SnapDeploy vs AWS: Container Deployment Without the Complexity

TL;DR: AWS offers 4+ ways to run containers, but most are overkill for small teams. ECS + Fargate = free control plane, 3 concepts to learn, no servers to manage. Compare deployment steps, features, and costs below. AWS is the undisputed leader in cloud computing, but that doesn't make it the right choice for every project. For developers who want to deploy containers without becoming cloud architects, AWS can feel like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. The AWS Container Problem AWS offers multiple ways to run containers: ECS — AWS's native container orchestration EKS — Managed Kubernetes ($73/month control plane) App Runner — Simplified container deployment Fargate — Serverless containers (no EC2 to manage) Each comes with its own learning curve, pricing model, IAM permissions, and networking setup. Deployment Comparison Deploying on AWS ECS (Direct) Set up VPC, subnets, security groups, IAM roles Create ECR repository, build and push image Create task definition (100+ lin