AWS simplifies NAT Gateway by introducing regional availability for its managed service, making outbound internet access for private subnets significantly easier to design and operate. Instead of deploying and maintaining separate NAT Gateways in each availability zone (AZ), teams can now rely on a single regional NAT Gateway that automatically spans multiple AZs within a VPC.
This change reduces operational overhead, removes the need for complex route-table management, and improves resilience for workloads that already run across multiple zones.
How AWS regional NAT Gateway works across AZs
A NAT Gateway allows instances in private subnets to access the internet or external AWS services while blocking inbound traffic. Previously, AWS required one NAT Gateway per AZ, along with public subnets and explicit routing rules for each zone.
With the new regional NAT Gateway, developers create a single gateway that AWS automatically extends across all AZs in the VPC. As workloads appear in new zones, the service adapts without requiring route-table changes or additional gateways.
AWS designed the regional NAT Gateway to behave more like an Internet Gateway, acting as a regional resource rather than a zonal one.
Regional NAT Gateway: automatic vs manual mode
AWS offers the regional NAT Gateway in two operational modes.
In automatic mode, AWS manages IP addresses and AZ expansion entirely. When new workloads appear in a zone, AWS handles scaling and routing behind the scenes.
In manual mode, customers retain control over IP addresses but must manage and adjust how the gateway operates across AZs themselves. This option exists for teams with strict networking or compliance requirements.
Operational benefits of AWS regional NAT Gateway
Many operators see this as a quality-of-life improvement rather than a headline launch. Matt Johnson, CEO of Rayo, highlighted why the change matters for teams already running AWS at scale:
These early announcements are often more impactful than keynote launches. Regional NAT Gateways remove the need to manage zonal routes, eliminate public subnet setup, and scale automatically across AZs.
By removing zonal routing complexity, AWS simplifies NAT Gateway operations for common VPC architectures and reduces the risk of misconfiguration during scaling events.
How AWS scales regional NAT Gateway automatically
AWS scales regional NAT Gateways based on the presence of workload ENIs in each AZ, not on active traffic volume. When a resource appears in a new zone, AWS may take up to 60 minutes to expand the gateway into that AZ.
Until expansion completes, the gateway processes traffic cross-AZ using an existing zone. While this introduces temporary cross-zone traffic, it allows workloads to function immediately without manual intervention.
Why developers welcome AWS simplifying NAT Gateway
The AWS community has actively discussed the trade-offs of the regional approach. Many developers expect reduced deployment overhead, even if pricing remains unchanged.
Some users question whether the regional model could increase costs compared to zonal gateways. Others note that the operational simplicity alone makes the change worthwhile.
AWS recommends switching to regional NAT Gateways for most use cases, except those requiring private connectivity features not supported by the regional endpoint.
Cost awareness and unused NAT Gateways
Alongside the regional launch, AWS introduced unused NAT Gateway recommendations in AWS Compute Optimizer. The service analyzes CloudWatch metrics over the past 32 days to identify gateways with no active connections or traffic.
AWS acknowledges that NAT Gateways often represent a significant portion of networking costs. While the regional NAT Gateway does not directly reduce pricing, it helps teams avoid unnecessary duplication and configuration drift.
Availability
Regional NAT Gateways are generally available in all AWS regions, except GovCloud and China. For teams running multi-AZ architectures, the feature offers a simpler and more resilient default for outbound connectivity.
Read also
Join the discussion in our Facebook community.