Side by side
AWS App Mesh vs Kuma
Both stand on service mesh platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
App Mesh combines service traffic management with metrics, logs, traces and mutual TLS. Its approaching end of support is a major constraint for new deployments.
Visit AWS App Mesh Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2
Kuma offers traffic management, security, and observability features across several deployment environments. Note that it is self-hosted and the GUI is read-only in the Kubernetes quickstart.
Visit KumaThe facts
| AWS App Mesh | Kuma | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | aws.amazon.com | kuma.io |
| On service mesh platforms | #3 of 22 | #1 of 22 |
AWS App Mesh: what it does well
- Changes routes without application-code changes
- Balances traffic and adjusts endpoints using health checks
- Metrics, logs and traces for service traffic
- Supports mutual TLS for service identity verification
What to know first
- Support ends September 30, 2026
- Proxy-consumed AWS resources are billed separately
- API clients must support TLS 1.2
Kuma: what it does well
- Supports Kubernetes, VMs, and bare-metal environments.
- One control plane can serve multiple meshes.
- Includes mutual TLS and mesh traffic permissions.
- Provides a REST API, CLI, GUI, and Kubernetes CRDs.
- Open-source plan costs nothing.
What to know first
- Kuma is self-hosted.
- The Kubernetes quickstart describes the GUI as read-only.
- Production setup involves secrets, access controls, and certificates.
Alternatives to AWS App Mesh Alternatives to Kuma The whole list