ECS, without the task definitions.
You do not have to leave AWS, just the ceremony. Appliku deploys your app to an EC2 instance in your own account with a git push: no task-def JSON, no CodePipeline wiring, root SSH, and fast deploys. Built for Django and Python, with fast, direct support.
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In short
Appliku and AWS ECS both run your containers on AWS. The difference is how much orchestration you own. ECS is a powerful container orchestrator: you write task definitions, wire up CodePipeline or CodeDeploy, plan cluster capacity, and enable ECS Exec just to get a shell. Appliku runs your app on a plain EC2 instance in your own account that we set up and maintain, and you deploy with a git push, no task definitions, with root SSH and defaults for Django and Python (FastAPI, Rails, and Next.js too). It includes direct support and a done-for-you migration on paid plans.
ECS is genuinely powerful. Here is the difference.
ECS is a capable container orchestrator, tightly integrated with the rest of AWS, and it runs serious production workloads at scale. For a team with AWS expertise and complex multi-service needs, it is a strong choice, and we will say so.
The difference is the ceremony. Every change means a new task definition revision in verbose JSON, deploys take 10 to 15 minutes with draining and rolling updates, there is no shell without enabling ECS Exec and its IAM, and you cannot run ECS locally, so bugs show up only after you push. Wiring CodePipeline or CodeDeploy is its own project.
Appliku keeps you on AWS but runs your app on a plain EC2 instance in your account. You deploy with a git push, get root SSH, standard Docker that matches your laptop, and fast deploys, all managed for you.
Push code, not task definitions
The parts of ECS you assemble by hand are the defaults on Appliku.
- Ship a change
- git push, no new revision
- CI/CD pipeline
- Built in, no CodePipeline
- Debugging
- Root SSH, not ECS Exec
Connect your repo and push. Appliku builds and deploys on your instance, with the same Docker your laptop runs, so what works locally works in production.
The friction that a managed EC2 removes
These are the tradeoffs ECS users raise most often. Each one changes on a plain EC2 that Appliku manages for you.
Deploys take 10 to 15 minutes
Draining, rolling updates, and stability checks add up on every deploy. Appliku deploys to your instance in a fraction of that.
Task definitions for every change
A change to CPU, memory, or an environment variable means a new task-definition revision in verbose JSON. On Appliku you just push code.
No shell without ECS Exec
There is no shell into a container by default, so you enable ECS Exec with extra IAM to debug production. On Appliku you have root SSH and can exec into any container.
Local does not match production
You cannot run ECS locally, so task definitions, networking, and IAM behave differently than your laptop. Appliku runs standard Docker, so local matches production.
CodePipeline is its own project
Getting CodeDeploy or CodePipeline working with ECS is a common stumbling block. Appliku has git-push deploys built in, with nothing to wire.
Capacity planning
On EC2-backed clusters you size nodes and juggle "not enough CPU or memory" errors and over-provisioning. On Appliku you run unlimited apps on one instance Appliku manages.
Based on public ECS user reports on Reddit, Hacker News, and developer write-ups, mid 2026, and AWS documentation. Details change, so check current terms before you decide.
Already running on AWS with Appliku
"Switching from Heroku to AWS + Appliku revolutionized our business, delivering significant savings and newfound flexibility."
"Appliku automatically detected my new EC2 server and Elastic IP via the AWS connection. Connect to your repo and you're good to go. A real saviour."
"You get the best of both worlds, a PaaS like experience, but it's your cloud servers where you can control costs and increase resources."
Which one is right for you
Choose ECS if
- You orchestrate many services and want fine-grained control
- You have AWS expertise and want deep AWS integration
- You need custom scaling, scheduling, and service meshes
- You are ready to own task definitions and pipelines
Choose Appliku if
- You want to push code and deploy, without task definitions
- You want fast deploys and root SSH, not ECS Exec ceremony
- You want local Docker to match production
- You are shipping Django or Python and want a real person to help
Appliku vs ECS, side by side
| Appliku | ECS | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on AWS | Yes, a plain EC2 you own | Yes, an ECS cluster |
| How you deploy | git push | Task-def revision, rolling update |
| Deploy speed | Seconds to minutes | 10 to 15 minutes reported |
| Config format | Your git repo | Task definition JSON |
| Shell access | Root SSH | ECS Exec with extra IAM |
| Local parity | Standard Docker matches local | Cannot run ECS locally |
| CI/CD | Built-in git deploy | CodePipeline or CodeDeploy |
| Django defaults | Built in | You assemble |
| Support | Included, founder replies | AWS support plans |
| Done-for-you migration | Free on paid plans | Self-service |
Comparison compiled July 2026 from public AWS documentation and user reports. AWS and ECS are trademarks of Amazon and are not affiliated with Appliku.
A person, not a support tier
Wrangling ECS alone is the hard part. On Appliku you email us and hear back fast, often from the founder who built it, and on a paid plan we will do the migration with you.
"I had a few issues and questions with my deploy and got super fast support. 10/10 would recommend for any Django app."
"The support by its creator is unbeatable and fast, and the prices are fair. Every important service can be spun up with a few clicks."
Already on ECS? We will move you, live.
On any paid plan, request a free migration. We get on a screen-share and set up your app on an EC2 instance in your own AWS account that Appliku manages for you, together, usually in one session. You keep AWS, and lose the task definitions.
Questions ECS users ask
- Do I have to leave AWS?
- No. Appliku deploys to an EC2 instance in your own AWS account and manages it for you. You keep AWS, you just drop the ECS orchestration. It also works on DigitalOcean, Hetzner, or any VPS.
- Do I still need task definitions?
- No. You deploy with a git push. There is no task-definition JSON to revise for every change to CPU, memory, or environment variables.
- Will deploys be faster?
- Yes. Appliku deploys to your instance in a fraction of the 10 to 15 minutes people report on ECS with draining and rolling updates.
- Can I SSH in to debug?
- Yes. It is your server, so you get root SSH and can exec into any container, without enabling ECS Exec and its IAM permissions.
- Does it match my local Docker setup?
- Yes. Appliku runs standard Docker on your server, so what works on your laptop works in production, without an ECS-only model to reconcile.
- Can you move my app off ECS for me?
- Yes. On any paid plan we do the migration with you on a screen-share, including your database and workers, and test before cutover.
Keep AWS. Lose the ceremony.
Start free, deploy a real app to an EC2 instance in your own account with a git push, and let Appliku run the platform for you. No credit card required.