During KubeCon EU 2023, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) introduced its Long Term Support (LTS) program, which Fawad described as a highlight of that KubeCon. 

One year later, we are seeing that LTS is still causing confusion in customers, especially those that are using both Azure AKS and Amazon EKS. This detailed comparison aims to clarify any confusion surrounding AKS LTS and EKS extended support, particularly for those seeking to master their Kubernetes strategy.

Similarities between AKS Long Term Support and EKS Extended Support

1. Both Cost You 500% More:

Both AKS Long Term Support and EKS extended support demand a significant financial commitment, with costs escalating by 500% compared to their standard offerings. AKS LTS expects you to move to Premium Tier which is 6X more expensive than the standard tier. It’s the exact same math for EKS extended support which has a 6X surcharge. 

This comes out to about ~$438K more per year in additional surcharges for a 100 cluster infrastructure. You can read more about it here.

2. You Need at Least 4 Upgrades This Year:

If you are on Kubernetes v1.25 (or earlier) then you are already out of standard support for both AKS and EKS. To stay within standard support, you are required to jump to v1.29 for both AKS and EKS. This upgrade path involves at least four version jumps within the next 12 months (1.25 > 1.26 > 1.27 > 1.28 > 1.29). 

3. You Can’t Pay Your Way Out of These Upgrades:

The extended and Long Term Support plans, lasting only a year, do not exempt you from mandatory Kubernetes upgrades. Despite the hefty 500% surcharge for EKS extended support or AKS LTS, you are still on the hook to upgrade in the next 12 months.

Differences between AKS Long Term Support and EKS Extended Support

1. Enrollment Options:

AKS LTS is opt-in, EKS extended support is auto-enroll. With AKS LTS, you can decide which clusters are critical and need to be on LTS. In contrast, Amazon EKS extended support automatically enrolls all clusters into extended support once Standard Support concludes.

2. Scope of Support for AKS and EKS:

AKS LTS only covers Kubernetes v1.27, whereas Amazon’s EKS extended support covers all K8s versions. This means that moving fast and staying on the latest released version of Azure AKS doesn’t ensure LTS support. 

3. Supported Add-ons for AKS and EKS:

Azure doesn’t support some of its managed add-ons under LTS, including critical add-ons like Keda and Istio. Even Azure Linux 2’s support timeframe ends during the LTS period. EKS stands behind all its managed add-ons during extended support.

Take Control of Your Kubernetes Upgrades with Chkk

Upgrading Kubernetes clusters and add-ons, especially for AKS and EKS, can be complex and time-consuming. Teams spend weeks researching dependencies, seeking approvals, notifying members, and addressing API changes. They then carefully execute upgrades across development, staging, and production to avoid disruptions.

With Chkk, you don’t have to pay for AKS LTS and EKS extended support. Chkk Preverified Upgrade Templates and Plans reduce upgrade time by 3X, while ensuring that these upgrades are disruption free. Click here to book a demo.