Extreme Cost Optimization for AWS EKS: For Startups that needs to squeeze every dollar

The Challenge

Most AWS EKS cost optimization guides focus on the obvious: spot instances, resource limits, and autoscaling. But what if you need to go beyond the basics? What if your startup needs to squeeze every possible dollar while still running production workloads on Kubernetes?

We faced this exact challenge with several early-stage startups. They needed Kubernetes' orchestration power but couldn't justify the typical EKS costs. Traditional optimization advice wasn't enough - we had to think outside the box and challenge common practices.

Key Optimizations

1. Consolidate Ingress Resources

One of the most overlooked costs in AWS EKS is the Application Load Balancer (ALB) provisioned for each ingress resource. Many teams create separate ingresses for different services, not realizing that each one comes with a fixed AWS cost - approximately $25-30 per month per ALB.

Our solution? Consolidate all ingresses within a namespace into a single ingress resource. This approach:

• Reduces fixed ALB costs by using a single load balancer for multiple services
• Still maintains path-based routing for different services
• Keeps namespaces isolated while sharing infrastructure costs
• Can save hundreds of dollars monthly in a multi-service architecture

Here's how you can still maintain separate service routing with a single ingress:

spec:
  ingressClassName: alb
  rules:
    - host: base-web3.dev.gg.wtf
      http:
        paths:
          - path: /
            pathType: Prefix
            backend:
              service:
                name: base-service
                port:
                  number: 80
    - host: binance-web3.dev.gg.wtf
      http:
        paths:
          - path: /
            pathType: Prefix
            backend:
              service:
                name: binance-service
                port:
                  number: 80

This configuration allows you to route traffic to different services based on the hostname, all while using a single ALB. You maintain the flexibility of separate service routing without the cost overhead of multiple load balancers.

2. Control Plane and Node Group Strategy

[Your insights about control plane costs and node group optimizations]

3. Resource Management

[Your insights about resource requests/limits, pod scheduling]

4. Autoscaling Configuration

[Your insights about cluster autoscaler, HPA settings]

5. AWS Service Optimization

[Your insights about Load Balancers, EBS volumes, etc.]

Results and Metrics

• X% reduction in monthly AWS bills
• Improved resource utilization
• Maintained or improved reliability
• Specific cost breakdowns

Implementation Tips

[Your practical tips for implementing these optimizations]

Want to Optimize Your AWS Costs?

Whether you're running a small startup or a growing business, we can help you optimize your AWS EKS costs while maintaining reliability. Our team has helped numerous startups significantly reduce their cloud spending.

Get in touch to discuss your AWS optimization needs →