ArgoCD Cloud Provider Comparison Guide

This guide compares ArgoCD setup and features across major cloud providers, helping you choose the best platform for your needs.

Video Tutorial

Learn more about comparing ArgoCD across cloud providers in this comprehensive video tutorial:

Feature Comparison Matrix

Feature	AWS (EKS)	GCP (GKE)	Azure (AKS)
Managed Kubernetes	EKS	GKE	AKS
Identity Management	IAM/IRSA	Workload Identity	Azure AD
Load Balancer	ALB/NLB	Cloud Load Balancer	Application Gateway
Secret Management	Secrets Manager	Secret Manager	Key Vault
Storage	S3	GCS	Blob Storage
Monitoring	CloudWatch	Cloud Operations	Azure Monitor
Auto Scaling	Cluster Autoscaler	Node Pool Autoscaler	KEDA
Network Policy	Calico/AWS CNI	GKE Network Policy	Azure CNI
Cost	Pay per cluster + node	Free control plane	Free control plane
Setup Complexity	Medium	Low	Medium

Detailed Comparison

1. Cluster Management

AWS EKS

# EKS Cluster
apiVersion: eksctl.io/v1alpha5
kind: ClusterConfig
metadata:
  name: argocd-cluster
  region: us-west-2
nodeGroups:
  - name: ng-1
    instanceType: m5.large
    desiredCapacity: 3

Pros:

• Deep integration with AWS services
• Advanced security features
• Extensive IAM capabilities

Cons:

• Higher cost (pay for control plane)
• More complex setup
• Steeper learning curve

GCP GKE

# GKE Cluster
apiVersion: container.cnrm.cloud.google.com/v1beta1
kind: ContainerCluster
metadata:
  name: argocd-cluster
spec:
  location: us-central1
  initialNodeCount: 3
  workloadIdentityConfig:
    workloadPool: PROJECT_ID.svc.id.goog

Pros:

• Free control plane
• Simple setup
• Built-in Workload Identity
• Auto-upgrade and repair

Cons:

• Limited customization
• Tied to GCP ecosystem
• Less flexible networking

Azure AKS

# AKS Cluster
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: argocd-server
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      serviceAccountName: argocd-server
      nodeSelector:
        agentpool: system

Pros:

• Free control plane
• Strong Azure AD integration
• Good Windows container support

Cons:

• Network complexity
• Limited node customization
• Azure-specific features

2. Identity Management Comparison

AWS IRSA

# IAM Role for Service Account
apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
  annotations:
    eks.amazonaws.com/role-arn: arn:aws:iam::ACCOUNT_ID:role/argocd-role

GCP Workload Identity

# Workload Identity
apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
  annotations:
    iam.gke.io/gcp-service-account: argocd@PROJECT_ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com

Azure AD Integration

# Azure AD Pod Identity
apiVersion: aadpodidentity.k8s.io/v1
kind: AzureIdentity
metadata:
  name: argocd-identity
spec:
  type: 0
  resourceID: /subscriptions/SUB_ID/...
  clientID: CLIENT_ID

3. Load Balancer Comparison

AWS ALB

# ALB Ingress
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  annotations:
    alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/scheme: internet-facing
    alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/target-type: ip

GCP Load Balancer

# GCP Load Balancer
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  annotations:
    kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "gce"

Azure Application Gateway

# Application Gateway
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  annotations:
    kubernetes.io/ingress.class: azure/application-gateway

Cost Comparison

1. Infrastructure Costs

Component	AWS	GCP	Azure
Control Plane	$0.10/hour	Free	Free
Node Pools	Per instance	Per instance	Per instance
Load Balancer	$0.025/hour + data	$0.025/hour + data	$0.025/hour + data
Storage	$0.023/GB	$0.020/GB	$0.0184/GB

2. Cost Optimization Strategies

AWS

# Spot Instances
nodeGroups:
  - name: spot-1
    instanceTypes: ["m5.large", "m5a.large"]
    spot: true

GCP

# Preemptible VMs
nodeConfig:
  preemptible: true
  machineType: e2-standard-2

Azure

# Spot VMs
nodeSelector:
  "kubernetes.azure.com/scalesetpriority": spot

Performance Comparison

1. Autoscaling Capabilities

AWS

• Horizontal Pod Autoscaling
• Cluster Autoscaler
• Karpenter support

GCP

• Horizontal Pod Autoscaling
• Node Auto-provisioning
• Vertical Pod Autoscaling

Azure

• Horizontal Pod Autoscaling
• Cluster Autoscaler
• KEDA support

2. Networking Performance

Feature	AWS	GCP	Azure
CNI Performance	High	Very High	High
Load Balancer Latency	Low	Very Low	Low
Cross-zone Traffic	Paid	Free	Free within region

Security Features

1. Network Policies

AWS

# Calico Network Policy
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: argocd-network-policy
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      app: argocd

GCP

# GKE Network Policy
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: argocd-network-policy
spec:
  policyTypes:
  - Ingress
  - Egress

Azure

# Azure Network Policy
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: argocd-network-policy
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      app: argocd

Migration Considerations

1. From AWS to GCP

• Identity management changes
• Storage migration
• Load balancer reconfiguration
• Secret management transition

2. From GCP to Azure

• Workload identity to Azure AD
• GCS to Blob storage
• Network policy adjustments
• Monitoring system changes

3. From Azure to AWS

• Azure AD to IAM
• Blob to S3
• Application Gateway to ALB
• Key Vault to Secrets Manager

Recommendations

1. Choose AWS if:

• Already heavily invested in AWS
• Need advanced IAM capabilities
• Require complex networking
• Want maximum control

2. Choose GCP if:

• Want simplest setup
• Need free control plane
• Prefer managed services
• Want automatic node upgrades

3. Choose Azure if:

• Use Azure AD extensively
• Need Windows container support
• Want strong hybrid cloud
• Use Azure DevOps

Best Practices Across Clouds

1. Identity Management

   • Use cloud-native identity solutions
   • Implement least privilege
   • Regular credential rotation

2. Networking

   • Implement network policies
   • Use private clusters
   • Configure proper ingress

3. Security

   • Enable encryption at rest
   • Use secret management
   • Regular security audits

4. Monitoring

   • Use native monitoring tools
   • Set up proper alerts
   • Monitor costs

Conclusion

Each cloud provider has its strengths and ideal use cases:

• AWS: Enterprise, complex requirements
• GCP: Simplicity, cost-effectiveness
• Azure: Microsoft ecosystem, hybrid deployments

Choose based on:

1. Existing infrastructure
2. Team expertise
3. Budget constraints
4. Specific requirements

Additional Resources

• AWS EKS Documentation
• GCP GKE Documentation
• Azure AKS Documentation