Elastic Cloud vs ECK on Kubernetes

Organizations deploying Elasticsearch face a critical decision: use Elastic Cloud (fully managed SaaS) or Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK) for self-managed deployments. Each approach has distinct advantages, cost implications, and operational requirements. This guide helps you choose the right option for your needs.

Overview of Options

Elastic Cloud

Elastic Cloud is Elastic's fully managed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering that handles all infrastructure, operations, and maintenance of your Elasticsearch, Kibana, and Elastic Stack deployments.

ECK (Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes)

ECK is an operator that extends Kubernetes to automate the deployment, provisioning, management, and orchestration of Elasticsearch and Kibana on your own Kubernetes clusters.

Feature Comparison

Deployment and Setup

Elastic Cloud

• Quick deployment (minutes)
• No infrastructure setup required
• Pre-configured best practices
• Multiple cloud provider options (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Global region availability

ECK on Kubernetes

• Requires existing Kubernetes cluster
• Manual configuration needed
• Full control over infrastructure
• Deploy on any Kubernetes environment
• Setup time depends on cluster readiness

Management and Operations

Elastic Cloud

• Fully managed by Elastic
• Automatic updates and patches
• Built-in monitoring and alerting
• Automated backups and snapshots
• 24/7 platform support

ECK on Kubernetes

• Self-managed operations
• Manual update management
• DIY monitoring setup
• Custom backup solutions
• Community or paid support

Scalability

Elastic Cloud

• One-click horizontal and vertical scaling
• Automatic resource allocation
• Pre-configured autoscaling policies
• Instant capacity changes
• No downtime scaling

ECK on Kubernetes

• Declarative scaling via YAML
• Kubernetes-native autoscaling
• Manual resource planning
• Infrastructure capacity limits
• Requires careful planning

Security

Elastic Cloud

• Built-in security features
• Automatic security updates
• Compliance certifications (SOC 2, ISO, etc.)
• Network isolation
• Encrypted communications by default
• Role-based access control (RBAC)

ECK on Kubernetes

• Full security control
• Manual security configuration
• Custom compliance implementation
• Network policy management
• Certificate management required
• Kubernetes RBAC integration

Monitoring and Observability

Elastic Cloud

• Built-in cluster monitoring
• Performance metrics dashboard
• Proactive health alerts
• Automatic anomaly detection
• Centralized logging

ECK on Kubernetes

• Custom monitoring setup
• Integration with Kubernetes monitoring
• Prometheus/Grafana compatible
• Custom alerting rules
• DIY observability stack

Cost Structure

Elastic Cloud

• Predictable pricing model
• Pay for consumed resources
• No infrastructure costs
• Includes operational overhead
• Transparent pricing calculator
• No hidden maintenance costs

ECK on Kubernetes

• Infrastructure costs (cloud or on-prem)
• Kubernetes cluster expenses
• Operational staff costs
• Storage and networking fees
• Licensing costs for enterprise features
• Potentially lower at scale

Detailed Comparison Matrix

Use Cases

When to Choose Elastic Cloud

1. Fast time-to-market requirements

   • Need to deploy quickly without infrastructure setup
   • Focus on application development, not operations

2. Limited DevOps resources

   • Small teams without dedicated operations staff
   • Want to minimize operational overhead

3. Variable workloads

   • Unpredictable traffic patterns
   • Need elastic scaling without capacity planning

4. Compliance requirements

   • Need pre-certified infrastructure
   • Require audit trails and compliance reports

5. Multi-region presence

   • Global user base requiring low latency
   • Need geographic redundancy

6. Focus on core business

   • Want to outsource infrastructure management
   • Prefer OpEx over CapEx model

When to Choose ECK on Kubernetes

1. Existing Kubernetes investment

   • Already running Kubernetes infrastructure
   • Want to consolidate on single platform

2. Strict data residency requirements

   • Need complete control over data location
   • On-premises or specific cloud requirements

3. Custom integration needs

   • Require deep integration with existing systems
   • Need custom network configurations

4. Cost optimization at scale

   • Large, predictable workloads
   • Can leverage existing infrastructure

5. Air-gapped environments

   • Disconnected or restricted networks
   • Government or defense applications

6. Advanced customization

   • Need fine-grained control over configuration
   • Custom plugins or modifications

Cost Considerations

Elastic Cloud Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Included in price:

• Infrastructure and compute resources
• Storage and networking
• Operational management
• Security updates and patches
• Monitoring and alerting
• Support and maintenance
• Backup and disaster recovery

Potential additional costs:

• Data transfer egress fees
• Premium support tiers
• Advanced security features
• Cross-region replication

ECK on Kubernetes TCO

Direct costs:

• Kubernetes cluster infrastructure
• Compute, storage, and network resources
• Load balancers and ingress controllers
• Backup storage
• Monitoring tools (if external)

Indirect costs:

• DevOps engineer salaries
• Training and expertise development
• Maintenance and troubleshooting time
• Update and upgrade efforts
• Disaster recovery implementation

Migration Considerations

Migrating from ECK to Elastic Cloud

Advantages:

• Reduce operational burden
• Automatic updates and patches
• Better SLAs
• Simplified scaling

Process:

1. Provision Elastic Cloud deployment
2. Configure snapshot repository
3. Take snapshot of ECK cluster
4. Restore snapshot to Elastic Cloud
5. Update application endpoints
6. Verify data integrity
7. Decommission ECK cluster

Migrating from Elastic Cloud to ECK

Advantages:

• Lower costs at scale
• Full control over infrastructure
• Custom configurations
• Data sovereignty

Process:

1. Set up Kubernetes cluster
2. Install ECK operator
3. Configure Elasticsearch cluster
4. Create snapshot from Elastic Cloud
5. Restore to ECK cluster
6. Test and validate
7. Switch application endpoints

Hybrid Approach

Some organizations use both:

• Elastic Cloud for development/testing: Fast provisioning, easy cleanup
• ECK for production: Cost optimization, control
• Elastic Cloud for disaster recovery: Geographic redundancy

Best Practices

For Elastic Cloud

1. Use reserved capacity for predictable workloads
2. Leverage autoscaling for variable loads
3. Configure snapshot schedules
4. Use appropriate deployment templates
5. Monitor usage and optimize sizing

For ECK on Kubernetes

1. Use dedicated node pools for Elasticsearch
2. Implement proper resource requests/limits
3. Configure persistent volume claims correctly
4. Use anti-affinity rules for high availability
5. Implement comprehensive monitoring
6. Automate backup procedures
7. Plan for capacity ahead of time

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I switch between Elastic Cloud and ECK later?
A: Yes, both options support migration using Elasticsearch snapshot and restore functionality, though planning and testing are essential for smooth transitions.

Q: Is ECK free to use?
A: Yes, ECK is open source and free to use. However, you'll need an Elastic license for enterprise features in Elasticsearch itself.

Q: Does Elastic Cloud support all Elasticsearch features?
A: Yes, Elastic Cloud supports all Elasticsearch features, with enterprise features included in the subscription.

Q: Can I run ECK on managed Kubernetes services like EKS or GKE?
A: Yes, ECK works on any certified Kubernetes distribution, including managed services like AWS EKS, Google GKE, and Azure AKS.

Q: Which option is more secure?
A: Both can be equally secure. Elastic Cloud provides security by default, while ECK gives you full control to implement custom security measures.

Q: Can I use my own Kubernetes cluster with Elastic Cloud?
A: No, Elastic Cloud runs on Elastic's managed infrastructure. For self-managed Kubernetes deployments, use ECK.

Q: What level of Kubernetes expertise is needed for ECK?
A: You should understand Kubernetes basics (pods, services, persistent volumes, operators) and have experience managing production Kubernetes clusters.

Q: Does ECK support automatic upgrades like Elastic Cloud?
A: ECK automates many upgrade tasks, but you must initiate and monitor the upgrade process, unlike Elastic Cloud's fully automated approach.

Q: Can I try Elastic Cloud before committing?
A: Yes, Elastic Cloud offers a free trial period to evaluate the service before purchasing.

Q: What happens if my ECK cluster has issues?
A: You're responsible for troubleshooting and resolution. Consider Elastic's support subscriptions or rely on community support and documentation.