This article provides a migration guide from AWS App Runner to Amazon ECS Express Mode using blue/green deployment strategy for zero-downtime transitions.

• AWS App Runner stops accepting new customers April 1, 2026; existing customers can continue
• ECS Express Mode offers App Runner simplicity with full ECS feature access
• Single API call provisions complete infrastructure stack automatically
• Full visibility and control of resources within your AWS account
• Native canary deployment strategy enables safe gradual traffic rollout
• Up to 25 services share single Application Load Balancer for cost efficiency
• Blue/green migration uses Route 53 weighted routing for gradual traffic shift
• Weighted DNS records allow progressive validation before full cutover
• Easy rollback capability if issues arise during migration
• Migration typically takes 20-30 minutes with near-zero downtime

This migration path provides a safe, controlled transition maintaining operational simplicity while enabling future scalability and advanced container orchestration capabilities.