What is AWS App Runner?
AWS App Runner is a fully managed service for container-based web applications and APIs. You deploy code or container images, and App Runner automatically handles build, deployment, load balancing, auto-scaling, and SSL certificates.
The service positions itself between Lambda for individual functions and ECS for complex orchestration as the simplest option for standardized web workloads.
Core Features
- Two Deployment Options: Source code from Git or container images from ECR
- Automatic CI/CD: New deployments on code changes in the repository
- Auto-Scaling: Scaling from 0 to hundreds of instances based on request load
- SSL Included: Automatic HTTPS endpoints with managed certificates
- VPC Connector: Access to private resources like RDS databases
Typical Use Cases
Container-based Web Apps: Fullstack applications with database backend. App Runner connects to RDS via VPC Connector and scales automatically during traffic spikes.
REST APIs: Scalable APIs for mobile apps or frontend applications with automatic HTTPS, load balancing, and health checks without configuration.
Microservices: Individual services without Kubernetes overhead. Each service is deployed and scaled independently with minimal operations effort.
Benefits
- Zero configuration for deployment, scaling, and SSL
- Support for source code and container images
- Pay-per-use with scale-to-zero for development environments
- VPC integration for database access
Integration with innFactory
As an AWS Reseller, innFactory supports you with AWS App Runner: container strategy, migration of existing applications, VPC architecture, and cost optimization.
Typical Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use App Runner instead of ECS or Lambda?
App Runner is ideal for standardized web apps and APIs without special infrastructure requirements. Use ECS for complex orchestration, Lambda for event-driven functions. App Runner offers the simplest developer experience.
Does App Runner support auto-scaling?
Yes, App Runner scales automatically based on incoming requests. You configure min/max instances and concurrency per instance. Scaling happens in seconds without manual intervention.
Can I use my own container images?
Yes, App Runner supports container images from Amazon ECR (public and private). Alternatively, deploy directly from Git repositories with automatic builds for Python, Node.js, Java, and .NET.
What does AWS App Runner cost?
Pricing is based on vCPU and memory usage. Starting at $0.007/vCPU-hour and $0.0008/GB-memory-hour. You pay for compute time during request processing and provisioned instances when idle.