Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Kubernetes VS OpenShift

Compare Kubernetes VS OpenShift and see what are their differences

Kubernetes logo Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers

OpenShift logo OpenShift

OpenShift gives you all the tools you need to develop, host and scale your apps in the public or private cloud. Get started today.
  • Kubernetes Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-24
  • OpenShift Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15

Kubernetes features and specs

  • Scalability
    Kubernetes excels in scaling applications horizontally by adding more containers to the deployment, ensuring that the application remains responsive even during high demand.
  • Portability
    Kubernetes supports a variety of environments including on-premises, hybrid, and public cloud infrastructures, offering flexibility and freedom from vendor lock-in.
  • High Availability
    Kubernetes ensures high availability through features like self-healing, automated rollouts and rollbacks, and various controller mechanisms to keep applications running reliably.
  • Extensibility
    Kubernetes has a modular architecture with a rich ecosystem of plugins, third-party tools, and extensions that allow customization and integration with various services.
  • Resource Efficiency
    Efficiently manages resources with features like autoscaling and resource quotas, helping to optimize usage and reduce costs.
  • Community and Support
    Kubernetes has a large, active community and strong industry support, which means abundant resources, tutorials, and third-party integrations are available.

Possible disadvantages of Kubernetes

  • Complexity
    The learning curve associated with Kubernetes is steep due to its numerous components, configurations, and operational paradigms.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running a Kubernetes cluster can be resource-intensive, often requiring significant CPU, memory, and storage resources, which can be costly.
  • Operational Challenges
    Managing a Kubernetes cluster requires expertise in areas such as networking, security, and cluster lifecycle management, making it challenging for smaller teams or organizations.
  • Debugging and Troubleshooting
    Pinpointing issues within a Kubernetes cluster can be difficult due to its distributed and dynamic nature, which can complicate debugging and troubleshooting processes.
  • Configuration Overhead
    Kubernetes involves numerous configurations and settings, which can be overwhelming and error-prone, especially during initial setup and deployment.
  • Security Management
    While Kubernetes provides various security features, managing those securely requires in-depth knowledge and diligence, as misconfigurations can lead to vulnerabilities.

OpenShift features and specs

  • Comprehensive Platform
    OpenShift provides a complete Kubernetes-based container platform, including a strong set of integrated tools such as CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and logging, which simplifies the development and deployment of applications.
  • Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Support
    OpenShift supports hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, enabling organizations to build, deploy, and manage applications across on-premises infrastructure and multiple cloud providers.
  • Enterprise-grade Security
    It offers robust security features, including role-based access control (RBAC), built-in authentication and authorization, and integrated vulnerability scanning, ensuring secure application development and deployment.
  • Developer Productivity
    OpenShift boosts developer productivity with features like source-to-image (S2I) builds, self-service environments, and a rich catalog of pre-configured application templates and runtimes.
  • Scalability and High Availability
    It is designed to scale applications seamlessly and ensure high availability with automated horizontal pod scaling, load balancing, and failover capabilities.

Possible disadvantages of OpenShift

  • Complexity
    The comprehensive nature of OpenShift can lead to increased complexity, particularly for small teams or organizations without prior Kubernetes or container orchestration experience.
  • Cost
    Enterprise-grade features come with significant licensing costs, which might be a barrier for startups and small to medium-sized enterprises.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive range of features and integrations, there can be a steep learning curve for administrators and developers new to the platform.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    While OpenShift supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments, there can be concerns about vendor lock-in due to the level of customization and proprietary features specific to Red Hat's implementation.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running OpenShift efficiently requires substantial computational resources and infrastructure, which might be challenging for organizations with limited IT resources.

Kubernetes videos

Kubernetes in 5 mins

More videos:

  • Review - Kubernetes Documentation
  • Review - Module 1: Istio - Kubernetes - Getting Started - Installation and Sample Application Review
  • Review - Deploying WordPress on Kubernetes, Step-by-Step

OpenShift videos

OpenShift Container Platform by RedHat | Kubernetes Made Easy | Tech Primers

More videos:

  • Review - Open Source PaaS - OpenShift Review Part 1
  • Review - Red Hat OpenShift overview

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Kubernetes and OpenShift)
Developer Tools
92 92%
8% 8
Cloud Computing
56 56%
44% 44
DevOps Tools
89 89%
11% 11
Cloud Hosting
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Kubernetes and OpenShift

Kubernetes Reviews

The Top 7 Kubernetes Alternatives for Container Orchestration
Rancher RKE is an interface to the command line for Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE) and OpenShift. Both are software tools employed to deploy Kubernetes, an open source project that manages containers on several hosts.
Kubernetes Alternatives 2023: Top 8 Container Orchestration Tools
Azure Kubernetes Service is a container orchestration platform that offers secure serverless Kubernetes. AKS helps to manage Kubernetes clusters and makes deploying containerized applications so much easier. In addition to that, it provides automatic configuration of all Kubernetes nodes and master.
Top 12 Kubernetes Alternatives to Choose From in 2023
Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is a prominent choice for a Kubernetes alternative. It is provided and managed by Google Cloud, which offers fully managed Kubernetes services.
Source: humalect.com
Docker Swarm vs Kubernetes: how to choose a container orchestration tool
In this article, we explored the two primary orchestrators of the container world, Kubernetes and Docker Swarm. Docker Swarm is a lightweight, easy-to-use orchestration tool with limited offerings compared to Kubernetes. In contrast, Kubernetes is complex but powerful and provides self-healing, auto-scaling capabilities out of the box. K3s, a lightweight form of Kubernetes...
Source: circleci.com
Docker Alternatives
An open-source code, Rancher is another one among the list of Docker alternatives that is built to provide organizations with everything they need. This software combines the environments required to adopt and run containers in production. A rancher is built on Kubernetes. This tool helps the DevOps team by making it easier to testing, deploying and managing the...
Source: www.educba.com

OpenShift Reviews

Kubernetes Alternatives 2023: Top 8 Container Orchestration Tools
OpenShift is another container orchestration alternative for Kubernetes. It is a PaaS developed by Red Hat as a hybrid, enterprise-scale platform with extended Kubernetes capabilities for container orchestration. With a Linux OS, OpenShift helps you securely automate and scale the entire lifecycle of containerized applications. That means you can virtualize every host and...
OpenShift alternatives
The OpenShift platform was released by Red Hat – the maker of the professional Linux distribution “Red Hat Enterprise Linux” (RHEL). The OpenShift alternative “Rancher” has now been taken over by the traditional Linux provider SUSE. “Canonical Kubernetes”, is another OpenShift alternative from an established Linux provider. Read on to find out more about these and other...
Source: www.ionos.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Kubernetes seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 358 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Kubernetes mentions (358)

  • India Open Source Development: Harnessing Collaborative Innovation for Global Impact
    Over the years, Indian developers have played increasingly vital roles in many international projects. From contributions to frameworks such as Kubernetes and Apache Hadoop to the emergence of homegrown platforms like OpenStack India, India has steadily carved out a global reputation as a powerhouse of open source talent. - Source: dev.to / about 21 hours ago
  • A Guide to Setting up Service Discovery for APIs
    Kubernetes isn't just for container orchestration—it packs a powerful built-in service discovery system that's changing how developers think about service connectivity. It uses DNS under the hood, along with environment variables, to help services find each other. - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Kubernetes 1.33: A Deep Dive into the Exciting New Features of Octarine
    For a comprehensive overview, explore the Kubernetes 1.33 release notes and GitHub changelog. Engage with the community at events like KubeCon or join the Kubernetes Slack to collaborate on the future of cloud-native computing. With Octarine, Kubernetes continues to shine as the backbone of modern infrastructure. - Source: dev.to / 9 days ago
  • A Detailed Comparison between Kubernetes Operators and Controllers
    Imagine trying to keep a fleet of ships sailing smoothly across the ocean. You need to ensure each ship has enough crew, fuel, and cargo, and that they're all heading in the right direction. This is a complex task, requiring constant monitoring and adjustments. In the world of Kubernetes, Controllers and Operators play a similar role, ensuring your applications run smoothly and efficiently. This blog post delves... - Source: dev.to / 17 days ago
  • Kubernetes: Migrating from Ingress to Gateway API
    Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for container orchestration. With the rise of microservices and cloud-native applications, managing network traffic within a Kubernetes cluster has become increasingly critical. The Ingress API has been the traditional solution for managing external access to services in Kubernetes. However, with the evolution of Kubernetes and the need for more advanced traffic... - Source: dev.to / 17 days ago
View more

OpenShift mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of OpenShift yet. Tracking of OpenShift recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Kubernetes and OpenShift, you can also consider the following products

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

Docker - Docker is an open platform that enables developers and system administrators to create distributed applications.

Salesforce Platform - Salesforce Platform is a comprehensive PaaS solution that paves the way for the developers to test, build, and mitigate the issues in the cloud application before the final deployment.

Helm.sh - The Kubernetes Package Manager

Dokku - Docker powered mini-Heroku in around 100 lines of Bash