Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
Azure's managed Kubernetes — a free control plane and deep Entra ID integration, the natural K8s choice for Microsoft-centric enterprises.
What is AKS?
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is Microsoft’s managed Kubernetes: Azure runs the control plane, you run workloads on node pools or serverless via virtual nodes. Its two notable pitches are a free control plane (you pay only for nodes and optionally an uptime SLA tier — where EKS charges hourly for the control plane) and the deepest integration with the Microsoft ecosystem: Entra ID for RBAC, Azure Policy for governance, and tight ties to the rest of Azure.
Where AKS is the obvious answer
The decision is usually organizational. Enterprises already standardized on Microsoft — Azure primary cloud, Entra ID for identity, existing Windows and .NET estates — get the least-friction managed Kubernetes from AKS, including strong Windows container support that matters for the substantial base of .NET Framework and Windows-dependent workloads other clouds treat as second-class. The free control plane also makes many small clusters cheaper to run than the EKS equivalent, which shapes multi-cluster and dev/test strategies.
The same Kubernetes caveats, plus a few Azure specifics
AKS carries every managed-Kubernetes reality already covered: you own node scaling, version upgrades (Kubernetes’s fast EOL cadence applies — stay current or face forced migrations), and the operational weight Kubernetes brings regardless of provider. Azure-specific texture: networking has two CNI models (kubenet vs Azure CNI) with different IP-consumption and integration tradeoffs worth understanding before scaling, and the free-control-plane tier comes without a financially-backed SLA (the paid Uptime SLA tier adds it) — a detail for production commitments. As always, if the workload is stateless request/response, Azure Container Apps (Azure’s Cloud Run equivalent) may deliver it without Kubernetes at all.
What people get wrong
- AKS for non-Microsoft stacks purely for the free control plane, missing that another cloud’s ecosystem fits better.
- Skipping the CNI decision — kubenet vs Azure CNI has real IP-planning and integration consequences at scale.
- Assuming the free tier includes an SLA — production needs the paid Uptime SLA tier.
Primary source: Azure Kubernetes Service documentation
Historical figures and technical concepts for informational purposes only. Not technical, professional, legal, or financial advice. Sources: Official Documentation.