Kubernetes · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon EKS vs Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
The Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon EKS is Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), in Standard mode (you manage node pools) or Autopilot mode (Google manages nodes).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon EKS | Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Managed Kubernetes control plane across three AZs. You choose the nodes, which can be managed node groups, self-managed nodes, Karpenter, Fargate, Auto Mode, or Hybrid Nodes. | Managed Kubernetes with Standard mode (you manage node pools) and Autopilot mode (Google manages nodes), plus release channels and fleet features. |
| Pricing model | A per-cluster hourly fee (standard or extended support), plus the EC2, Fargate, or Auto Mode compute. Auto Mode adds a per-instance management fee, and Hybrid Nodes are billed per vCPU. | A per-cluster management fee (with a free-tier credit), plus nodes billed as Compute Engine VMs in Standard mode or Pod resource requests in Autopilot. |
| Docs | Amazon EKS docs | Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon EKS pricing | Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) pricing |
Key differences
- GKE clusters are zonal or regional; regional clusters replicate the control plane across zones.
- Upgrades follow release channels with automatic upgrades by default, rather than EKS's opt-in version upgrades.
- Pods get identity through Workload Identity Federation for GKE instead of EKS Pod Identity or IRSA.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- A per-cluster hourly fee (standard or extended support), plus the EC2, Fargate, or Auto Mode compute. Auto Mode adds a per-instance management fee, and Hybrid Nodes are billed per vCPU. Amazon EKS pricing →
- GCP
- A per-cluster management fee (with a free-tier credit), plus nodes billed as Compute Engine VMs in Standard mode or Pod resource requests in Autopilot. Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) pricing →
And on Azure?
Direct match Azure's equivalent is Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon EKS?
The Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon EKS is Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), in Standard mode (you manage node pools) or Autopilot mode (Google manages nodes).
How does pricing compare between Amazon EKS and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)?
AWS: A per-cluster hourly fee (standard or extended support), plus the EC2, Fargate, or Auto Mode compute. Auto Mode adds a per-instance management fee, and Hybrid Nodes are billed per vCPU. Google Cloud: A per-cluster management fee (with a free-tier credit), plus nodes billed as Compute Engine VMs in Standard mode or Pod resource requests in Autopilot. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (direct match). The Azure equivalent of Amazon EKS is Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).