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Red Hat OpenShift VS Kubernetes

Compare Red Hat OpenShift VS Kubernetes and see what are their differences

Red Hat OpenShift logo Red Hat OpenShift

Application and Data, Application Hosting, and Platform as a Service

Kubernetes logo Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers
  • Red Hat OpenShift Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-01
  • Kubernetes Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-24

Red Hat OpenShift features and specs

  • Integration with Red Hat Ecosystem
    OpenShift offers tight integration with Red Hat's extensive ecosystem, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Red Hat Ansible Automation, and Red Hat Middleware, providing a seamless experience for enterprises already using Red Hat products.
  • Comprehensive Security Features
    OpenShift provides robust security features including fine-grained access controls, built-in OAuth authentication, and automatic security updates, making it easier to maintain a secure containerized environment.
  • Enterprise Support
    Red Hat offers professional, enterprise-grade support for OpenShift, providing an added layer of reliability and assistance for resolving issues and ensuring smooth operations.
  • Consistent Hybrid Cloud Experience
    OpenShift provides a consistent platform across on-premises, public cloud, and hybrid cloud environments, enabling organizations to avoid vendor lock-in and deploy applications flexibly.
  • Developer-Friendly Tools
    Features like integrated CI/CD pipelines, automated build and deploy processes, and a rich set of developer tools make it easier for developers to create and deploy applications quickly.

Possible disadvantages of Red Hat OpenShift

  • Complexity
    OpenShift can be complex to set up and manage, especially for teams that are not already familiar with Kubernetes and container orchestration concepts.
  • Cost
    The enterprise version of OpenShift can be expensive, which might be a barrier for small businesses or startups.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a steep learning curve associated with OpenShift, requiring significant time and effort to master, particularly for organizations new to container management and orchestration.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running OpenShift can be resource-intensive, demanding substantial CPU, memory, and storage resources, which could be a challenge for smaller or resource-constrained environments.
  • Dependency on Red Hat Technologies
    While integration with Red Hat's ecosystem is a pro, it could also be a con for organizations that do not use Red Hat products or prefer to avoid dependency on a single vendor for their software stack.

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.

Red Hat OpenShift videos

Red Hat OpenShift overview

More videos:

  • Demo - Red Hat OpenShift 4.3 Demo with Shadow-Soft

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes)
DevOps Tools
15 15%
85% 85
Developer Tools
3 3%
97% 97
Continuous Integration And Delivery
Other Infrastructure Tools

User comments

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Reviews

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

Red Hat OpenShift Reviews

We have no reviews of Red Hat OpenShift yet.
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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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Kubernetes seems to be a lot more popular than Red Hat OpenShift. While we know about 358 links to Kubernetes, we've tracked only 1 mention of Red Hat OpenShift. 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.

Red Hat OpenShift mentions (1)

  • The biggest threats to Red Hat’s Linux market share will come from the companies that make it easiest for developers to do their jobs.
    There is a free Openshift sandbox you can deploy here: https://developers.redhat.com/products/openshift/getting-started. Source: almost 2 years ago

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 11 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

Terraform - Tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely and efficiently.

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

Puppet Enterprise - Get started with Puppet Enterprise, or upgrade or expand.

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

Helm.sh - The Kubernetes Package Manager

Packer - Packer is an open-source software for creating identical machine images from a single source configuration.