Originally published here: EKS vs k3s on AWS for startups You have an app to ship. Maybe a few. You're on AWS because that's where the credits are and where the auditors want your data. Somebody on the team said "Kubernetes" out loud and now you're trying to decide between EKS and k3s before the week is out. We'll save you the essay. Here's our take: If you're an indie builder or a 1 to 2 person team just trying the product out , run k3s on a single EC2 box. Don't even open the EKS console. The $73/month control plane fee alone is larger than your entire compute bill, and none of the things EKS is good at are things you need yet. If you're a small team (up to 20 engineers) without a dedicated platform owner , start on k3s. Ship product. You'll know when to graduate. If you're 20+ engineers with production traffic, multi-AZ requirements, or real compliance pressure , pick EKS. Not as a hedge, as a commitment. At that size the managed control plane, IRSA, and AWS-native autoscaling pay for themselves.…