Best Kubernetes Ingress Controllers in 2026
Updated
In short: Kusk Gateway is ranked #1 of 27 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of ngrok and Traefik Proxy. The best-ranked option with a free plan is ngrok. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ngrok at $10/mo.
Routing external traffic into Kubernetes services involves choices about APIs, deployment, and the controls around incoming requests. Compared on ingress API model and deployment model, these controllers also vary in canary routing, rate limiting, and auth policies. TLS automation and web application firewall support provide further security-related comparison points. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. The entries include ngrok, Traefik Proxy, and agentgateway, as well as Airlock Microgateway. Consider which traffic-handling and security controls matter for your setup, and use the listed deployment details to assess how each option may fit your operating approach.
27 Kubernetes ingress controllers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kusk GatewayWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | ngrokWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | Traefik ProxyWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 4 | agentgatewayLinux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 5 | Airlock MicrogatewaySelf-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 6 | ContourSelf-hosted | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 7 | Envoy GatewaySelf-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 8 | HAProxy IngressLinux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 9 | NGINX Gateway FabricLinux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 10 | NGINX Ingress ControllerSelf-hosted | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 11 | F5 BIG-IP Container Ingress ServicesSelf-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.2 | |
| 12 | SkipperWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 13 | Apache APISIXLinux · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | kgatewayLinux · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | N42 GatewayLinux · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | Kong Ingress ControllerLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | LiteSpeed Ingress ControllerWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $59.58/mo | 5.2 |
| 18 | A10 Thunder Kubernetes ConnectorNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 19 | BFE Ingress ControllerWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 5.1 | |
| 20 | Caddy GatewayLinux · Self-hosted · API | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | FortiWebWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | OpenNJet Ingress ControllerNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | Varnish GatewayNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | HigressWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 25 | FortiADCNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Ingress API model | TLS automation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kusk Gateway | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | ingress | — |
| 2 | ngrok | 6.6 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | 10 /mo | — | — |
| 3 | Traefik Proxy | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | agentgateway | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 5 | Airlock Microgateway | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 6 | Contour | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 7 | Envoy Gateway | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | HAProxy Ingress | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 9 | NGINX Gateway Fabric | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | NGINX Ingress Controller | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | ingress | Yes |
| 11 | F5 BIG-IP Container Ingress Services | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | — | — | ingress | — |
| 12 | Skipper | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Apache APISIX | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | kgateway | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 15 | N42 Gateway | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | both | Yes |
| 16 | Kong Ingress Controller | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 17 | LiteSpeed Ingress Controller | 5.2 | No | $59.58/mo | No | 65 /mo | both | Yes |
| 18 | A10 Thunder Kubernetes Connector | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | ingress | — |
| 19 | BFE Ingress Controller | 5.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | ingress | — |
| 20 | Caddy Gateway | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | ingress | Yes |
| 21 | FortiWeb | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | OpenNJet Ingress Controller | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | both | — |
| 23 | Varnish Gateway | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | gateway | No |
| 24 | Higress | 5.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 25 | FortiADC | 4.9 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which Kubernetes ingress controller is ranked first on Freedom251?
Kusk Gateway is ranked #1 of 27 with a score of 6.6. ngrok is second and Traefik Proxy third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ngrok has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.