Compute

AWS Fargate

AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers. Run ECS and EKS tasks without managing EC2 instances.

41 Compliance Frameworks → AWS CLI Library → Compute Security Guide →

What is Fargate? (Simple Explanation)

Fargate is an AWS service in the Compute category. AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers.

When Would You Use Fargate?

  • Serverless container workloads
  • Isolated per-microservice execution
  • CI/CD pipeline task runners
  • Event-driven container processing

Who Uses Fargate?

From startups to enterprises, Fargate powers:

StartupsMid-size CompaniesLarge EnterprisesGovernmentNonprofits

What Makes Fargate Powerful

Pay-per-task billing (vCPU + memory per second)
No EC2 instances to manage or patch
Task-level IAM roles
Ephemeral storage 20-200 GiB
Integration with ECS Service Connect

Fargate Pricing & Free Tier

Free Tier: 750 hours/month of t2.micro or t3.micro (12 months). Pay-as-you-go thereafter — from ~$0.005/hour for nano instances.

Check latest pricing on AWS →

Fargate Best Practices

  1. 1Use IMDSv2 to prevent SSRF credential theft
  2. 2Right-size instances — most workloads use <30% of allocated CPU
  3. 3Use Spot or Reserved Instances for 50-72% cost savings
  4. 4Enable termination protection on production instances
  5. 5Tag all instances for cost allocation and governance

Getting Started with Fargate in 5 Minutes

  1. 1Open the AWS Console and navigate to Fargate
  2. 2Click "Launch" or "Create" and choose your configuration (OS, instance type, region)
  3. 3Configure security settings — attach an IAM role and select or create a security group
  4. 4Review your settings and click "Launch" — your resource is ready in minutes

Fargate CLI Quick Reference

2 production-ready commands. Full CLI Library (225+ services) →

aws ecs helpView all Fargate CLI v2 commands and subcommands
aws ecs describe-fargate --helpView options for describing Fargate resources

Pros & Cons of Fargate

Pros

  • Pay-per-task billing (vCPU + memory per second)
  • No EC2 instances to manage or patch
  • Task-level IAM roles
  • Ephemeral storage 20-200 GiB
  • Integration with ECS Service Connect

Cons

  • ✕Costs can escalate quickly without right-sizing and Reserved Instances
  • ✕Requires understanding of instance types, AMIs, and networking for optimal use
  • ✕Not truly serverless (except Lambda/Fargate) — you still manage OS, patches, scaling config

Fargate vs Alternatives

Fargate vs ECS
Choose Fargate when

Choose Fargate for Serverless container workloads and Isolated per-microservice execution. It excels at pay-per-task billing (vcpu + memory per second).

Choose ECS when

Choose ECS as an alternative when your requirements differ. Each service in the Compute category serves different architectural patterns.

Services That Work with Fargate

Fargate is rarely used alone. It is typically combined with:

ECSEKSECRIAMCloudWatch

Compliance & Security

How AWS Fargate fits into major compliance standards. Browse all 41 frameworks →

CIS AWS v3.0

Fargate configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults.

NIST 800-53

Fargate access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families.

PCI DSS 4.0

Fargate encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments.

SOC 2

Fargate security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.

ISO 27001

Fargate configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fargate

What is AWS Fargate?

AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers. Run ECS and EKS tasks without managing EC2 instances.

What is Fargate used for?

Fargate is commonly used for: Serverless container workloads; Isolated per-microservice execution; CI/CD pipeline task runners; Event-driven container processing. It's a core service in the compute category of AWS.

Is Fargate free?

Free Tier: 750 hours/month of t2.micro or t3.micro (12 months). Pay-as-you-go thereafter — from ~$0.005/hour for nano instances.

What are the key features of Fargate?

Fargate's most important capabilities include: Pay-per-task billing (vCPU + memory per second). No EC2 instances to manage or patch. Task-level IAM roles. Ephemeral storage 20-200 GiB. Integration with ECS Service Connect. Each of these is designed to help teams serverless container workloads.

How does Fargate compare to alternatives?

Fargate competes with both AWS-native alternatives (ECS, EKS, ECR) and third-party equivalents. The right choice depends on your specific requirements for scalability, cost, and operational overhead. See the comparisons section below for detailed guidance.

Which compliance frameworks apply to Fargate?

CIS AWS v3.0: Fargate configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults. NIST 800-53: Fargate access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families. PCI DSS 4.0: Fargate encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments. SOC 2: Fargate security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria. ISO 27001: Fargate configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.

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