Rackspace Managed Kubernetes (MPK)
Rackspace Managed Platform for Kubernetes (MPK) is powered by Platform9, offering a unified management aircraft for cluster deployment, monitoring, incident response, and upgrades.
MPK helps three environments—Rackspace naked metallic, AKS, and EKS. Distinctive advantages embrace an SLA guaranteeing Kubernetes upgrades inside 120 days of finish of life and devoted help, with a pod of Kubernetes-certified engineers aiding every buyer.
Extremely Kubernetes-conformant, MPK integrates CNCF-backed instruments like Prometheus, Fluentd, Helm, and Istio. Nevertheless, MPK lacks a local container registry, IAM, and storage, requiring public cloud or bring-your-own options.
MPK is a strong selection for groups utilizing Rackspace for bare-metal internet hosting who need hands-on help and a centralized platform to handle AWS’s and Azure’s Kubernetes providers.
Rancher
Rancher, by SUSE, is a Kubernetes-as-a-service resolution for on-premises and cloud. Rancher can handle clusters for a number of Kubernetes platforms together with Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE), K3s, AKS, EKS, and GKE.
Builders have a tendency to seek out Rancher’s unified net UI straightforward to get began with. Rancher additionally offers an API and CLI and helps Terraform with its personal slice of GitOps. It ships with safe administrative controls, together with OAuth and different login choices. Rancher has a big person base and Slack teams, making it straightforward to seek out group and help.
SUSE has launched worth hikes lately. Engineers have additionally reported efficiency and scalability challenges with Longhorn, SUSE’s native storage resolution, and infrequently advocate alternate options for backup storage. Rancher additionally helps K3k, Kubernetes in Kubernetes, which lets you run remoted K3s clusters inside a bigger Kubernetes surroundings.
All in all, Rancher is corresponding to OpenShift, however much less opinionated and extra modular, with a distinct method to multi-tenancy. When you want multi-cloud, multi-cluster administration with fewer vendor restrictions, Rancher is a strong selection. Portainer is a comparable various.
Crimson Hat OpenShift Kubernetes Engine
Crimson Hat OpenShift is a hybrid cloud platform that streamlines Kubernetes with a developer software chain, simplifying cluster administration. It consists of built-in observability, networking, safety, and GitOps, making upgrades and patches simpler than stand-alone Kubernetes. In contrast to cloud-specific providers, OpenShift is moveable, working on-prem, in information facilities, or throughout clouds.
OpenShift OpenShift Kubernetes Engine is a extra pared-down model of OpenShift, providing a managed Kubernetes surroundings with out the higher-level platform-as-a-service (PaaS) layer. It additionally helps Kubernetes Operators and working digital machines alongside containers.
A possible draw back is that OpenShift is far more opinionated in comparison with different providers like AKS. It favors its personal oc CLI over kubectl, and a few Helm charts and Operators might have changes on account of its stricter safety mannequin.
OpenShift is appropriate for on-prem deployments, hybrid groups managing VMs and containers, and Crimson Hat prospects. If a conveyable, enterprise-ready Kubernetes distribution with built-in safety and automation is what you search, OpenShift is a powerful contender.
Scaleway Kubernetes Kapsule
Scaleway, an EU-based cloud supplier, gives Kubernetes Kapsule, a managed Kubernetes service centered on autoscaling and resilience. Scaleway additionally offers Kosmos for multi-cloud Kubernetes deployments.
Kapsule incorporates a smooth UX, robust buyer help, and versatile cluster administration by way of API, CLI, and Terraform. You pay just for the nodes you employ, making it cost-effective for private clusters or experimentation. Scaleway’s software library consists of pre-configured photographs for frequent add-ons. Kapsule can also be CNCF-certified, making certain compliance with customary Kubernetes APIs.
A significant downside with Scaleway is the few areas it helps—solely France, the Netherlands, and Poland—hindering a really world attain. Some discover the shortage of sure options, like superior load balancing and DNS, to be a deal breaker. Customers additionally report gradual provisioning occasions, outages, and reliability points.
Resulting from its restricted function set and geographic distribution, Kapsule appears best-suited to facet tasks and EU-based startups needing an reasonably priced choice that aligns with European information safety rules.
VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG)
VMware’s Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) is a Kubernetes platform that streamlines networking, authentication, monitoring, logging, and ingress management. Constructed partially on open supply, it leverages Cluster API to handle a number of clusters. TKG performs effectively and gives each CLI and UI choices.
Nevertheless, TKG is now not multi-cloud—since v2.5, TKG dropped help for AWS and Azure workloads. Now centered nearly solely on VMware vSphere, it’s unsuitable as an agnostic Kubernetes management aircraft. Managing Kubernetes throughout clouds requires Tanzu Mission Management (TMC) alongside native providers like EKS, AKS, or GKE.
One other problem is Tanzu’s convoluted branding and documentation—even VMware staff battle to elucidate its SKUs. In the meantime, Broadcom’s takeover of VMware resulted in steep worth hikes. VMware has additionally deprecated a handful of Tanzu packages, elevating questions on VMware Tanzu’s long-term viability.
When you’re deeply invested in vSphere and digital machines, you may soak up increased prices, and also you don’t want a real multi-cloud resolution, TKG could also be a match. In any other case, extra versatile and extra future-proofed alternate options exist.
Honorable mentions
There are numerous different managed Kubernetes platforms, and extra proceed to emerge alongside area of interest clouds, like Hetzner or Spectro Cloud. Different comparable, fully-faceted Kubernetes managed platforms embrace OVHCloud Managed Kubernetes and Civo Kubernetes.
Tencent Kubernetes Engine (TKE) and Huawei Cloud Container Engine (CCE) are different choices for these within the Asia-Pacific area.
The massive gamers additionally provide their very own stripped-down flavors of Kubernetes administration. As an example, AKS Automated and EKS Auto Mode present frictionless developer experiences to automate cluster deployments and operations. And Google Cloud Anthos is rising as a hybrid multi-cloud resolution.
Loads of different options focus on extra area of interest Kubernetes administration capabilities. As an example, different managed providers give attention to common management for multi-cluster, multi-cloud administration, akin to Portainer, Rafay, Omni, Liquo, and Kube Clusters.
For the sting or small container deployments, slim choices embrace MicroK8s, K3s, and K0s, whereas Vultr Kubernetes Engine offers a extra managed expertise. Kubespray, a developer favourite, offers an open-source toolset for deploying Kubernetes clusters in slim configurations.
The appropriate software for the job
Plug-and-play Kubernetes providers take quite a lot of the trouble out of cluster administration. However it all depends upon scale—managed providers will not be mandatory should you’re not working many clusters concurrently. Smaller deployments typically go for less complicated container runtimes, like Docker Compose or Nomad. Others flip to platform-as-a-service alternate options, like Heroku, Fly.io, or Cloud Run.
Relying in your wants, you could solely require particular instruments. As an example, Karpenter is a well-liked open-source software strictly for autoscaling cluster nodes. Or, maybe you solely want a dashboard like Devtron or a UI like Aptakube or Octant.
Alternatively, constructing could also be higher than shopping for should you anticipate needing extra granular management on the infrastructure degree and you’ve got the wherewithal. With the appropriate technical chops, you may think about sticking with built-in kubeadm and internet hosting Kubernetes your self for final management.
Evaluating managed Kubernetes providers boils down to 2 principal elements: how a lot you need to handle and what third-party providers you want, says Michael Levan, principal guide and advisor. Whereas automated providers can take away infrastructure administration, they might not all the time combine effectively with sure third-party instruments. “It actually comes right down to, like something within the cloud, how a lot management you need to give away,” he says.
