ALB, NLB or CLB for our AWS load balancer?
ALB for HTTP/HTTPS apps (default choice), NLB for TCP/UDP and very high throughput, CLB only for legacy reasons (consider migrating). For modern web apps, ALB in 95 percent of cases.
support/cloud-platforms/alb-nlb-clb-keuze-awssteps: 5
Try this first
- For HTTP/HTTPS, REST APIs, host-based or path-based routing, WAF integration: ALB. Supports HTTP/2, gRPC and Lambda targets.
- For TCP, UDP, TLS pass-through, or throughput above 100 Gbps: NLB. Lower latency, no Layer 7 features.
- For sticky sessions with simple HTTP without complex routing: ALB with target-group stickiness. CLB offers nothing ALB doesn't.
- Migrate CLB to ALB. AWS offers a one-click migration tool, and ALB is cheaper per LCU at average use.
- For a mix of protocols: multiple LBs. Not one NLB for everything, that loses Layer 7 benefits.
When to bring us in
If you have an mTLS architecture or internal-only with PrivateLink publishing, there's a design choice between ALB-with-mTLS and NLB-with-TLS. A short review can save a wrong day's work.
See also
- Everyone logs in with the AWS root accountRoot is for emergencies and billing. Day-to-day work belongs in IAM users or SSO.
- Every developer has AdministratorAccessAdministratorAccess everywhere is convenient now, painful later. Start with role-based policies.
- Everyone has individual IAM users with their own passwordIdentity Center (formerly AWS SSO) links to your IdP and issues temporary credentials per session.
None of the above fits?
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