k0s vs k3d
k0s
k0sproject.iok3d
k3d.ioSide by side
| Figure | k0s | k3d |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Local Kubernetes Tools | 8.1 (#6) | 8.1 (#7) |
| Installation | The documentation lists single-node, multi-node, air-gapped, and Docker installation methods. | The maker lists installation options including GitHub release binaries, Homebrew, AUR, Chocolatey, Scoop, arkade, asdf, and Go. |
| Purpose | k0s is a Kubernetes distribution for deploying workloads across public and private cloud, on-premises, bare metal, edge, and IoT environments. | k3d is a lightweight wrapper for running k3s, Rancher Lab’s minimal Kubernetes distribution, in Docker. |
| Support | The project identifies Mirantis as offering technical support, professional services, training, and support subscriptions with prioritized phone, web, and email support. | The overview directs users to the Rancher community Slack and its #k3d channel for discussion. |
Plans
In their own words
k0s
k0s is a free, self-hosted Kubernetes distribution for deploying workloads across public and private clouds, on-premises systems, bare metal, edge locations, and IoT environments. It comes as a single binary and needs no host operating-system components beyond the kernel. The project describes it as CNCF-certified Kubernetes and lists support for x86-64, ARM64, ARMv7, and RISC-V. Installation options include single-node, multi-node, air-gapped, and Docker methods. The k0sctl tool supports cluster lifecycle tasks such as upgrades and backup and restore. Kube-Router is the default networking option; custom CNI plugins are supported, with Calico listed as a preconfigured alternative. Datastore choices include etcd, SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. Listed security features include kube-bench, RBAC, network policies, control plane isolation, and OpenID provider support. Minimum requirements are 1 vCPU and 1 GB RAM. The project aims to keep the base versatile by limiting bundled add-ons such as ingress, service meshes, and storage. Mirantis offers support services and subscriptions.
k3d
k3d is a free, community-driven wrapper that runs k3s, Rancher Lab’s minimal Kubernetes distribution, inside Docker. It creates single-node and multi-node clusters for local Kubernetes development and can support hot-reloading, Tilt build-deploy-test workflows, and Drone CI service use. Docker is required, while kubectl is used to interact with clusters. For k3d v5.x.x, the overview specifies Docker v20.10.5 or later and runc v1.0.0-rc93 or later. A registries.yaml file configures registries, authentication, and certificates, and documentation covers local registries managed by k3d. Services can be exposed through Ingress or NodePort by mapping container ports to the host. Covered k3s integrations include CoreDNS, local-path-provisioner, Traefik, and the Klipper service load balancer. Installation options include release binaries, Homebrew, AUR, Chocolatey, Scoop, arkade, asdf, and Go. k3d runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted setups. It is not an official Rancher (SUSE) product.