k0s vs OKD
k0s
k0sproject.io
OKD
okd.ioSide by side
| Figure | k0s | OKD |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Container Orchestration Software | 7.9 (#11) | 7.7 (#14) |
| Spec score · Container Management Software | 8.0 (#12) | 7.7 (#16) |
| Architecture | The documentation lists support for x86-64, ARM64, ARMv7, and RISC-V. | OKD augments Kubernetes primarily by preinstalling more than 100 Operators that provide cluster components. |
| Purpose | k0s is a Kubernetes distribution for deploying workloads across public and private cloud, on-premises, bare metal, edge, and IoT environments. | OKD is an integrated Kubernetes platform for managing applications and clusters at scale. |
| Security | The project site lists kube-bench, RBAC, network policies, control plane isolation, and OpenID provider support among its security features. | The project site says its recommended design patterns enhance security posture and its defaults include hardened configuration. |
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.
OKD
OKD is a free, self-hosted Kubernetes platform for managing applications and clusters at scale. It extends Kubernetes with more than 100 preinstalled Operators and includes a web console, authentication, image registry and tooling, monitoring, networking, node configuration and upgrades, and Operator management. Cluster nodes run an immutable operating system managed through cluster APIs. OKD states that it is 100% compliant with Kubernetes, with additional patches for some advanced features, and its defaults include hardened configuration. The platform supports autoscaling, rolling updates, and policy controls. Installation works on bare metal, virtualization platforms, and cloud platforms, using installer-provisioned or user-provisioned infrastructure. Integrated deployments cover areas such as GitOps, service mesh, virtualization, and storage. Downloads include stable releases and nightly builds for installer and client tools. The installation guide provides signed-checksum verification instructions; its examples cover Linux and macOS client and installer archives and Windows client archives. OKD directs users to Kubernetes Slack’s #okd-dev channel and a Google Group. It describes uses for technologists, students, and OpenShift contributors and partners.