AWS Knowledge
Understanding the Amazon EKS Pricing and Costs
Piyush Kalra
Nov 8, 2024
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service makes it easy to manage Kubernetes workloads in the cloud. Through Amazon EKS, which provides Kubernetes as a service, container deployment, scaling, and patching are also easy. However, its flexibility comes with a price structure that can overwhelm even the most seasoned DevOps professionals.
Thus, this blog will explain Amazon EKS pricing through manageable parts and some insights that can allow for effective cost management. Whether you are just getting started with Kubernetes on AWS or refining your cloud container management approach, this guide will be useful.
What Is Amazon EKS?
Amazon EKS is a managed service within the AWS cloud environment. It focuses on deploying containerized applications at any given scale without the need to manage the infrastructure underneath it. As a result of this feature, many processes, like deployment and even scaling, become very easy for the user. This way, developers will be able to concentrate more on application building.
Instead, Other Key Features of Amazon EKS include using AWS Security Features, Building Kubernetes across various regions, Integrating multiple AWS Services, and Easy cluster Management. Moreover, it also supports Kubernetes Applications regardless of complexity, whether they be multi-container applications, global microservices, or stateful apps.
Why Choose Amazon EKS Over Other Services?
There are several reasons why this fully managed service is a preferred option for many organizations looking to leverage Kubernetes, one of which is Amazon EKS:
Fully Managed Control Plane: Unlike other services that might require more resources, EKS offers a managed control plane, meaning that it automatically manages the control plane, ensuring HA and lowering operational costs.
Seamless AWS Integration: Who does not want more control over management and increased overall operation? Well, EKS offers that by allowing smooth integration of AWS services like IAM for security, CloudWatch for monitoring, and a VPC for networking.
Flexible Compute Options: For a greater degree of control, users are allowed to select between EC2 instances, or alternatively, they could go with AWS Fargate and enjoy the benefits of serverless computing.
Cost-Effective Scaling: With EKS, users can enjoy a wide range of functions, including dynamic scaling and the ability to use Spot Instances, which guarantees optimal costs according to usage.
Security Features: EKS has proven to enhance application security thanks to AWS IAM security integration, application firewalls, and VPC infrastructure-level security networking.
Moreover, if you have a workload that is Kubernetes or multi-cloud capable, Amazon EKS (as opposed to ECS) would be a better fit as it is a Kubernetes standard.
How Amazon EKS Works
Kubernetes Architecture
Kubernetes manages collections of computers known as worker nodes(s). These computers contain containers running applications. The Kubernetes control plane, which includes API servers and controller managers, is responsible for controlling the cluster and its essential features, such as scheduling, scaling, and heartening the clustered systems. The worker nodes of the data plane are tasked with running containers, also known as pods.
Amazon EKS swathes the operational workload by handling the Kubernetes control plane while also increasing its redundancy by spreading it throughout various AWS Availability Zones.
Managed vs. Self-Managed Kubernetes Clusters
Kubernetes clusters that run on EKS managed by AWS come with automation modules and better security and are easier to scale because upgrades and management of the control plane are done by AWS. On the other hand, customers have to create, manage, and secure their plane, which self-hosted clusters do not come with.
Deep Dive Into Amazon EKS Pricing
There are a few categories that form the basis of the overall EKS pricing. Amazon has also outlined the costs in a breakdown in the notes. Let's look at each one of these.
1. Control Plane Costs
A flat fee of $0.10 per hour per AWS EKS cluster, regardless of activity level.
Even when no worker nodes are connected, this cost applies. Running one cluster 24/7 for a month totals approximately $72/month.
For Kubernetes versions under extended support, an additional $0.60 per hour per cluster applies.
2. Worker Node Costs
EC2 instance has the ability to host a wide range of worker nodes in a scalable manner, its cost however is determined by the kind of instance being generated and the relevant configuration.
EC2 Instance Costs
Prices vary by instance type and are billed hourly. For instance, t3.medium costs ~$0.0416/hour, translating to approximately $30/month per instance.
On-Demand vs Spot Instances
On-demand instances offer flexibility but at a higher cost.
Spot Instances can reduce costs by up to 90%, making them ideal for non-critical workloads.
Autoscaling Costs
Autoescalation dynamically modifies worker node amounts by application demand, clearly reducing overall cost during off hours.
3. Data Transfer Costs
Within the VPC (Virtual Private Cloud): No charge.
Outside the AWS Region or to the internet: Charged per GB (e.g., $0.09 per GB for standard data transfer).
If using an Elastic Load Balancer (ELB), you incur additional costs based on the data processed.
4. Storage Costs
Persistent storage like an EBS is not included in the basic EKS pricing. The cost per se includes the amount of storage space and the type of storage provided. For example, SSD volumes are charged $0.10 per GB stored for a month.
5. AWS Fargate Pricing for Kubernetes
AWS Fargate does away with the need to handle EC2 instances for serverless computing. Cost estimates include every vCPU and every GB consumed.
Example Cost Breakdown (3 pods, each with 0.5 vCPU and 1 GB memory):
vCPU cost = ~$0.04048/vCPU-hour
Memory cost = ~$0.004445/GB-hour
Monthly total = ~$97.24
Additional Pricing Benefits
Spot Instances for Cost Reduction
Cloud service costs can be easily minimized by using Spot Instances. These significantly cheaper EC2 On-Demand instances are useful for users with low pricing capabilities or simply wishing and wanting. They are relevant for computation that is non-time-sensitive and can be interrupted. Typically, late-stage development and batch processing use Spot Instances, which helps the cloud provider receive payments for their service while offering substantially lower prices themselves.
AWS Savings Plans and Reserved Instances
Savings Plans To cover fluctuating workloads, AWS offers savings plans that help reduce unexpected expenditures when reserving a specific amount of usage time over 1 to 3 years.
Reserved Instances are best for services that don’t have many fluctuations. They allow Ger to cover over 70% of discounts while reserving server space for up to 3 years across multiple instance types, which helps with covering predictable workload issues.
Case Study: Optimizing H2O.ai's EKS Costs
H2O.ai provides several great platforms that allow all businesses to develop the models, insights, and configurations they want quickly. Seeking expansion and optimum cloud computing resources, they decided to use Amazon EKS, which serves well with operational efficiency and AWS interactivity.
Building an architecture that implements Amazon EKS translates into a secure infrastructure for clients with various individual configurations.
Eradicating the need for a self-hosted Kubernetes solution allows us to better optimize infrastructure resources management.
Provides a comprehensive and easily customized system that encourages expansion.
Aggregates more than 300 AI models and has accomplished an increase of 20% in customers monthly.
Guarantees that modifications will be published and disseminated efficiently and without interruptions across all users.
Tools and Tips for Cutting Amazon EKS Costs
Here are actionable steps to manage costs effectively on Amazon EKS.
Tools for Monitoring Costs
AWS Cost Explorer helps find and examine spending on AWS services, including providing cost visualization, spending analysis, and finding cost savings potential.
Kubecost offers specific measurements of costs in Kubernetes settings, pointing out under-used resources and the potential for better EKS applications
Practical Cost Optimization Tips
Right-Size Instances: Select compute optimally for the workload in terms of memory and CPU requirements for execution purposes and control large provisioning to save costs. On a periodic basis, track utilization using AWS CloudWatch or AWS Compute Optimizer to determine and validate the size of the instance.
Use Autoscaling: Apply Cluster Autoscaler and Horizontal Pod Autoscaler for nodes and pods that correspond to the load, and then you will be charged for these resources.
Leverage Spot Instances: Time-flexible and interruptible workloads should be shifted towards the use of Spot Instances, which are 75-90% cheaper than On-demand instances.
Analyze Resource Utilization: Use AWS CloudWatch along with Kubecost to consistently track CPU and memory metrics. To avoid excess spending, restrictions should be placed on idle nodes and pods.
Optimize Storage: Limit unnecessary spending by determining policies for snapshots and limiting data to be saved by controlling the frequency of snapshots. Analyze and erase extraneous information consistently.
Conclusion
Amazon EKS pricing metrics are generally best understood when it comes to controlling and optimizing your K8s workloads. Once the costing is done for the control plane, the cost for the worker nodes and Fargate and storage features are included as well, and the expenditure can be controlled effectively. This includes factors such as potential savings of up to 30%.
Rethink your Amazon EKS configuration and evaluate your current set of options using AWS specialists or Kubecost to manage your expenses effectively. Once the right strategies are in place, not only can costs be reduced, but you can also explore how to get the most out of Kubernetes on AWS.
Do you require assistance in improving the performance of your Amazon EKS setup? Schedule a consultation with an Amazon EKS Expert or take the help of an AWS Pricing Calculator now.
Join Pump for Free
If you found this post interesting, consider checking out Pump, which can save you up to 60% off AWS for early-stage startups, and it’s completely free (yes, that's right!). Pump has tailor-made solutions to take you in control of your AWS and GCP spend in an effective way. So, are you ready to take charge of cloud expenses and maximize the most from your investment in AWS? Learn more here.
