Amazon EKS Extended Support Explained

Amazon EKS Extended Support provides a costly option for teams that are unable or do not prioritize upgrading their Kubernetes versions on time. When Kubernetes versions exceed the 14-month standard support window offered by Amazon, which includes regular updates and security fixes, they require extended support from AWS. This extended support includes security patches for the control plane, updates for EKS components, and maintenance for optimized Amazon AMIs, among other services, and incurs a significant fee of $0.60 per cluster per hour, compared to the $0.10 fee for standard support. Extended support lasts for 12 months, after which AWS will automatically upgrade the cluster to a supported version, making it advisable for users to upgrade within the standard support period to avoid extra charges. Users can check their Kubernetes versions using the AWS CLI and identify charges on their bill, with extended support being six times more expensive than standard support.