k0s vs Kubeli

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.

Kubeli is a native desktop application for managing Kubernetes clusters on macOS, Windows, and Linux. It connects to multiple clusters simultaneously and supports one-click context switching. A topology view nests namespaces, deployments, and pods so cluster structure can be inspected graphically. Pod logs stream with search, timestamps, and error highlighting, and can be passed to a locally running AI assistant. Kubeli maps local ports to pods or services and can open forwarded ports in a browser. Its listed AI integrations include Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, and Droid. An included MCP server lets VS Code, Cursor, or Claude Code query cluster state. HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 proxy support addresses clusters behind corporate firewalls. The site lists macOS 10.15+, Windows 10/11, and Linux x64 downloads. Kubeli is free and MIT open source, requires no account or telemetry, and says it does not transfer information to other networked systems unless requested. Support is provided through GitHub Discussions, feature requests, and bug reports.