Kubernetes
Amazon ECS Service Connect / AWS App Mesh vs Istio-based service mesh add-on for AKS / Open Service Mesh (OSM) add-on for AKS
AWS App Mesh was retired on Sep 30, 2026, and AWS points ECS users to ECS Service Connect (and VPC Lattice for cross-service networking).
On Azure, the supported mesh is the Istio-based add-on for AKS. The Open Service Mesh add-on loses support on Sep 30, 2027.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon ECS Service Connect AWS App Mesh Retired | Istio-based service mesh add-on for AKS Open Service Mesh (OSM) add-on for AKS Deprecated |
| Lifecycle | Generally available End of support Sep 30, 2026 (announced Sep 24, 2024). The console and App Mesh resources are no longer accessible. AWS recommends ECS Service Connect (or VPC Lattice). | Generally available AKS ends support for the OSM add-on on Sep 30, 2027. The upstream OSM project is retired. Microsoft says to migrate to the Istio add-on. |
| What it is | Built-in service discovery and service-to-service traffic for ECS (managed Envoy proxy plus Cloud Map namespaces), with retries, timeouts, and traffic metrics. AWS's recommended replacement for App Mesh on ECS. Envoy-based service mesh for ECS, EKS, and EC2. | Microsoft-managed Istio control plane (revision-based upgrades) with optional ingress and egress gateways. Supported by Azure. Envoy-based, SMI-configured service mesh add-on. |
| Pricing model | There's no extra charge for Service Connect beyond the proxy's task resources. VPC Lattice is billed per service-hour, data, and requests. | The Istio add-on has no separate fee. You pay for the sidecar and gateway compute in your node pools. |
| Docs | Amazon ECS Service Connect docs AWS App Mesh docs | Istio-based service mesh add-on for AKS docs Open Service Mesh (OSM) add-on for AKS docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon ECS Service Connect pricing AWS App Mesh pricing | Istio-based service mesh add-on for AKS pricing Open Service Mesh (OSM) add-on for AKS pricing |
| Exams | DOP-C02 ANS-C01 Retiring | AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Both clouds retired their first-party Envoy/SMI-style meshes (App Mesh, OSM) in favor of other options. AWS chose ECS-native Service Connect and VPC Lattice. Azure chose managed Istio.
- On EKS, AWS has no managed mesh, so run Istio, Linkerd, or Cilium yourself, or use VPC Lattice. On Azure Container Apps, Dapr and the built-in Envoy ingress cover many mesh use cases.
- The Istio add-on has its own version support window and revision-based (canary) upgrades. It doesn't support automatic upgrades, even on AKS Automatic.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- There's no extra charge for Service Connect beyond the proxy's task resources. VPC Lattice is billed per service-hour, data, and requests. Amazon ECS Service Connect pricing → AWS App Mesh pricing →
- Azure
- The Istio add-on has no separate fee. You pay for the sidecar and gateway compute in your node pools. Istio-based service mesh add-on for AKS pricing → Open Service Mesh (OSM) add-on for AKS pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional DOP-C02 | AWS | Professional | current Korean version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty ANS-C01 | AWS | Specialty | retiring The exam is being retired. The last day to take it is Dec 31, 2026. Existing certifications stay active for their three-year period. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 | Azure | Expert | current English version updated Apr 17, 2026. |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon ECS Service Connect and AWS App Mesh?
AWS App Mesh was retired on Sep 30, 2026, and AWS points ECS users to ECS Service Connect (and VPC Lattice for cross-service networking). On Azure, the supported mesh is the Istio-based add-on for AKS. The Open Service Mesh add-on loses support on Sep 30, 2027.
How does pricing compare between Amazon ECS Service Connect and AWS App Mesh and Istio-based service mesh add-on for AKS and Open Service Mesh (OSM) add-on for AKS?
AWS: There's no extra charge for Service Connect beyond the proxy's task resources. VPC Lattice is billed per service-hour, data, and requests. Azure: The Istio add-on has no separate fee. You pay for the sidecar and gateway compute in your node pools. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (DOP-C02); AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).