AWS Controllers for Kubernetes
AWS Controllers for Kubernetes (ACK) is an open-source, free tool for defining and managing AWS resources from Kubernetes through Kubernetes custom resources.
What AWS Controllers for Kubernetes is
AWS Controllers for Kubernetes (ACK) is an open-source, free tool for defining and managing AWS resources from Kubernetes through Kubernetes custom resources. It periodically compares the desired configuration with the actual AWS state and corrects drift. Documentation lists 74 controllers for services such as S3, RDS, Lambda, and DynamoDB. ACK supports declarative, version-controlled infrastructure alongside applications, including resources spread across AWS accounts and regions. Read-only resources and read-only adoption support migrations from other infrastructure-as-code tools. Amazon EKS users can select managed EKS Capabilities, where AWS handles installation, upgrades, updates, scaling, and tuning. Self-managed Helm installation works with EKS, GKE, AKS, on-premises clusters, and local environments. ACK uses IAM permissions, supports YAML and JSON configuration, and keeps state self-hosted. Self-managed ACK is listed as free. EKS Capability charges are hourly and include capability and resource usage charges.
Good
- 74 AWS service controllers are documented
- Corrects drift through periodic reconciliation
- Supports cross-account and cross-region resources
- Offers read-only adoption for migrations
- Self-managed Helm works across Kubernetes environments
Watch out
- EKS Capabilities have hourly charges
- Managed option requires Amazon EKS
- IAM permissions are required
- Self-managed state remains your responsibility
Who it suits
ACK suits teams managing AWS infrastructure through Kubernetes and GitOps workflows. EKS users wanting managed operations can choose EKS Capabilities, while teams needing version or configuration control can use Helm on supported clusters.
Verdict
ACK connects Kubernetes resource definitions with AWS infrastructure management and drift correction. Its managed and self-managed installation paths cover different operational preferences, with EKS Capability usage billed hourly.
Plans and prices
From AWS Controllers for Kubernetes's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Self-managed ACK | Free | Helm installation · Kubernetes 1.20+ · any Kubernetes cluster |
| ACK EKS Capability | Priced on request | Requires Amazon EKS · no minimum commitment or upfront fees · Hourly for each enabled capability and each ACK resource managed |
The facts
Each one read from AWS Controllers for Kubernetes's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AWS services
- The documentation lists 74 controllers for AWS services, including S3, RDS, Lambda, and DynamoDB.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Cross-account and region
- ACK supports managing resources across AWS accounts and regions.checked 9 Oct 2026
- GitOps
- ACK supports declarative, version-controlled infrastructure management alongside applications.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Installation options
- Amazon EKS users can choose the managed EKS Capabilities installation, while self-managed Helm installation works on EKS, GKE, AKS, on-premises clusters, and local development environments.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The documentation recommends EKS Capabilities for EKS users seeking a managed experience and self-managed installation for users needing version and configuration control or running other Kubernetes environments.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Managed operations
- With EKS Capabilities, AWS manages controller installation and upgrades, and provides automatic updates, auto-scaling, and auto-tuning.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Permissions
- ACK uses AWS IAM permissions to authorize controller access to AWS resources.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Pricing
- EKS Capability charges are hourly and include a base rate for each enabled capability plus usage charges; ACK usage is counted per resource managed.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- ACK lets users define and manage AWS resources directly from Kubernetes using Kubernetes custom resources.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Reconciliation
- ACK periodically reconciles desired resource state with actual state in AWS and corrects drift.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Resource adoption
- ACK supports read-only resources and read-only adoption to facilitate migration from other infrastructure-as-code tools.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Support channels
- The documentation links to the aws-controllers-k8s Slack channel and GitHub Discussions for community participation.checked 9 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2006checked 28 Sep 2026
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