AWS Application Load Balancer vs Envoy Proxy
A detailed comparison to help you choose between AWS Application Load Balancer and Envoy Proxy.
Quick Verdict
4.3/5
AWS Application Load Balancer
222 reviews
4.0/5
Envoy Proxy
307 reviews
AWS Application Load Balancer is rated higher (4.3 vs 4.0). AWS ALB provides Layer 7 load balancing with host and path-based routing, content-based routing, WebSocket support, and gRPC support. Integrates with ECS, EKS, and Lambda. Envoy is an open source L7 proxy and service mesh foundation. Used as the data plane in Istio, AWS App Mesh, and Consul Connect. High performance, built for microservices and Kubernetes.
 AWS Application Load Balancer Layer 7 load balancer with path-based routing | Envoy Proxy Cloud-native proxy and service mesh sidecar | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.3 (222 reviews)✓ | 4.0 (307 reviews) |
| Pricing model | usage-based | free |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free |
| Best for | AWS teams building microservices architecture who need Layer 7 routing with AWS WAF integration | Platform engineering teams building service mesh infrastructure on Kubernetes using Istio or similar |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | api accessus datacentereu datacenterapac datacenter | free tieropen source |
| Visit AWS Application Load Balancer → | Visit Envoy Proxy → | |
AWS Application Load Balancer
Pros
- + Path and host-based routing for microservices
- + WAF integration with AWS WAF
- + gRPC and WebSocket native support
Cons
- - AWS complexity
- - Pricing per LCU unit complex to estimate
Envoy Proxy
Pros
- + Foundation of major service meshes (Istio)
- + High performance C++ implementation
- + Built for Kubernetes microservices
Cons
- - Very complex configuration
- - Not for simple load balancing needs
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new AI tools, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.