Amazon EKS Reviews

Name: Amazon EKS
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4.2 (61 reviews)

4.2 out of 5

61 reviews
96% willing to recommend

What is Amazon EKS?

Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) is a fully managed Kubernetes service. Customers such as Intel, Snap, Intuit, GoDaddy, and Autodesk trust EKS to run their most sensitive and mission critical applications because of its security, reliability, and scalability.

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Amazon EKS is the #2 ranked solution in Container Management software and #18 ranked solution in Container Security Solutions. PeerSpot users give Amazon EKS an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Amazon EKS is most commonly compared to Microsoft Defender for Cloud: Amazon EKS vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Amazon EKS is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 67% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 21% of all views.

Helped 865,384 peers since 2012

Featured Amazon EKS reviews

Rock Wang

cloud architect at selfstarter

The most beneficial aspect of Amazon EKS is that it helps manage the Kubernetes master node, so I don't need to maintain the master node, including tasks like upgrading. This allows me to focus on business code. If using services like Fargate, I only need to maintain my workload, simply uploading code that will be deployed to the Kubernetes cluster. This is especially beneficial for startup companies that lack the technical resources to manage the Kubernetes cluster. Furthermore, Amazon EKS allows me to utilize Kubernetes cluster-level expansion. If there’s insufficient resource on a machine, the cluster can automatically expand to add new nodes.

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Yossi Shmulevitch

Owner at SoftContact

Regarding the flexibility part, if I want to use something such as Kong/Linkerd service mesh or other solutions, most of the CSPs bind you to their own solutions rather than allow other options to be made and integrated with, and this is what I mostly miss in their part. In terms of built-in observability in Amazon EKS, I know it's mostly about the great integration with AWS itself. When I want to integrate it with any Grafana or Prometheus solution within AWS, things work efficiently with IAM. However, when I want to cross the boundary of the CSP, that becomes an issue. Integrating some open-source solutions works, but I need to work really hard for that. The major area for improvement I've seen involves deep diving into one CSP with no equivalent solution elsewhere. The most important consideration is about the pricing and the flexibility of moving and building a multi-cloud environment for most customers. The issue is that when CSPs try to lock you in, flexibility becomes the most critical aspect. Amazon aims to put you in a very Amazon-centric environment, but you need to be aware when you're using Amazon EKS that you're not locked in. The major paradigm for customers with maturity in using cloud solutions is to avoid vendor lock-in. Most early adopters understand this, but the main mass, such as the banking companies I work with, aren't in the same state of mind; they need to build everything from a Cloud Native perspective with as much OSS as possible.

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Bavan Balakrishnan

Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security

We initially had some issues getting the logging out of it, because what they're providing into CloudTrail is what we get. If we wanted to go in-depth, we had to deploy third-party tools. We did try the sidecar way of getting the logs. Ideally, if the platform was able to provide those kinds of valuable logs, that would be beneficial. Adding enhanced logging capabilities would be a nice improvement.

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Amazon EKS mindshare

Product category:

As of August 2025, the mindshare of Amazon EKS in the Container Management category stands at 11.5%, down from 14.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Container Management

PeerResearch reports based on Amazon EKS reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Container Management	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon EKS vs Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon EKS vs VMware Tanzu Platform	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon EKS vs Kubernetes	Aug 20, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Microsoft Defender for Cloud	4.0	1.1%	94%	78 interviews Add to research
Red Hat OpenShift	4.2	2.4%	95%	62 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Amazon EKS offers valuable features such as autoscaling, ease of use, Kubernetes orchestration, and integration with AWS services. Users appreciate its scalability, security, and managed infrastructure, simplifying deployment and management. EKS supports multi-cloud systems and enhances operational efficiency with automation, quick setup, and cost-effectiveness. Its compatibility with tools like Fargate and Terraform, observability, and networking capabilities make EKS a preferred choice for deploying containerized applications efficiently.

"You can save in terms of time because you can raise up a cluster or more nodes, and you can raise up the storage of the particular node in a few minutes."
"The main benefits from using Amazon EKS include it being a well-tested product that we can use to deploy our workload; its management system is very efficient, we can deploy things very easily and resolve our issues efficiently, and it has deep AWS integration and a managed control plane."
"Based on my experience, the best features are backed up with extensive security that AWS allows and is firmly integrated into their entire AWS cloud."

Room for Improvement

Amazon EKS users indicate that improving aspects such as stability, user interface, and setup process would be beneficial. Challenges include compatibility with external plugins, integration with other services, and cost concerns, especially for medium-sized users. Users also see needs for enhanced networking, security alignment, logging, and role management. Upgrade processes and documentation require enhancements for a smoother experience. The infrastructure's flexibility and configuration process, along with native AWS management integration, are also cited as areas needing attention.

"For a few of the cluster upgrades that got stuck, we connect with Amazon tech support, as we have business support with Amazon."
"The major area for improvement I've seen involves deep diving into one CSP with no equivalent solution elsewhere."
"The documentation should be easier to understand for beginners. It needs to be straightforward and easily grouped together because information tends to be scattered."

ROI

Amazon EKS is viewed as a cost-effective choice compared to on-premises setups and provides a return on investment. Users appreciate the easy scalability and security. Some preferences are noted towards other options like Google Kubernetes Engine due to potential cost savings. The platform is praised for time efficiency in managing clusters and nodes, with operational expenses noted. Legal constraints may limit full adoption despite seeing many benefits. Overall, the service is valued by users for its affordability and convenience.

Pricing

Amazon EKS offers a flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing model without upfront licensing costs, allowing enterprises to pay based on CPU hours or machine types used. Though some find EKS more expensive than Google Cloud or Azure, others appreciate its cost-effectiveness and competitive pricing. Pricing depends on instance types, network bandwidth, and scaling, but high operational costs remain a concern for smaller businesses. Discounts for heavy users, subscription options, and advanced payments can mitigate expenses.

"The product pricing depends on the specific requirements."
"The product is available at such a huge scale in the market since the resources that are offered under the tool are competitively priced and available at a much cheaper rate compared to other solutions."
"Amazon EKS is not a cheap solution."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use Amazon EKS for managing and deploying containerized applications in the AWS cloud. They implement it for Kubernetes application management, production workloads, microservices, and autoscaling capabilities. It supports various industries, including healthcare, finance, and ecommerce. Companies leverage its ability to handle high-performance, scalable environments, offering robust system reliability and easy cluster management. Amazon EKS is integral to DevOps pipelines, migration projects, and securing cloud-based infrastructures, providing efficient scaling and infrastructure automation.

Service and Support

Users generally find Amazon EKS support efficient and responsive. Issues are often resolved promptly, with some noting fast assistance. Documentation is useful, but at times, users need to rely on their own expertise. Paid plans receive quicker responses. Some users experience variable success in problem resolution, while others highlight the helpfulness of AWS support staff. Expertise varies, but most users rate support highly, ranging from seven to nine out of ten.

Deployment

Amazon EKS setup varies from straightforward for experienced teams using tools like Terraform, to challenging for those navigating it for the first time. Some report a quick 15-30 minute setup, while others mention complexities requiring days. Familiarity with Kubernetes and infrastructure code aids the process. The console simplifies it, but understanding role permissions is crucial. Teams using automation find setup easier and more efficient.

Scalability

Amazon EKS demonstrates impressive scalability, as companies report seamless handling of large user bases and fluctuations in resource demands. Organizations experience efficient scaling in Kubernetes orchestration without significant issues. Cluster autoscaling, the ability to efficiently upscale or downscale as needed, and features like the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler are praised. While there are occasional challenges during scaling, the benefits of automated resource management and enhanced operational efficiency make Amazon EKS a preferred choice for many enterprises.

Stability

Amazon EKS exhibits strong stability. Many users attest to its dependable performance, rating it eight to ten out of ten. Improvements have been noted in the latest editions, and proactive management enhances reliability. Some isolated network connectivity incidents were reported, often attributed to external factors. Overall, Amazon EKS is highly stable, widely appreciated for its robust infrastructure and consistent performance within diverse environments, though configuration issues can occasionally impact performance.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Amazon EKS Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

21%

Computer Software Company

11%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

Energy/Utilities Company

University

Educational Organization

Transportation Company

Media Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Performing Arts

Non Profit

Hospitality Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Consumer Goods Company

Legal Firm

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Wholesaler/Distributor

Recruiting/Hr Firm

Logistics Company

Leisure / Travel Company

Wellness & Fitness Company

Compare Amazon EKS with alternative products

Learn more about Amazon EKS

EKS is the best place to run Kubernetes for several reasons. First, you can choose to run your EKS clusters using AWS Fargate, which is serverless compute for containers. Fargate removes the need to provision and manage servers, lets you specify and pay for resources per application, and improves security through application isolation by design. Second, EKS is deeply integrated with services such as Amazon CloudWatch, Auto Scaling Groups, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), providing you a seamless experience to monitor, scale, and load-balance your applications. Third, EKS integrates with AWS App Mesh and provides a Kubernetes native experience to consume service mesh features and bring rich observability, traffic controls and security features to applications. Additionally, EKS provides a scalable and highly-available control plane that runs across multiple availability zones to eliminate a single point of failure.
EKS runs upstream Kubernetes and is certified Kubernetes conformant so you can leverage all benefits of open source tooling from the community. You can also easily migrate any standard Kubernetes application to EKS without needing to refactor your code.

Amazon EKS was previously known as Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service.