How can I improve cost efficiency of Azure Kubernetes?

You can do following 1. Use smaller VMs like B-series or spot VMs for cost savings.

2. Enable Cluster Autoscaler and Horizontal Pod Autoscaler.
3. Separate workloads into optimized, independent node pools.
4. Set resource requests and limits to avoid overprovisioning.
5. Use Reserved Instances or Savings Plans for predictable workloads.
6. Monitor resources with Azure Monitor or tools like Kubecost.
7. Use Azure Dev/Test subscription for discounts.
8. Pause or shut down unused node pools during development.
9. Consider alternatives like Azure App Service or Container Apps
10. Regularly review costs with Azure Cost Management tools.

Hi Cost efficiency with Azure Kubernetes,
Thank you for reaching out to us on the Microsoft Q&A forum.
In addition to the @David Singh please follow the steps below when creating your cluster to reduce the cost of your AKS cluster:

Use the Cluster Autoscaler to automatically scale the number of nodes in your AKS cluster based on actual resource usage. This will help reduce costs during periods of low demand.

Ensure that each pod's CPU and memory resource requests and limits are properly configured. Proper resource limits ensure that Kubernetes schedules your pods more efficiently, avoiding both over-provisioning and underutilization of resources.

Configure the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) in your AKS cluster to dynamically scale the number of pods based on CPU, memory usage, or custom metrics. This allows your system to scale according to demand without over-provisioning resources.

If the environment is for development or testing purposes, check if you're eligible for Azure Dev/Test pricing. This offers significant discounts on various Azure resources including VMs and AKS.

Enable cluster autoscaling to automatically adjust the number of nodes in each pool based on demand. This helps reduce the cost of unused nodes during idle times.

Please find the below documents for more information:

• Azure AKS Best Practices for Cost Optimization
• Azure AKS Cluster Autoscaler

If the information is helpful, please consider by clicking the "Upvote" on the post.

If your workload is predictable and exists for an extended period of time, consider purchasing an Azure Reservation to further reduce your resource costs..

I would also recommend taking a look at these articcles to help imporve cost in AKS:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/best-practices-cost

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/scenarios/app-platform/aks/cost-governance-with-kubecost?source=recommendations

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/operator-best-practices-storage

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/cluster-autoscaler-overview#best-practices-and-considerations

You can mark it 'Accept Answer' and 'Upvote' if this helped you

Regards,

Abiola