Introduction
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) regularly releases new Kubernetes versions and deprecates older versions over time. If your EKS cluster is not upgraded before the end-of-support (EOS) date, AWS applies additional charges and increases the risk of security, stability, and compliance issues.
Upgrading your EKS cluster before the due date is not just best practice—it directly helps you avoid unnecessary costs and downtime.
What Happens If You Don’t Upgrade EKS on Time?
If you continue running an unsupported Kubernetes version, AWS will:
🔴 Charge Extended Support Fees
AWS applies an Extended Support fee per cluster per hour once your EKS version reaches end-of-standard support.
These costs increase your monthly AWS bill without adding any value.
🔴 Increase Security Risks
Unsupported Kubernetes versions:
- Stop receiving security patches
- Become vulnerable to exploits
- Fail compliance audits (ISO, SOC, PCI, etc.)
🔴 Cause Compatibility Issues
- New AWS features won’t work
- Add-ons (CoreDNS, kube-proxy, VPC CNI) may break
- Third-party tools may stop supporting older versions
AWS EKS Version Support Lifecycle (Simple View)
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| Standard Support | Fully supported, no extra cost |
| Extended Support | Limited support with additional AWS charges |
| End of Life (EOL) | AWS may auto-upgrade or restrict cluster |
👉 Best practice: Always upgrade during Standard Support
Benefits of Upgrading EKS Before Due Date
✅ Avoid Extra AWS Charges
No extended support fee → lower AWS bill
✅ Improved Security
Latest Kubernetes versions include:
- CVE fixes
- Security enhancements
- Better RBAC controls
✅ Better Performance & Stability
- Improved networking
- Better autoscaling
- Enhanced API performance
✅ Future-Ready Infrastructure
- Compatible with new AWS services
- Smooth add-on upgrades
- Easier scaling
Recommended EKS Upgrade Strategy
1️⃣ Check Current Cluster Version
aws eks describe-cluster --name <cluster-name> --query "cluster.version"
2️⃣ Review AWS Support Timeline
Always verify the EKS version deprecation date from AWS documentation.
3️⃣ Upgrade Add-Ons First
- VPC CNI
- CoreDNS
- kube-proxy
4️⃣ Upgrade Control Plane
Upgrade one version at a time (e.g., 1.27 → 1.28)
5️⃣ Upgrade Worker Nodes
- Managed Node Groups
- Self-managed nodes
- Fargate profiles (if used)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Skipping Kubernetes versions
❌ Not upgrading add-ons before control plane
❌ Ignoring application compatibility testing
❌ Waiting until AWS forces extended support charges
How We Help With EKS Upgrades
At CloudOps Support, we ensure:
✔ Zero or minimal downtime
✔ Pre-upgrade compatibility checks
✔ Cost-optimized upgrade planning
✔ Post-upgrade validation & monitoring
We help you upgrade before AWS due dates, avoiding extra charges and production risk.
Final Thoughts
Delaying EKS upgrades can silently increase AWS costs and introduce serious security risks. A proactive upgrade strategy helps you:
- Stay compliant
- Reduce cloud spend
- Keep your Kubernetes environment stable
👉 Upgrade early. Save cost. Stay secure.
Need Help With AWS EKS Upgrade?
📩 Contact us at support@cloudopssupport.com
🌐 Visit: cloudopssupport.com