Choosing the right Container platform on Azure

Containerized workloads power modern applications, but picking the optimal Azure service depends on your control requirements, orchestration needs, and architectural goals. This guide compares Azure’s container hosting options—from fully managed Kubernetes to serverless functions—so you can select the best fit.

Fully Managed Kubernetes and OpenShift

When you need end-to-end control over orchestration, networking, scaling, and custom images:

• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
  A fully managed Kubernetes control plane. You’re responsible for node pools, networking, and add-ons; Azure handles the control plane. Supports both Linux and Windows containers.

  Note

  Windows container support in AKS requires a Windows node pool and additional configuration steps.

• Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO)
  A jointly managed OpenShift cluster with full API and CLI access, backed by enterprise support from Red Hat.

• Kubernetes on Azure Virtual Machines
  Deploy upstream Kubernetes yourself on VMs for root-level host access. You manage upgrades, scaling, and high availability.

Serverless & Microservices-Focused Container Platforms

If you want to focus on code instead of infrastructure:

• Azure Container Apps
  Serverless hosting for microservices and event-driven workloads. Built on Kubernetes and KEDA, it automates scaling, ingress, and service discovery without exposing the Kubernetes control plane.

• Azure Container Instances (ACI)
  Lightweight compute for individual containers with hypervisor isolation (Windows) or process isolation (Linux). Ideal for burst jobs, CI/CD pipelines, or virtual nodes in AKS. ACI is not a full orchestrator.

PaaS Web Hosting & Serverless Functions

When your workload is a web app or event-driven function rather than a container cluster:

• Azure App Service
  Fully managed platform for web apps, APIs, and mobile back ends. Includes built-in CI/CD, custom domains, SSL, and preconfigured base images.

• Azure Functions
  Execute event-driven code in a serverless model. Deploy from code or containers, but you must use the Functions programming model and SDK or base image.

Platform Comparison

How to Choose

1. Full cluster control & customization
   AKS, ARO, or Kubernetes on VMs
2. Event-driven microservices without Kubernetes ops
   Azure Container Apps
3. Single-container workloads or burst scaling
   Azure Container Instances
4. Web apps or APIs without containers
   Azure App Service
5. Small units of serverless code
   Azure Functions

Review your application’s orchestration complexity, scaling requirements, and desired operational overhead to determine the best Azure container platform.

Links and References

• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO)
• Azure Container Apps
• Azure Container Instances (ACI)
• Azure App Service
• Azure Functions