AWS Fargate vs Azure Container Instances
When it comes to choosing a container deployment platform, the competition between AWS Fargate and Azure Container Instances can leave you feeling a little bit lost in the clouds. But don't worry! The Flare Compare team is here to help you figure out which one to use.
Containers 101
Before we dive into the specifics of AWS Fargate and Azure Container Instances, let's first discuss what containers are. Containers are a way to package software in a way that isolates it from the rest of the system. This enables a deployment methodology called "immutable infrastructure," which means that the infrastructure is never changed after it has been deployed. This makes it much easier to deploy and roll back to previous versions of your software.
AWS Fargate
AWS Fargate is a serverless container deployment service that is part of Amazon's Elastic Container Services (ECS). With Fargate, you don't have to worry about managing servers or scaling the underlying infrastructure. You simply define how much CPU and RAM you need for each container and Fargate takes care of the rest.
Pricing
AWS Fargate pricing is based on the amount of vCPU and memory resources that you use. At the time of writing (September 2021), the pricing starts at $0.04048 per vCPU per hour and $0.004445 per GB of memory per hour.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Easy to use and manage
- Serverless (no need to worry about underlying infrastructure)
- Integration with other AWS services like CloudWatch and VPC
Cons:
- Higher pricing when compared to other container deployment options
- Limited availability zones
Azure Container Instances
Azure Container Instances is a serverless container deployment service that is part of Microsoft's Azure platform. With Container Instances, you don't need to manage any servers, clusters, or VMs. You simply tell Azure the amount of CPU and memory you need, and it will run your containers.
Pricing
Azure Container Instances pricing is based on the amount of vCPU and memory resources that you use, as well as the number of seconds your containers are running. At the time of writing (September 2021), the pricing starts at $0.0000125 per vCPU per second and $0.000004 per GB of memory per second.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Extremely low pricing options
- Run containers without having to manage the underlying infrastructure
- Integration with other Azure services like Azure Functions and Azure Kubernetes Service
Cons:
- Limited support for customization
- No support for orchestrating containers at scale
Comparison
| AWS Fargate | Azure Container Instances |
|---|---|
| Higher pricing | Extremely low pricing options |
| Serverless | Serverless |
| Integration with other AWS services | Integration with other Azure services |
| Limited availability zones | No support for orchestrating containers at scale |
As we can see, both AWS Fargate and Azure Container Instances are serverless container deployment services, but with different pricing models and integration options. Depending on what you're looking for in a container deployment service, either option could be the right fit. It's important to carefully weigh the pros and cons of each before making a decision.
Conclusion
Now that we've compared AWS Fargate and Azure Container Instances, it's up to you to decide which one meets your container deployment needs best. Remember to take into account factors like pricing, integration options, and customization capabilities. Whichever option you choose, be sure to keep your head out of the clouds and your containers running smoothly!