kpack vs Open Build Service
kpack
github.comOpen Build Service
openbuildservice.orgSide by side
| Figure | kpack | Open Build Service |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Container Build Tools | 7.4 (#23) | 8.3 (#9) |
| Integrations | The documentation includes examples for Docker Hub, Google Container Registry, and GitHub credentials. | The OBS API lets clients and external services interface with OBS resources. |
| License | The repository identifies its license as Apache-2.0. | OBS is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and can be installed on users’ own hardware or in their data center. |
| Purpose | kpack is a Kubernetes native container build service that builds OCI images using Cloud Native Buildpacks. | OBS automatically builds and distributes binary packages from source code in a consistent and reproducible way. |
| Support | The project README points users to a weekly working group and the CNCF Slack community. | Community help is available through OBS IRC and a mailing list; commercial consulting, training, or SLA support is offered by listed partners, while the project says it has no product or service offering of its own. |
Plans
In their own words
Open Build Service
Open Build Service (OBS) builds and distributes binary packages from source code in a consistent, reproducible way. Each package is built in a fresh jailed environment; when a build succeeds, OBS rebuilds packages that depend on it. The service can release packages, updates, add-ons, appliances, and complete distributions for different operating systems and hardware architectures. Documented package formats include RPM, DEB, and Arch, with recipes in formats such as spec, dsc, KIWI, and mkosi. Teams can use access controls, branches, merge requests, and submission reviews to coordinate work. GitHub.com and GitLab.com integrations are supported, as are self-hosted GitHub, GitLab, and Gitea instances when network connectivity works. The API gives clients and external services access to OBS resources, while the osc command-line client can edit sources and metadata, start builds, and gather results. OBS is GPL-licensed free software, available on a reference server for open-source developers or for installation on users’ own hardware or in a data center. The listed plan is free.