Freedom251 › Kubernetes Management Platforms
kMetal
What kMetal is
kMetal is a platform for deploying and operating multiple Kubernetes clusters on bare-metal infrastructure. It provides hosted control planes whose components run as pods, with a dedicated Kubernetes API server and isolated etcd for each tenant. Tenant workers run as KubeVirt virtual machines on bare metal, using KVM built into the platform. Kube-OVN provides per-tenant VPC isolation, while Kairos is used for immutable, declaratively built worker images. kMetal supports GitOps-driven lifecycle management and centralized operations across a cluster fleet, including provisioning, multi-cluster management, policy enforcement and upgrade management. Its documentation describes built-in monitoring, logging and alerting, along with automated backup and recovery procedures. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is officially supported. Clastix Care is included with each deployment and offers proactive security updates, monthly vulnerability reports in NIST NVD format, CVE resolutions, a private Slack channel and monthly office hours with Clastix engineers. Listed response levels are 24/7 for P1 and P2, and 8/5 business hours for P3. Pricing is available by contacting sales; production use requires a commercial license.
Who it suits
kMetal is intended for enterprises, cloud providers and AI factories working with bare-metal Kubernetes clusters. It may suit teams that need centralized management of multiple clusters and a vendor-managed control plane.
What it does well
- Supports provisioning and multi-cluster management
- Includes policy and upgrade management
- Built-in monitoring, logging and alerting
- Clastix Care included with every deployment
- P1 and P2 response listed as 24/7
What to know first
- Pricing is available on request
- No free plan or free trial
- Evaluation requires a temporary token
- Evaluation is limited to testing, not production
Limits
Evaluation access typically lasts two weeks, with one possible additional extension week. It is for testing only, and access is disabled when the evaluation expires; production use requires a commercial license.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| kMetal subscription | Annual commitment with renewal options; current pricing by contacting sales · License based on licensed hardware footprint · Full platform functionality included · Usage limited to licensed hardware | On request |
As kmetal.clastix.io lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit kmetal.clastix.io.
- Contact Clastix for current subscription pricing.
- Request a temporary token for evaluation access.
- Use the evaluation for testing; obtain a commercial license for production use.
Verdict
kMetal combines hosted tenant control planes, bare-metal workers and centralized cluster operations. It is a commercial product, and evaluation access is temporary and restricted to testing; contact Clastix for pricing and access details.
Questions
How much does kMetal cost?
Pricing is available by contacting sales. The subscription is based on licensed hardware footprint, includes full platform functionality, and limits usage to licensed hardware.
Is there a free plan or trial?
There is no free plan or standard free trial. Evaluation access requires a temporary token from Clastix and typically lasts two weeks, with a possible one-week extension.
Can I use an evaluation deployment in production?
No. Evaluation is for testing only; production use requires a commercial license.
Which environments does kMetal support?
kMetal supports bare-metal infrastructure. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is officially supported.
What does Clastix Care include?
It comes with every kMetal deployment and includes proactive security updates, monthly NIST NVD-format vulnerability reports, CVE resolutions, a private Slack channel, and monthly office hours with Clastix engineers.
What response levels are stated for support?
P1 and P2 responses are listed as 24/7. P3 response is listed as 8/5 business hours.
Facts from kMetal's own pages
- Evaluation access
- Evaluation access requires a temporary token from Clastix, is typically two weeks, and can receive one additional extension week. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Evaluation restriction
- Evaluation is for testing only; production use requires a commercial license, and access is disabled after the evaluation expires. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Naples, Italy · kmetal.clastix.io, 28 Sept 2026
- Hosted control planes
- Tenant control plane components run as pods, and each tenant has a dedicated Kubernetes API server and isolated etcd. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The product site says kMetal is built for enterprises, cloud providers, and AI factories. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Management
- kMetal supports GitOps-driven lifecycle management and centralized operations for a cluster fleet. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Networking and OS
- The platform uses Kube-OVN for per-tenant VPC isolation and Kairos for immutable, declaratively built worker images. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Observability and recovery
- The documentation describes built-in monitoring, logging, alerting, and automated backup and recovery procedures. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- kMetal provides a platform for deploying, managing, and operating multiple Kubernetes clusters with production-grade reliability and efficiency. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- Clastix Care includes proactive security updates, monthly vulnerability reports in NIST NVD format, and CVE resolutions. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- Clastix Care is included with every kMetal deployment and includes a private Slack channel and monthly office hours with Clastix engineers. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Support response
- The stated service levels list P1 and P2 response as 24/7 and P3 response as 8/5 business hours. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Virtualization
- Tenant workers run as KubeVirt virtual machines on bare metal, using KVM built into the platform. · kmetal.clastix.io, 8 Oct 2026
Where kMetal stands on Freedom251
- Kubernetes Management Platforms#21 of 29