In Amazon Web Services (AWS), both NAT Gateways and NAT Instances can be used to allow instances in a private subnet to communicate with the internet, while still maintaining a secure environment. However, there are some differences between the two:
- Managed vs. Self-managed: NAT Gateways are managed by AWS, while NAT Instances are self-managed EC2 instances.
- Scale: NAT Gateways are highly scalable and can handle up to 45 Gbps of network throughput, while NAT Instances have limitations on their network throughput capacity, which can be improved by using more instances in a load-balanced configuration.
- Availability and Resilience: NAT Gateways are highly available and resilient, automatically scaling up or down to meet demand, and are designed to be fault-tolerant, with automatic failover to another gateway in the same Availability Zone. NAT Instances require manual configuration for high availability and can be a single point of failure if not configured correctly.
- Cost: NAT Gateways have a fixed hourly rate plus data processing charges, while NAT Instances have a lower hourly rate but can incur additional costs for data transfer, storage, and other associated resources.
- Configuration and Management: NAT Gateways require minimal configuration and management, while NAT Instances require more setup and maintenance, including configuring security groups, managing the EC2 instance, and monitoring performance.
NAT Gateways are a highly available, scalable, and managed service, ideal for scenarios where high throughput and availability are required. NAT Instances, on the other hand, offer more flexibility and control over the configuration and management of the NAT service, making them suitable for scenarios where cost optimization and customization are more important.