TL;DR: AWS offers 4+ ways to run containers, but most are overkill for small teams. ECS + Fargate = free control plane, 3 concepts to learn, no servers to manage. Compare deployment steps, features, and costs below.
AWS is the undisputed leader in cloud computing, but that doesn't make it the right choice for every project.
For developers who want to deploy containers without becoming cloud architects, AWS can feel like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame.
The AWS Container Problem
AWS offers multiple ways to run containers:
- ECS — AWS's native container orchestration
- EKS — Managed Kubernetes ($73/month control plane)
- App Runner — Simplified container deployment
- Fargate — Serverless containers (no EC2 to manage)
Each comes with its own learning curve, pricing model, IAM permissions, and networking setup.
Deployment Comparison
Deploying on AWS ECS (Direct)
- Set up VPC, subnets, security groups, IAM roles
- Create ECR repository, build and push image
- Create task definition (100+ lines of JSON)
- Create ECS cluster and service
- Set up load balancer and SSL
Time: 2-4 hours (first time)
Deploying with Abstraction
- Click "New Container"
- Select repository and branch
- Click "Deploy"
Time: 5 minutes
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Abstracted Platform | AWS ECS Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Time to deploy | 5 minutes | 2-4 hours |
| SSL Certificates | Automatic | Manual (ACM) |
| Custom domains | Built-in | ALB + Route53 |
| Learning curve | None | Steep |
| Pause containers | Yes | No |
| CI/CD pipeline | Automatic | Manual (CodePipeline) |
| Log management | Built-in dashboard | CloudWatch setup |
When to Use Each
Use AWS directly when you need:
- Enterprise scale with specific compliance requirements
- Deep AWS service integrations (RDS, ElastiCache, SQS, etc.)
- Existing AWS investment and team expertise
- Multi-region with custom networking
Use an abstraction platform when you need:
- Speed over complexity
- Cost-effective development and staging
- Simple web applications and APIs
- Small teams without dedicated DevOps
Cost Comparison
For a small API running 24/7:
| Item | AWS Direct | Abstracted |
|---|---|---|
| Compute (Fargate) | ~$30/month | Included |
| Load Balancer (ALB) | ~$18/month | Included |
| NAT Gateway | ~$15/month | Included |
| SSL (ACM) | Free | Included |
| Total | ~$63+/month | $9/month |
The hidden costs of AWS (ALB, NAT Gateway, data transfer) add up fast for small projects.
The Mental Model Difference
AWS ECS: 10+ Concepts
VPC, Subnets, Security Groups, IAM Roles, ECR, Task Definitions, Services, Clusters, Target Groups, Load Balancers, Route53, ACM...
Abstracted: 3 Concepts
Repository, Container, Deploy.
Key Takeaways
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is AWS too complex for small teams? | For containers, yes — unless you use an abstraction |
| Is EKS worth $73/month control plane? | Not for most startups |
| Can you get AWS-grade infra without the complexity? | Yes — platforms built on ECS/Fargate handle this |
| When does raw AWS make sense? | Enterprise scale, compliance, deep integrations |
AWS is incredibly powerful. But power without simplicity is just complexity. For most container deployments, an abstraction layer gives you 90% of the benefit at 10% of the effort.
Top comments (0)