Cello CNI vs Kube-OVN
Cello CNI
github.comKube-OVN
kubeovn.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Cello CNI | Kube-OVN |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Container Networking Software | 7.9 (#6) | 7.7 (#11) |
| License | Cello is distributed under the Apache 2.0 license. | The repository identifies Apache-2.0 as the project license. |
| Purpose | Cello is a Kubernetes CNI plugin based on the Volcengine VPC network that lets cluster workloads communicate within the VPC. | Kube-OVN combines OVN and Open vSwitch with Kubernetes to provide cloud-native network orchestration. |
| Support | The project directs questions and contributions to GitHub issues or pull requests and also mentions maintainer email and a Feishu group. | The project links to Slack for community discussion and Alauda for support. |
Plans
In their own words
Kube-OVN
Kube-OVN combines OVN and Open vSwitch with Kubernetes for cloud-native network orchestration. Its documented features include subnet management, static IP allocation, gateways, hybrid underlay and overlay networks, VPC features, QoS, ACLs, and traffic mirroring. VPC networks provide tenants with separate address spaces and networking resources. The project recommends it for Kubernetes environments needing KubeVirt support or multi-tenant networking; KubeVirt virtual machines can live-migrate without network interruption. Documented integrations include Cilium, MetalLB, OpenStack, Submariner, and OVN interconnect. With Cilium chaining, Kube-OVN network abstractions can be used with Cilium eBPF monitoring and security capabilities. The project runs on x86_64 and arm64, and its documentation provides one-click installation scripts. It is free under Apache-2.0, deployed on-premises, and uses a centralized control plane. The project advises against it for OpenShift, public-cloud managed Kubernetes, and cases requiring an all-in-one CNI, ingress, service mesh, and observability stack.