AWS Equivalent of Google Cloud Run: App Runner & Fargate

What is the Google Cloud Run Equivalent in AWS?

AWS App Runner & Fargate + ECS is the closest equivalent to Google Cloud Run. All 3 of the services allow developers to deploy containerized applications without managing the underlying infrastructure. Google Cloud Run is more mature than App Runner, maintaining an easier-to-manage infrastructure than elastic container services.

Feature	Google Cloud Run	AWS App Runner	AWS Fargate + ECS
Managed Service	Fully Managed	Fully Managed	Semi-Managed
Scaling	Automatic	Automatic	Manual and Automatic
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go	Pay-as-you-go	Pay for provisioned capacity
Integration with Other Services	Native GCP Integrations	Native AWS Integrations	Extensive AWS Integrations
Deployment Source	Container Image	Container Image or Code Repository	Container Image
Networking	Uses Google’s global network	Uses AWS’s network	Customizable Networking Options
Use Case	Stateless Applications	Web Apps and APIs	Varied (Stateless, Stateful, and more)

What is Google Cloud Run

Google Cloud Run is a fully managed, serverless service for container applications provided by Google Cloud Platform. It allows developers to scale out container applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. The benefits include faster development times, Improved application reliability, and less reliance on infrastructure management.

Relevant Links:

• Google Cloud Run Official Docs

What is AWS App Runner

AWS App Runner is a fully managed, serverless platform from Amazon Web Services, designed to effortlessly deploy containerized applications and APIs. It empowers developers to swiftly launch applications directly from a container image or source code, eliminating the necessity to manage the underlying infrastructure and thereby ensuring a smooth deployment process. AWS App Runner is pivotal for accelerating development cycles, enhancing application stability, and minimizing the focus on infrastructure management.

Relevant Links:

• AWS App Runner Official Docs
• Our Review of AWS App Runner
• AWS App Runner vs. Google Cloud Run: Services Compared

What is AWS Elastic Container Service with Fargate

AWS Elastic Container Service (ECS) with Fargate is a potent combination that provides a simplified, serverless compute engine for containers. This robust solution from Amazon Web Services allows developers to deploy, manage, and scale containerized applications without having to manage the underlying server infrastructure. ECS with Fargate facilitates a seamless deployment experience, ensuring developers can focus on building applications while AWS manages the compute layer.

Relevant Links:

• AWS ECS Official Docs
• AWS Fargate Official Docs

Similarities

1. Serverless Nature

• Google Cloud Run, AWS App Runner, and AWS Fargate + ECS all provide a serverless environment, meaning developers do not have to manage the server infrastructure.

2. Container Support

• All three services allow developers to deploy applications using containers, providing a consistent and reproducible environment.

3. Scaling

• They automatically handle the scaling of applications, managing the infrastructure to adjust to the incoming traffic.

4. Managed Infrastructure

• Developers are abstracted from the underlying infrastructure management, enabling them to focus on code development.

Differences

Table 1: Overview of Service Features

Detailed Differences

1. Managed Service Level

• Google Cloud Run and AWS App Runner are fully managed services, meaning they handle all aspects of infrastructure management.
• AWS Fargate + ECS is semi-managed. While Fargate removes the need to manage the underlying EC2 instances, ECS requires configuration of tasks and services.

2. Scaling

• Google Cloud Run and AWS App Runner automatically scale up and down with the number of requests, without manual intervention.
• AWS Fargate + ECS allows for both manual scaling and auto-scaling but requires additional configuration.

3. Pricing Model

• Google Cloud Run and AWS App Runner follow a pay-as-you-go pricing model, where you pay for the actual usage.
• AWS Fargate + ECS charges for the vCPU and memory resources that are provisioned.

4. Integration

• Google Cloud Run integrates natively with Google Cloud Platform services.
• AWS App Runner and AWS Fargate + ECS integrate seamlessly with various AWS services, with Fargate + ECS offering more extensive integrations.

5. Use Case

• Google Cloud Run is ideal for stateless applications.
• AWS App Runner is designed primarily for deploying web applications and APIs quickly.
• AWS Fargate + ECS can handle a wide range of applications, including stateless, stateful, and long-running applications, providing more flexibility.

Conclusion

Choosing between Google Cloud Run, AWS App Runner, and AWS Fargate + ECS depends on the specific requirements of your application and your familiarity with the respective cloud platforms. While all three services offer a simplified developer experience for deploying containerized applications, the level of management, scaling options, pricing, and integrations vary, influencing the optimal choice for different use cases.