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No. 4 of 27 ·Microsegmentation Software

Antrea

Windows · Linux · Self-hosted · API

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Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.3

  • Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
  • Open codeNo open-source code on record
  • Runs widely2 of 6 device platforms
  • DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Antrea provides networking and security for Kubernetes workloads by implementing the Container Network Interface and Kubernetes NetworkPolicy. It uses Open vSwitch as its data plane, including for Kubernetes Service load balancing. Depending on the infrastructure, clusters can use VXLAN or Geneve overlays, or operate without an overlay. Its policy options add tiers, rule priorities, cluster-wide policies and Node policies to Kubernetes NetworkPolicy. Antrea can federate clusters with a unified data plane, multi-cluster Services and a shared security posture. Diagnostic tools include command-line and UI options for packet tracing, policy analysis and flow inspection, and metrics can be exported to Prometheus. Pod traffic encryption with IPsec or WireGuard is available between Linux nodes, but not Windows nodes. The project is open source under Apache License 2.0 and is free. It requires a Kubernetes cluster and the Open vSwitch kernel module on every node; the overview says it has been tested with Kubernetes 1.23 or later. Antrea identifies as a CNCF sandbox project.

Who it is for

Antrea suits Kubernetes operators who need pod networking, policy controls and diagnostics, including teams managing multiple clusters. It requires Kubernetes and the Open vSwitch kernel module on every node.

What is good

  • Free and open source under Apache License 2.0.
  • Supports VXLAN and Geneve overlays or no overlay.
  • Adds cluster-level, Node and tiered network policies.
  • Offers multi-cluster federation and Services.
  • Exports metrics to Prometheus.

What to know first

  • Requires Open vSwitch on every Kubernetes node.
  • Traffic encryption is unavailable on Windows nodes.
  • Azure support is best-effort and no longer tested from version 2.5.

Verdict

Antrea combines Kubernetes networking with additional policy, federation and diagnostic capabilities. Its node requirements and lack of Windows traffic encryption are important constraints to check against a cluster’s needs.

Antrea plans and pricing

All plans
Antrea Free Apache License 2.0 · requires a Kubernetes cluster and Open vSwitch kernel module on every Kubernetes node antrea.io · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on microsegmentation software

Deployment model
hybrid

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