| 🚀Feature | ❤️ OpenShift (Red Hat) | 🟡 EKS (AWS) | 🔵 AKS (Azure) | 🟢 GKE (Google) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔧 Control Plane | 🏠 Self-managed or Cloud | ☁️ Fully Managed | ☁️ Fully Managed | ☁️ Fully Managed |
| 🛡️ Security | 🔒 Strict Policies (SCC, RBAC) | 🔐 AWS IAM + KMS | 🔑 Azure AD + Policies | 🔏 IAM-based (Google Cloud IAM) |
| 🚀 CI/CD Integration | 🔧 Tekton, ArgoCD | 🏗 AWS CodePipeline | ⚙️ Azure DevOps | 🏭 Cloud Build, Cloud Run |
| 📈 Auto-scaling | 📊 HPA, Cluster Autoscaler | ⬆️ HPA, Fargate | 🔄 HPA, Virtual Nodes | ⚡ Best-in-class auto-scaling |
| 🌎 Multi-cloud Support | 🔁 OpenShift Dedicated, ROSA | 🌐 Via Anthos | 🌍 Via Arc | 🌎 Anthos |
| 🔹 Best For | 🏢 Enterprises needing secure K8s | ☁️ AWS-native workloads | 🔄 Azure-native workloads | 🤖 AI/ML, best auto-scaling |
🎯 TL;DR - Which One to Choose?
- ❤️ OpenShift – If you need a secure, opinionated enterprise-ready Kubernetes
- 🟡 EKS – If you're deep in the AWS ecosystem and want managed K8s
- 🔵 AKS – If you're running hybrid Windows/Linux workloads on Azure
- 🟢 GKE – If you need best-in-class auto-scaling & AI/ML integrations.
OpenShift, EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service), AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service), and GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine) are all Kubernetes-based platforms but differ in architecture, features, and management approach.
1. OpenShift (by Red Hat)
- Type: Kubernetes distribution + PaaS
- Provider: Red Hat (can be self-hosted or cloud-based)
- Key Features:
- Built-in security policies (e.g., Security Context Constraints)
- Integrated CI/CD (Tekton, ArgoCD)
- Operator framework for automation
- OpenShift Service Mesh (Istio-based)
- Best For: Enterprises needing a secure and opinionated Kubernetes distribution with enhanced developer tools.
2. EKS (Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service)
- Type: Managed Kubernetes Service
- Provider: AWS
- Key Features:
- Fully managed control plane
- Deep integration with AWS services (IAM, ALB, S3, etc.)
- Fargate support (serverless pods)
- Native security via AWS IAM & KMS
- Best For: Users already on AWS who want a fully managed Kubernetes service with native AWS integrations.
3. AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service)
- Type: Managed Kubernetes Service
- Provider: Microsoft Azure
- Key Features:
- Fully managed control plane
- Azure AD integration for security
- Built-in monitoring (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics)
- Supports Windows & Linux nodes
- Best For: Users running workloads on Azure, especially those needing hybrid Windows/Linux container support.
4. GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine)
- Type: Managed Kubernetes Service
- Provider: Google Cloud
- Key Features:
- Fully managed control plane
- Auto-scaling & auto-repairing nodes
- Deep AI/ML integration (TensorFlow, Vertex AI)
- Anthos for hybrid/multi-cloud Kubernetes management
- Best For: Users focused on AI/ML workloads or needing an advanced auto-scaling Kubernetes service.
