, in a compact, portable format.
ECS can run containers on:
Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) lets you run applications using Kubernetes, the most popular open-source container orchestration platform.
Kubernetes gives you advanced control over how and where containers run. EKS takes care of the complex setup, so you can focus on your application.
| Feature | Amazon EC2 | Amazon ECS | Amazon EKS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compute Model | Virtual Machine | Container (Docker) | Container (Kubernetes) |
| Level of Control | Full control over OS and environment | Partial – focus on containers | Partial – control at orchestration level |
| Infrastructure Management | Manual – you manage OS, updates, scaling | Optional (Fargate for serverless) | Managed Kubernetes control plane |
| Container Orchestration | Not built-in | Native AWS scheduler | Full Kubernetes orchestration |
| Scalability | Manual or Auto Scaling Groups | Built-in service/task scaling | Horizontal Pod Autoscaler, Cluster Autoscaler |
| Networking Complexity | Simple (traditional VM networking) | Moderate (task-level ENIs) | Complex (Kubernetes network policies, service mesh) |
| Learning Curve | Moderate | Low to moderate | High – requires Kubernetes knowledge |
| Portability | Lower – tied to specific AMI or EC2 setup | Moderate – Docker standard | High – Kubernetes is cross-cloud compatible |
| Security Management | OS-level patching, IAM, VPC | IAM + task roles + security groups | Fine-grained Kubernetes RBAC + IAM |
| Monitoring and Logging | CloudWatch (instance-level) | CloudWatch (container-level) | CloudWatch + Kubernetes-native tools (Prometheus, Fluentd) |
| Storage Integration | EBS, EFS, instance storage | EFS, Docker volumes | EBS, EFS, dynamic volumes via Kubernetes |
| Deployment Speed | Slower (boot time, manual setup) | Fast – container-based | Moderate – Kubernetes deployment cycle |
| Best Use Case | Custom setups, lift-and-shift, legacy systems | Quick deployment of microservices or APIs | Complex, distributed microservices needing orchestration |
| Serverless Option | Not available | Yes (AWS Fargate) | Yes (EKS with Fargate) |
| Cost Optimization | Manual – rightsizing required | Better with Fargate, per-task pricing | Efficient at scale, but may require tuning |
| Integration with CI/CD | Manual setup required | Strong integration via CodePipeline, CodeDeploy | Full support with GitOps tools (ArgoCD, Flux), CodePipeline |
| Vendor Lock-in | High – tied to AWS EC2 | Moderate – ECS is AWS-native | Low – Kubernetes is portable across clouds |
Whether you’re running a single backend service or orchestrating a large-scale microservices architecture, your compute platform must be aligned with your application’s structure and your team’s capabilities.
Amazon EC2, ECS, and EKS all serve the same goal: to run your applications in the cloud. As we know, the difference lies in the level of control, complexity, and orchestration you need.
Understanding your application’s architecture and future goals will help you select the best AWS compute option for your business.
Whether you’re starting with EC2, modernizing with ECS, or scaling with EKS, opting for AWS consulting services can guide your deployment, optimize your architecture, and help you adopt DevOps best practices tailored to your needs.
