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 steel, AKS, and EKS. Distinctive advantages embody an SLA guaranteeing Kubernetes upgrades inside 120 days of finish of life and dedicated support, with a pod of Kubernetes-certified engineers aiding every buyer.

Extremely Kubernetes-conformant, MPK integrates CNCF-backed instruments like Prometheus, Fluentd, Helm, and Istio. Nonetheless, MPK lacks a local container registry, IAM, and storage, requiring public cloud or bring-your-own options.

MPK is a strong alternative for groups utilizing Rackspace for bare-metal internet hosting who need hands-on assist and a centralized platform to handle AWS’s and Azure’s Kubernetes companies.

Rancher

Rancher, by SUSE, is a Kubernetes-as-a-service answer for on-premises and cloud. Rancher can handle clusters for several Kubernetes platforms together with Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE), K3s, AKS, EKS, and GKE.

Developers have a tendency to search out Rancher’s unified net UI simple to get began with. Rancher additionally gives 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 simple to search out group and assist.

SUSE has launched value hikes in recent times. Engineers have additionally reported efficiency and scalability challenges with Longhorn, SUSE’s native storage answer, 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 atmosphere.

All in all, Rancher is akin to OpenShift, however much less opinionated and extra modular, with a distinct strategy to multi-tenancy. Should you want multi-cloud, multi-cluster administration with fewer vendor restrictions, Rancher is a strong alternative. Portainer is a comparable various.

Crimson Hat OpenShift Kubernetes Engine

Red Hat OpenShift is a hybrid cloud platform that streamlines Kubernetes with a developer device chain, simplifying cluster administration. It contains built-in observability, networking, safety, and GitOps, making upgrades and patches simpler than stand-alone Kubernetes. Not like cloud-specific companies, OpenShift is transportable, operating on-prem, in knowledge facilities, or throughout clouds.

OpenShift OpenShift Kubernetes Engine is a extra pared-down model of OpenShift, providing a managed Kubernetes atmosphere with out the higher-level platform-as-a-service (PaaS) layer. It additionally helps Kubernetes Operators and operating digital machines alongside containers.

A possible draw back is that OpenShift is much more opinionated in comparison with different companies like AKS. It favors its personal oc CLI over kubectl, and a few Helm charts and Operators may have changes resulting from 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 robust contender.

Scaleway Kubernetes Kapsule

Scaleway, an EU-based cloud supplier, presents Kubernetes Kapsule, a managed Kubernetes service targeted on autoscaling and resilience. Scaleway additionally gives Kosmos for multi-cloud Kubernetes deployments.

Kapsule incorporates a glossy UX, robust buyer assist, and versatile cluster administration through API, CLI, and Terraform. You pay just for the nodes you employ, making it cost-effective for private clusters or experimentation. Scaleway’s application library contains pre-configured photographs for frequent add-ons. Kapsule can be CNCF-certified, making certain compliance with commonplace Kubernetes APIs.

A serious downside with Scaleway is the few areas it helps—solely France, the Netherlands, and Poland—hindering a really international attain. Some discover the shortage of sure options, like superior load balancing and DNS, to be a deal breaker. Customers additionally report sluggish provisioning occasions, outages, and reliability issues.

On account of its restricted characteristic set and geographic distribution, Kapsule appears best-suited to facet tasks and EU-based startups needing an reasonably priced choice that aligns with European knowledge safety laws.

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 properly and presents each CLI and UI choices.

Nonetheless, TKG is not multi-cloud—since v2.5, TKG dropped assist for AWS and Azure workloads. Now targeted virtually completely on VMware vSphere, it’s unsuitable as an agnostic Kubernetes management aircraft. Managing Kubernetes throughout clouds requires Tanzu Mission Management (TMC) alongside native companies like EKS, AKS, or GKE.

One other problem is Tanzu’s convoluted branding and documentation—even VMware employees battle to clarify its SKUs. In the meantime, Broadcom’s takeover of VMware resulted in steep value hikes. VMware has additionally deprecated a handful of Tanzu packages, elevating questions on VMware Tanzu’s long-term viability.

Should you’re deeply invested in vSphere and digital machines, you possibly can take in greater prices, and also you don’t want a real multi-cloud answer, 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 embody 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 large gamers additionally provide their very own stripped-down flavors of Kubernetes administration. As an example, AKS Automatic 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 answer.

Loads of different options focus on extra area of interest Kubernetes administration features. As an example, different managed companies deal with 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 embody MicroK8s, K3s, and K0s, whereas Vultr Kubernetes Engine gives a extra managed expertise. Kubespray, a developer favourite, gives an open-source toolset for deploying Kubernetes clusters in slim configurations.

The precise device for the job

Relying in your wants, chances are you’ll solely require particular instruments. As an example, Karpenter is a well-liked open-source device 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 stage and you’ve got the wherewithal. With the precise technical chops, you would possibly contemplate sticking with built-in kubeadm and internet hosting Kubernetes your self for final management.

Evaluating managed Kubernetes companies boils down to 2 important elements: how a lot you need to handle and what third-party companies you want, says Michael Levan, principal marketing consultant and advisor. Whereas automated companies can take away infrastructure administration, they could not all the time combine properly with sure third-party instruments. “It actually comes all the way down to, like something within the cloud, how a lot management you need to give away,” he says.