Choosing the Right Azure Containerisation Strategy: AKS, App Service, or Container Apps?

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

What is it?

AKS is Microsoft’s managed Kubernetes offering, providing full access to the Kubernetes API and control plane. It’s designed for teams that want to run complex, scalable, and highly customisable container workloads, with direct control over orchestration, networking, and security.

When to choose AKS:

• You need advanced orchestration, custom networking, or integration with third-party tools.
• Your team has Kubernetes expertise and wants granular control.
• You’re running large-scale, multi-service, or hybrid/multi-cloud workloads.
• You require Windows container support (with some limitations).

Advantages:

• Full Kubernetes API access and ecosystem compatibility.
• Supports both Linux and Windows containers.
• Highly customisable (networking, storage, security, scaling).
• Suitable for complex, stateful, or regulated workloads.

Disadvantages:

• Steeper learning curve; requires Kubernetes knowledge.
• You manage cluster upgrades, scaling, and security patches (though Azure automates much of this).
• Potential for over-provisioning and higher operational overhead.

Azure App Service

What is it?

App Service is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for hosting web apps, APIs, and backends. It supports both code and container deployments, but is optimised for web-centric workloads.

When to choose App Service:

• You’re building traditional web apps, REST APIs, or mobile backends.
• You want to deploy quickly with minimal infrastructure management.
• Your team prefers a PaaS experience with built-in scaling, SSL, and CI/CD.
• You need to run Windows containers (with some limitations).

Advantages:

• Easiest to use, minimal configuration, fast deployments.
• Built-in scaling, SSL, custom domains, and staging slots.
• Tight integration with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, and other Azure services.
• Handles infrastructure, patching, and scaling for you.

Disadvantages:

• Less flexibility for complex microservices or custom orchestration.
• Limited access to underlying infrastructure and networking.
• Not ideal for event-driven or non-HTTP workloads.

Azure Container Apps

What is it?

Container Apps is a fully managed, serverless container platform built on Kubernetes and open-source tech like Dapr and KEDA. It abstracts away Kubernetes complexity, letting you focus on microservices, event-driven, or background jobs.

When to choose Container Apps:

• You want to run microservices or event-driven workloads without managing Kubernetes.
• You need automatic scaling (including scale to zero) based on HTTP traffic or events.
• You want to use Dapr for service discovery, pub/sub, or state management.
• You’re building modern, cloud-native apps but don’t need direct Kubernetes API access.

Advantages:

• Serverless scaling (including to zero), pay only for what you use.
• Built-in support for microservices patterns, event-driven architectures, and background jobs.
• No cluster management—Azure handles the infrastructure.
• Integrates with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, and supports Linux containers from any registry.

Disadvantages:

• No direct access to Kubernetes APIs or custom controllers.
• Linux containers only (no Windows container support).
• Some advanced networking and customisation options are limited compared to AKS.

Key Differences

How to Decide?

• Start with App Service if you’re building a straightforward web app or API and want the fastest path to production.
• Choose Container Apps for modern microservices, event-driven, or background processing workloads where you want serverless scaling and minimal ops.
• Go with AKS when you need full Kubernetes power, advanced customisation, or are running at enterprise scale with a skilled team.

Conclusion

Azure’s containerisation portfolio is broad, but each service is optimised for different scenarios. For most new cloud-native projects, Container Apps offers the best balance of simplicity and power. For web-centric workloads, App Service remains the fastest route. For teams needing full control and scale, AKS is unmatched.

Tip: Start simple, and only move to more complex platforms as your requirements grow. Azure’s flexibility means you can mix and match these services as your architecture evolves.