Last year at re:Invent 2024, Amazon unveiled "AWS EKS Auto Mode," promising to simplify Kubernetes cluster management by automating many routine tasks. The core capabilities of Auto Mode are compelling: automated upgrades of the cluster, nodes, and core add-ons; Karpenter-based autoscaling for better resource utilization; and first-class integration with AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB) and Network Load Balancer (NLB).
It's a tempting offering, and we at Kapstan felt it was important to evaluate Auto Mode and its potential benefits for our customers. After a thorough analysis, we've found that while AWS EKS Auto Mode takes a step in the right direction, Kapstan-managed Kubernetes clusters already provide all the capabilities Auto Mode offers – and much more.
Let's break down the key aspects:
What AWS EKS Auto Mode Brings to the Table
Auto Mode aims to simplify EKS management by automating:
- Cluster Upgrades: Keeping your cluster, nodes and the core add-ons up-to-date with the latest Kubernetes versions.
- Karpenter Autoscaling: Leveraging Karpenter for efficient and dynamic scaling of worker nodes.
- Load Balancer Integration: Seamless integration with AWS ALBs and NLBs.
Where Kapstan Already Excels
The good news is that Kapstan deployments already include all the capabilities that AWS EKSAuto Mode offers. For instance, Karpenter-based autoscaling has been a core part of the Kapstan platform from day one, ensuring optimal resource utilization for our users. Kapstan goes beyond Auto Mode by supporting several additional crucial capabilities, e.g. Spot instance support for GPU workloads and management of 15+ essential components required to run Kubernetes workload efficiently, many of which are not supported in Auto Mode. Some common components are:
AWS EKS Pricing
Perhaps the most significant factor is cost. Auto Mode pricing is tied to the size of your cluster, with AWS currently charging a premium (approximately 12% at the time of this writing) on top of the cost of the underlying worker nodes. This linearly scaling price point can become a substantial expense as your cluster grows while Kapstan platform manages it out of the box for free.
AWS EKS Auto Mode Conclusion
While AWS EKS Auto Mode represents a positive move towards simplifying Kubernetes management, Kapstan already provides the same core benefits and offers several key advantages, including GPU spot node support and more comprehensive add-on management. Most importantly, Kapstan delivers these capabilities without the added cost burden of Auto Mode's premium pricing. While we are observing the development of AWS EKS Auto Mode closely, we are not migrating to AWS EKS Auto Mode clusters.
