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SPECIFICTION
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K3s

k3s.io

Free plan LinuxAPISelf-hosted
Visit k3s.io
Spec score 7.7 #13 of 32 in Container Orchestration Software

What it is

K3s is a certified, lightweight Kubernetes distribution for IoT and edge computing. It runs self-hosted on Linux and is released for x86_64, ARMv7, and ARM64. The distribution arrives as one binary or a minimal container image; the site describes the binary as under 70 MB, while documentation says under 100 MB. Documented uses include edge systems, homelabs, IoT, continuous integration, development, ARM single-board computers, air-gapped environments, and embedded Kubernetes. SQLite is the default datastore, with etcd, MySQL, and Postgres available. K3s packages containerd or cri-dockerd, Flannel, CoreDNS, Traefik, ServiceLB, Kube-router, local-path-provisioner, and Spegel. High-availability deployments can use embedded storage or external MySQL, PostgreSQL, or etcd. Air-gapped installation supports private registries, manually deployed images, or an embedded registry mirror. Security guidance includes hardening and CIS self-assessment material. Automated Kubernetes-native upgrades use Rancher’s system-upgrade-controller.

Spec sheet

Product
K3s is a certified, lightweight Kubernetes distribution designed for IoT and edge computing.Read 7 Oct 2026 · k3s.io
Integrations
The upgrade documentation describes Kubernetes-native automated upgrades using Rancher's system-upgrade-controller.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Security
The security documentation provides hardening guidance and CIS benchmark self-assessment guides, which assume K3s runs with embedded etcd.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Air-gapped installs
The installation guide documents air-gapped setups using a private registry, manually deployed images, or the embedded registry mirror.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Community support
The FAQ directs users to known issues, GitHub issues and discussions, and the K3s channel in Rancher Slack for help.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Datastores
SQLite is the default lightweight datastore, and etcd, MySQL, and Postgres are also available.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Footprint
The site describes K3s as a single binary under 70 MB, while the documentation says under 100 MB.Read 7 Oct 2026 · k3s.io
High availability
K3s supports high-availability setups with an embedded datastore or external MySQL, PostgreSQL, or etcd datastore.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Included components
K3s packages containerd or cri-dockerd, Flannel, CoreDNS, Traefik, ServiceLB, Kube-router, local-path-provisioner, and Spegel.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Packaging
K3s is distributed as a single binary or minimal container image.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Supported architectures
The site lists x86_64, ARMv7, and ARM64 releases.Read 7 Oct 2026 · k3s.io
Use cases
The documentation lists edge, homelab, IoT, continuous integration, development, ARM single-board computers, air-gapped environments, and embedded Kubernetes as use cases.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io
Windows support
The FAQ states K3s does not natively support Windows.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.k3s.io

Plans and prices

K3s Free No price or usage limits stated on the opened official pages Read 7 Oct 2026 · k3s.io

Every K3s plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free plan with no usage limits stated
  • Single binary or minimal container image
  • Supports x86_64, ARMv7, and ARM64
  • Multiple datastore and high-availability options
  • Air-gapped installation paths documented

Limits

  • No native Windows support
  • Self-hosted deployment required
  • Free trial is not offered

Who it suits

K3s suits teams running self-hosted Kubernetes on Linux, especially for edge, IoT, homelab, development, ARM, or air-gapped environments.

Verdict

K3s packages Kubernetes for lightweight self-hosted Linux deployments, including edge and ARM systems. Its documented storage, high-availability, security, and air-gapped options cover varied operating conditions, but Windows users need another platform.

Where Specifiction places it

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