I got an email from Amazon announcing that they will no longer accept new customers for AWS App Runner starting April 30, 2026. I'm currently using App Runner to host a low-traffic FastAPI backend, which is essentially free for my needs. Can anyone recommend an alternative that doesn't require an Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) and can scale down to zero?
5 Answers
AWS recently introduced 'Express Mode' for ECS, which might replace App Runner. But be aware, it deploys an ALB which can end up being pricier than App Runner was. I think the main attraction of App Runner was its low cost.
Feeling nostalgic about App Runner’s simplicity. Next thing you know, they’ll axe Amplify, and I’ll be migrating everything away from AWS.
Honestly, I wish AWS would create a simpler solution like Vercel or Railway, where you just link a repo and it handles the deployment without all the pipeline setup. ECS Express seems more complex and isn't really for quick development if you're just starting out with your code.
If it's an option for you, consider switching to Google Cloud Run. I recently moved a service there after hearing about App Runner's discontinuation. Setting up AWS access was straightforward, and honestly, Cloud Run is far superior to anything AWS currently offers for containers.
Ugh, I was really hoping they’d extend App Runner’s features to ECS too. The timing is just unfortunate with more people coding tons of apps.
Exactly! The ability to scale to zero while keeping memory state and quick scaling for initial requests was perfect for low-traffic situations.