7 Top Google Kubernetes Engine Alternatives

The product and pricing information in this article is accurate as of October 2, 2024.

Kubernetes has become the go-to solution for managing containerized applications. It can automate deployment, scale, and manage application containers across clusters of hosts, making it one of the most efficient and scalable solutions in modern software development.

Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is a managed Kubernetes service that provides a powerful and scalable environment for deploying containerized applications. However, it’s not the right fit for every organization. If you need a Google Kubernetes Engine alternative, you’ve come to the right place—below, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to find the right platform.

Why you might need a Google Kubernetes Engine alternative

While Google Kubernetes Engine is a powerful and popular choice for businesses, technology for managing containerized applications keeps changing and improving. Regularly assess if your current setup still meets your needs, or if it’s time to try something new.

Here are some reasons you might consider exploring alternatives to GKE:

• Cost management: Google Cloud Platform (GCP) pricing can be complex and (in some cases) higher than other cloud providers—especially for long-term or large-scale deployments. Organizations looking to optimize their cloud expenditure might find more cost-effective solutions elsewhere.

• Specific feature requirements: Different Kubernetes platforms offer unique features and integrations. Depending on your specific needs—such as better support for hybrid or multi-cloud environments, advanced security features, or improved developer tools—other providers might better align with your requirements.

• Ease of use: GKE is highly robust, but it also requires a steep learning curve for many new users. Alternatives might offer more user-friendly interfaces, better documentation, or superior customer support to make it easier to deploy and manage Kubernetes clusters.

• Regional availability and compliance: Certain industries or organizations must comply with specific regional data residency and regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA). Not all cloud providers offer the same level of regional availability or compliance certifications. An alternative provider might better meet these needs.

• Vendor lock-in concerns: Relying too heavily on a single cloud provider can lead to vendor lock-in, making it challenging to switch providers or adopt multi-cloud strategies. Exploring alternatives can help maintain flexibility and avoid being tied to a single vendor’s ecosystem.

How to choose the right Kubernetes platform

Not every Kuberenetes platform will be the right fit for your organization. You’ll need to evaluate several factors to find a Kubernetes solution for your startup that matches your specific needs and goals.

Here are a few key considerations:

• Feature set and integrations: Check if the platform supports the tools, services, and workflows your team relies on, such as CI/CD pipelines, monitoring solutions, and storage options.

• Ease of use and management: Consider the user experience and management capabilities. Look for intuitive interfaces, comprehensive documentation, and automation features that simplify cluster deployment, scaling, and maintenance.

• Performance and scalability: Check that the platform can handle your current workload and scale up or down based on demand. Performance benchmarks and user reviews can provide insights into how well a platform performs under various conditions.

• Cost considerations: Analyze the pricing models, including resource usage, additional features, and support costs. Choose a platform that offers a cost-effective solution for your budget that boosts your cloud ROI while providing necessary features and performance.

• Customization and flexibility: Consider how much customization and flexibility the platform offers. Your organization might have unique requirements that require tailored solutions.

7 Google Kubernetes Engine alternatives to consider

Choosing the right Kubernetes platform impacts how smoothly your applications run and scale. Each alternative brings something different to the table, catering to various business needs and technical requirements.

1. DigitalOcean Kubernetes

DigitalOcean Kubernetes (DOKS) offers a managed Kubernetes service that simplifies deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications. DOKS integrates seamlessly with DigitalOcean’s ecosystem, providing an intuitive experience for developers and startups. With features like automated node provisioning, high availability, and comprehensive monitoring, DOKS makes Kubernetes accessible and efficient.

Key features:

• Automatically adds or removes nodes based on workload demands, helping to ensure optimal resource usage.

• Provides built-in monitoring and alerting through DigitalOcean’s control panel and API.

• Seamlessly integrates with DigitalOcean’s other services like Droplets, Managed Databases, and Load Balancers.

• Supports high availability configurations to maintain application uptime.

Pricing information:

• Basic: $12/month/node; includes free inbound data transfer, 2,000 GiB/month outbound data transfer.

• CPU-optimized: $42/month/node; dedicated CPU, 2 GiB RAM per CPU, up to 10 Gbps outbound data transfer.

• General purpose: $63/month/node; dedicated CPU, 4 GiB RAM per CPU.

• Memory-optimized: $84/month/node; dedicated CPU, 8 GiB RAM per CPU.

• Storage-optimized: $163/month/node; dedicated CPU, 225 GiB NVMe storage per CPU.

2. Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service

Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) is a fully managed Kubernetes service provided by AWS. It’s designed to run Kubernetes without needing to manage the control plane or nodes. Amazon Elastic container service integrates with AWS services, offering scalability, security, and high availability. It is particularly well-suited for enterprises looking to leverage the extensive capabilities of the AWS ecosystem.

Key features:

• AWS handles the management and maintenance of the Kubernetes control plane.

• Integration with AWS services like IAM, VPC, and CloudWatch for added security and monitoring.

• EKS automatically runs and scales the Kubernetes control plane across multiple AWS Availability Zones.

• Robust security features, including IAM roles for service accounts and fine-grained access controls.

Pricing information:

• Control plane pricing: $0.10 per hour for each EKS cluster you create.

• Node pricing: Pay for the underlying EC2 instances and Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes.

• Additional services: Additional costs for AWS services used in conjunction with EKS, such as CloudWatch for monitoring and logging.

3. Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service

Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a managed service for container orchestration that simplifies the deployment, management, and operations of Kubernetes. AKS integrates with Azure’s extensive ecosystem of services, providing a robust and scalable solution for running containerized applications.

Key features:

• AKS automatically handles updates and security patches for Kubernetes clusters.

• Integration with Azure DevOps and other CI/CD tools for streamlined workflows.

• Advanced security features including Azure Active Directory integration and role-based access control.

• Flexibility to deploy applications across on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments using Azure Arc.

Pricing information:

• Free control plane: AKS offers a free Kubernetes control plane with no additional cost.

• Node pricing: Pay only for the virtual machines, storage, and networking resources consumed by your Kubernetes nodes.

• Standard instances: Starting at $0.008/vCPU/hour and $0.0007/GB/hour for memory.

• Spot pricing: Save up to 90% on unused Azure capacity with spot pricing for ephemeral workloads.

4. IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service

IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service (IKS) is a container management platform that offers a fully managed Kubernetes environment for deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications. It integrates with IBM’s extensive cloud services, providing enterprise-grade security, compliance, and reliability.

Key features:

• IKS automatically handles Kubernetes updates and security patches, helping to ensure your clusters are always up to date.

• Integrated tools like IBM Cloud Monitoring with Sysdig and IBM Log Analysis with LogDNA provide real-time insights and analytics.

• Multi-zone clusters and disaster recovery options help ensure your applications remain available and resilient.

• Features like encryption of data at rest and in transit, vulnerability advisor, and integration with IBM Cloud Security and Compliance Center.

Pricing information:

• Free control plane: No charge for the Kubernetes control plane, only pay for the worker nodes.

• Node pricing: Standard virtual server instances start at $0.0964 per vCPU/hour.

• Bare metal pricing: Options available for higher performance needs, starting at $1.50 per vCPU/hour.

• Additional services: Costs for additional services like block storage, object storage, and container load balancing are billed separately.

5. Red Hat OpenShift

Red Hat OpenShift is a hybrid cloud application platform that provides a robust, enterprise-grade container orchestration solution. It automates the deployment, management, and scaling of containerized applications, offering a comprehensive suite of developer and operational tools to improve productivity and streamline workflows. You can use OpenShift in self-managed or fully managed cloud service versions.

Key features:

• OpenShift includes built-in continuous integration and continuous deployment tools to facilitate automated testing and deployment.

• It offers a rich set of development tools and IDE integrations to simplify the coding process and enhance developer productivity.

• OpenShift can run on various environments, including on-premises, public clouds, and hybrid configurations, providing flexibility and choice.

• Features like role-based access control (RBAC), built-in authentication, and integrated security scanning tools help protect applications and data.

Pricing information:

• Self-managed OpenShift: Pricing starts at $0.076 per core hour for OpenShift Container Platform subscriptions.

• Fully managed OpenShift Dedicated: Pricing starts at $0.171 per core hour, with additional costs for infrastructure and management services.

• Red Hat OpenShift on AWS: Pricing varies based on the chosen AWS instances and configurations, starting at approximately $0.03 per OpenShift node per hour, plus AWS infrastructure costs.

6. VMware Tanzu

VMware Tanzu is a modern application platform that enables enterprises to build, run, and manage applications on Kubernetes. Tanzu is designed to simplify operations and development, providing a comprehensive suite of tools to deploy and manage containerized applications at scale.

Key features:

• Offers a rich catalog of pre-built application templates and services to accelerate development and deployment.

• Tanzu supports deployment across various cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and on-premises, providing flexibility and scalability.

• Provides advanced monitoring and logging tools to gain insights into application performance and health.

• Features comprehensive security controls, including identity and access management, encryption, and compliance with industry standards.

Pricing information:

• Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG): Pricing available through quote.

• Tanzu Mission Control: Available as a subscription service, pricing is based on the number of clusters managed.

• Tanzu Application Service: Additional costs for enterprise features and support.

7. Linode Kubernetes Engine

Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE) is a managed Kubernetes service that’s a cost-effective and user-friendly platform for developers looking to leverage Kubernetes without the complexity of managing the infrastructure.

Key features:

• LKE provides an intuitive interface and tools to easily deploy and manage Kubernetes clusters.

• LKE promises reliable and fast application performance by leveraging Linode’s high-performance infrastructure.

• Built-in monitoring and logging tools help keep track of cluster health and performance.

• Automatically scale your applications and infrastructure to handle varying workloads efficiently.

Pricing information:

• Dedicated 4 GB: $108/month or $0.162/hour for 12 GB RAM, 6 CPUs, 240 GB storage, and 12 TB transfer for 3 nodes.

• Dedicated 8 GB: $216/month or $0.324/hour for 24 GB RAM, 12 CPUs, 480 GB storage, and 15 TB transfer for 3 nodes.

• Dedicated 16 GB: $432/month or $0.648/hour for 48 GB RAM, 24 CPUs, 960 GB storage, and 18 TB transfer for 3 nodes.

Dedicated plans scale as high as 512 GB. Upgrade your control plane to a High-Availability (HA) Control Plane for $60 per cluster/month.

Choose DigitalOcean for container orchestration and management

The right Google Kubernete Engine alternative will streamline your container orchestration and management, and we have just the thing you need. DigitalOcean Kubernetes provides an intuitive interface, predictable pricing, and powerful infrastructure to help you focus on building and deploying applications without the complexities of managing Kubernetes clusters.

• Ease of use: DigitalOcean provides a user-friendly interface and streamlined setup process, making it easy to deploy and manage Kubernetes clusters.

• Transparent pricing: DigitalOcean offers flat, predictable pricing with no hidden fees to help you better manage your budget.

• High performance: DOKS leverages DigitalOcean’s high-performance infrastructure to provide reliable and fast application performance.

• Integrated tools: Benefit from built-in monitoring, logging, and scaling tools to keep your applications running smoothly.

• Comprehensive support: Access a wealth of resources, including detailed documentation, active community forums, and responsive customer support.

DOKS simplifies your development workflow with automated CI/CD pipelines. You can easily scale your applications to handle traffic spikes and maintain high availability.

Sign up now and experience the simplicity and scalability of DigitalOcean Kubernetes.