Okteto

Okteto gives teams isolated, production-like Kubernetes environments on shared infrastructure, for developers and command-running AI agents that need real services and data. It is most compelling for organisations standardising cloud development and pull-request review around Kubernetes. The trade-off is a desktop-focused dashboard and pricing that requires a sales conversation beyond the free tier.

Overview

Okteto environments are configured with an Okteto Manifest covering build, deploy, development, and test workflows. Developers can deploy an application to the cloud and see local code changes appear in that environment. This reduces the gap between a developer machine and the services, data, and infrastructure an application actually uses, but it makes Kubernetes a central dependency rather than an incidental deployment target.

For every pull request, Okteto can create a distinct, shareable application environment. Reviewers and stakeholders can use a running application, while teams can run automated end-to-end tests against the same change. External Resources extend these environments to applications, databases, message brokers, serverless functions, security infrastructure, and reporting dashboards, which is useful when a meaningful test needs more than the application container itself.

Key features

Cloud development

Live cloud updates suit developers whose changes depend on shared services or realistic data. The approach is less attractive for a small project that can be reproduced locally without Kubernetes.

Pull-request previews

Unique preview environments make code review concrete and give CI/CD pipelines a place to perform end-to-end checks. Okteto documents integrations with GitHub, GitLab, and CircleCI, so it fits teams already organising delivery around those systems.

Agent and workspace support

Okteto says it works with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, and other agents able to run a command. GPU workspaces, persistent storage, JetBrains support, custom workspace configuration, and multiple version-control hosts broaden its usefulness for specialised development workloads.

Governance and infrastructure

Scale and Enterprise add RBAC user management, standard roles, namespace and environment sharing, plus GitHub and Google Workspace SSO. Scale and Enterprise also list SOC 2 Type 2 compliance; Enterprise adds air-gapped network support and Bring Your Own Cloud. Self-hosted deployment is listed for Open Source, Scale, and Enterprise.

Pricing

Okteto uses paid, request-based pricing, with a 30-day trial and a free plan. The Starter plan costs nothing and supports five seats. That is a useful way for a small team to evaluate the workflow, but the published allowance is narrow for a larger organisation and no additional Starter quotas are stated.

Scale has custom pricing (“Contact us for pricing”) and is aimed at teams needing stronger governance, SLAs, SOC 2 Type 2, SSO, RBAC, sharing controls, and self-hosted deployment. Enterprise also uses custom pricing and is the choice for organisations requiring a dedicated Slack channel, air-gapped networking, Bring Your Own Cloud, and the same listed governance and compliance capabilities. Ticket support and community forum access apply across all tiers; Scale and Enterprise add SLAs, while Enterprise adds dedicated Slack support. Because renewal terms and paid usage quotas are not published, buyers should obtain those terms before committing.

Platforms

Okteto is offered through an API, web interface, and self-hosted deployments on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The CLI installation documentation covers macOS, Linux, and Windows. The Dashboard is designed for desktop and does not support mobile browsers, so mobile-first administration is not a fit.

Who it's for

Choose Okteto when a development organisation already operates Kubernetes or is prepared to make it the shared foundation for development, testing, agents, and previews. It is particularly well suited to teams that need realistic dependencies, repeatable pull-request environments, self-hosting, or enterprise access controls. Smaller teams can start with five free seats, while organisations with compliance, isolation, or support requirements should evaluate Scale or Enterprise. Teams seeking a simple, non-Kubernetes deployment service or frequent mobile dashboard use should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: live local-to-cloud development; one preview environment per pull request; integrations with GitHub, GitLab, and CircleCI; support for external services and data dependencies; agent, GPU, persistent-storage, and JetBrains support; self-hosted and Enterprise air-gapped options.
• Cons: Kubernetes and Manifest configuration add operational complexity; Starter is limited to five seats; Scale and Enterprise prices require contact; paid quotas and renewal terms are not published; the dashboard excludes mobile browsers.

Alternatives

For a broad directory of preview-focused tools, see Preview Environment Software. For comparable cloud workspace options, see Cloud Development Environments.

• Railway is a better fit if you prefer a freemium service with a one-time $5 trial credit and explicit small deployment limits.
• sh0 suits users wanting a free self-hosted stack with unlimited apps and deployments.
• Encore is an alternative freemium development platform with two free environments and a free trial.
• Northflank fits teams wanting a free sandbox with two services, one database, and two cron jobs.
• Nullstone is aimed at individual or startup deployments with explicit user, environment, and deploy limits.
• Skyhook offers a free Git-connected setup for up to three users and three services.
• Temps is the choice for a self-hosted, unmetered telemetry and storage arrangement.
• Upsun (formerly Platform.sh) provides a paid platform with a 15-day trial and a monthly starting credit.

Verdict

Okteto is a strong choice for Kubernetes-oriented teams that want live cloud development, realistic pull-request previews, and infrastructure they can govern or host themselves. Choose it for that integrated workflow and its support for agents and complex dependencies. Look elsewhere if you need transparent paid pricing, a simpler non-Kubernetes model, or a dashboard that works on phones.