AWS (EKS) vs Azure (AKS): Kubernetes Cost Comparison (2026)
Azure (AKS) is 26% cheaper than AWS (EKS) for a 3-node Kubernetes cluster (€74 vs €99/mo)
The 3-node cost gap is 26% (€26/mo) in Azure (AKS)'s favour. At 6 nodes, AWS (EKS) actually becomes cheaper — worth considering if you plan to scale to HA. Control plane costs differ: Azure (AKS) includes it free; AWS (EKS) adds €73/mo. Azure (AKS) delivers ~2× the storage IOPS, which matters for write-heavy workloads like etcd or database operators. Choose Azure (AKS) for cost-efficient Kubernetes on a budget; choose AWS (EKS) for AWS (EKS)'s specific capabilities.
EU cloud providers cost significantly less than US hyperscalers for equivalent Kubernetes clusters.
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 AWS (EKS) | Azure (AKS) | |
|---|---|---|
| HQ / Country | United States | United States |
| Managed Kubernetes | Yes | Yes |
| Control Plane Cost | €73/mo | Free |
| Cheapest Node | €12.12/mo 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM | €24.60/mo 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM |
| 3-Node Cluster* | ~€99.47/mo | ~€73.80/mo |
| 6-Node HA Cluster* | ~€135.83/mo | ~€147.60/mo |
| Egress | €0.078/GB | €0.080/GB |
| S3 Storage | €0.020/GB | €0.018/GB |
| Certifications | ISO27001, SOC2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS | ISO27001, SOC2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS |
| CLOUD Act Exposure | Yes (US-owned) | Yes (US-owned) |
* Estimated using cheapest available node. DIY providers include 3 additional control plane nodes. Use the calculator for exact pricing with your specs.
Data freshness: AWS (EKS) as of Aug 2026, Azure (AKS) as of Aug 2026.
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