Skip to content
SPECIFICTION
Get listed

Clusternet

clusternet.io

Free plan LinuxAPISelf-hosted
Visit clusternet.io
Spec score 8.8 #4 of 29 in Kubernetes Management Platforms

What it is

Clusternet is a free, open-source add-on for managing Kubernetes clusters across public and private cloud, hybrid, on-premises, and edge environments. It lets operators manage member clusters from a parent cluster and access them as though they were local. It deploys Kubernetes resources, custom resource definitions, and Helm charts, with configuration tailored to individual clusters. Application scheduling can replicate workloads or distribute them by cluster weight or available capacity. Clusternet supports clusters from AWS, Google Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud, along with on-premises systems, k3s, and edge clusters. It can discover and register clusters created by Cluster API and configure network tunnels for clusters in VPC networks, at the edge, or behind a firewall. Dynamic RBAC rules control access to managed clusters, and Submariner integration can connect workloads across clusters. Installation options include Helm and manual setup. A kubectl plugin is available through Krew or as a binary. Linux builds are listed for several architectures. Clusternet is a CNCF Sandbox project.

Spec sheet

What it does
Clusternet is an open source add-on for managing Kubernetes clusters across public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and edge environments.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Purpose
Clusternet is an open-source add-on for managing Kubernetes clusters across public, private, hybrid, and edge environments.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Integrations
The documentation lists integration with Submariner and support for installing Helm charts from a private registry.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Support
The contribution guide says users can ask for help through the project mailing list, CNCF Slack channel, Google Group, or a GitHub issue.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Access control
Clusternet supports dynamic RBAC rules for visiting managed clusters.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Application deployment
It coordinates application deployment across multiple clusters through APIs in a hosting cluster.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Central management
It lets users manage clusters from a parent cluster and access them as if they were running locally.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
CLI
Clusternet provides a kubectl plugin installable with Krew or as a downloadable binary.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Client integration
The introduction says Clusternet provides a client-go wrapper for integration.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Cluster discovery
It can automatically discover and register clusters created by Cluster API.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Cluster support
The project lists clusters from cloud providers including AWS, Google Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud, as well as on-premises, certified distributions such as k3s, and edge clusters.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Compatibility limit
The compatibility table says Clusternet versions below v0.13.0 have no guaranteed support for Kubernetes versions above v1.24.0.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Installation
The documentation provides Helm and manual installation paths, plus instructions for installing on k3s.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Known setup issue
The quick start notes that creating several kind clusters with many pods may hit inotify resource limits and cause pods to fail to start.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Kubernetes compatibility
The introduction says Clusternet manages Kubernetes versions above v1.17.x and documents version compatibility by Clusternet release.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Maker affiliation
The homepage identifies Clusternet as a CNCF Sandbox project.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Multi-cluster access
It lets users manage clusters from a parent cluster as if they were running locally.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Network connectivity
It can set up configurable network tunnels for clusters in VPC networks, at the edge, or behind a firewall.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Network integration
Clusternet documents integration with Submariner to securely connect workloads across member clusters.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Project status
The homepage identifies Clusternet as a CNCF Sandbox project.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Scheduling
Its scheduling features include replication, static weight, dynamic capacity, subgroup scheduling, and multi cluster failover migration.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Security controls
Clusternet supports access to managed clusters with RBAC, and its AppPusher feature gate can be disabled on an agent when there are child-cluster security concerns.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Support and contributions
The community page directs users and contributors to the project’s GitHub and developer discussion group.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Supported platforms
The introduction lists Linux builds for amd64, arm64, ppc64le, s390x, 386, and arm.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io
Supported resources
It deploys Kubernetes native objects, CRDs, and Helm charts, including OCI based Helm charts.Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io

Plans and prices

Clusternet (open source) Free Open source project; no paid plans or usage limits stated Read 8 Oct 2026 · clusternet.io

Every Clusternet plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free, open-source project with no paid plans stated
  • Manages clusters across cloud, on-premises, and edge
  • Supports Helm charts, Kubernetes resources, and CRDs
  • Offers scheduling by replication, weight, or capacity
  • Provides RBAC and documented Submariner integration

Limits

  • Versions below v0.13.0 lack guaranteed support above Kubernetes v1.24.0
  • Many pods across kind clusters may hit inotify limits

Who it suits

Clusternet suits teams that need to manage Kubernetes clusters across cloud, on-premises, hybrid, or edge environments from a parent cluster. It is intended for operators who want cluster-specific application deployment and scheduling options.

Verdict

Clusternet brings multi-cluster management, deployment, scheduling, and access controls into a parent-cluster workflow. Teams should check the compatibility guidance for their Clusternet and Kubernetes versions before choosing an installation path.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to ClusternetAll alternatives →