k0s vs K3s
k0s
k0sproject.ioK3s
k3s.ioSide by side
| Figure | k0s | K3s |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Local Kubernetes Tools | 8.1 (#6) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Spec score · Container Orchestration Software | 7.9 (#11) | 7.7 (#13) |
| Spec score · Container Management Software | 8.0 (#12) | 7.8 (#15) |
| Datastores | The documentation lists etcd, SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL datastore backends. | SQLite is the default lightweight datastore, and etcd, MySQL, and Postgres are also available. |
| Packaging | k0s is distributed as a single binary with no host OS dependencies besides the kernel. | K3s is distributed as a single binary or minimal container image. |
| Security | The project site lists kube-bench, RBAC, network policies, control plane isolation, and OpenID provider support among its security features. | The security documentation provides hardening guidance and CIS benchmark self-assessment guides, which assume K3s runs with embedded etcd. |
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.
K3s
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.