zaracheema compares Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure App Service, and Azure Container Apps to help you choose the right Azure containerisation approach for different application scenarios.

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

Modern cloud-native development relies heavily on containers, and Microsoft Azure offers several managed platforms to host them. This guide helps you evaluate which Azure container service best fits your project needs: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure App Service, or Azure Container Apps (ACA).

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Overview: AKS is Azure’s managed Kubernetes solution, providing full control over the Kubernetes API and cluster resources. It’s tailored for teams needing advanced orchestration, custom networking, scalability, and regulatory or complex workload requirements.

When to Use AKS:

  • Advanced orchestration or integration with third-party tools
  • Teams with existing Kubernetes skills
  • Hybrid/multi-cloud or large-scale workloads
  • Windows and Linux container support (with some limitations)

Pros:

  • Granular control, full ecosystem compatibility
  • Highly customizable (networking, storage, security, scaling)
  • Suitable for stateful, regulated, or complex apps

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve (requires Kubernetes expertise)
  • Manage cluster upgrades, scaling, and security (Azure automates a lot, but not all)
  • Over-provisioning risk and higher operational overhead

Azure App Service

Overview: A fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for hosting web applications, APIs, and backends. Supports both code and container deployments, optimized for web-centric workloads.

When to Use App Service:

  • Traditional web apps, REST APIs, or mobile backends
  • Rapid deployment with minimal infrastructure work
  • Preference for built-in scaling, SSL, CI/CD
  • Need for Windows container support (with some limitations)

Pros:

  • Quick, simple deployments with minimal configuration
  • Built-in scaling, SSL, staging slots, custom domains
  • Integrated with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions
  • Handles infrastructure, patching, and scaling

Cons:

  • Less flexibility for complex microservices
  • Limited access to infrastructure and networking
  • Not suitable for event-driven or non-HTTP workloads

Azure Container Apps (ACA)

Overview: A fully managed, serverless platform built on Kubernetes, Dapr, and KEDA. ACA abstracts away Kubernetes complexity, offering event-driven, microservices-oriented container hosting.

When to Use Container Apps:

  • Microservices, event-driven workloads, or background jobs
  • Desire serverless scaling, including scale to zero
  • Use of Dapr for service discovery, pub/sub, state management
  • Need a managed platform without needing direct Kubernetes access

Pros:

  • Serverless scaling, pay per use
  • Built-in support for microservices and event-driven architectures
  • No cluster management required
  • Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines

Cons:

  • No direct access to Kubernetes APIs or custom controllers
  • Supports only Linux containers
  • Limited advanced networking/customization compared to AKS

Key Differences Table

Feature AKS (Kubernetes) App Service Container Apps (ACA)
Best for Complex, scalable workloads Web apps, APIs, backends Microservices, event-driven
Management You/Azure (shared) Fully managed Fully managed, serverless
Scaling Manual/Auto (pods, nodes) Auto (HTTP traffic) Auto (HTTP/events, to zero)
OS Support Linux & Windows Linux & Windows Linux only
API Access Full Kubernetes API No infra access No Kubernetes API
Learning Curve Steep Low Low–Medium
CI/CD Azure DevOps, GitHub, custom Azure DevOps, GitHub Azure DevOps, GitHub

Decision Guide

  • Start with App Service for straightforward web apps or APIs and fastest deployment.
  • Use Container Apps for microservices, event-driven, or background processing—take advantage of serverless scale.
  • Choose AKS for enterprise-scale, complex, or regulated workloads, when you need deep customization and full Kubernetes control.

Tip: Start with the simplest service that meets your requirements—Azure lets you migrate or combine platforms as your architecture evolves.

Conclusion

Azure provides flexible managed services for running containers. For most cloud-native projects, ACA offers modern patterns and efficiency. App Service remains the go-to for web workloads, while AKS unlocks full orchestration power for teams with advanced requirements.

Written by zaracheema, Microsoft Tech Community member.

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