When would you choose Terraform basics over EKS?

When it comes to managing cloud infrastructure, developers and DevOps engineers often face a choice between using infrastructure as code tools and managed Kubernetes services. Terraform is an excellent choice for infrastructure management, especially in specific scenarios when compared to Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service).

Terraform is primarily used for provisioning and managing cloud infrastructure across various services and providers. Here’s when you might choose Terraform over EKS:

  • Multi-Cloud Deployments: If your organization needs to operate in a multi-cloud environment, Terraform enables you to define infrastructure across different cloud providers with a single configuration language.
  • Complex Infrastructure: For complex infrastructure setups that require various resources aside from Kubernetes, Terraform provides a comprehensive approach to manage all resources seamlessly.
  • State Management: Terraform maintains a state file which allows you to track resource changes and perform updates or deletions efficiently.
  • Version Control: Infrastructure defined with Terraform can be version controlled in Git repositories, allowing for easy collaboration and auditing.
  • Customization: Terraform’s rich module system allows for extensive customization and reuse of code across different projects.

In contrast, EKS is a managed Kubernetes service that simplifies Kubernetes cluster setup and management, making it ideal for teams focused on container orchestration without needing to manage the underlying infrastructure specifics.


Terraform EKS Infrastructure as Code Multi-Cloud Kubernetes DevOps Cloud Management