Side by side

Clusternet vs KubeSphere

Both stand on kubernetes management platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Clusternet

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

Clusternet brings deployment, scheduling, and access management for distributed Kubernetes clusters under a parent cluster. Check the documented Kubernetes compatibility for the Clusternet release you plan to use.

Visit Clusternet

KubeSphere

Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

KubeSphere pairs a free self-managed Community Edition with an Enterprise offering that adds security, permissions, and support options. Teams should compare the editions and contact sales for Enterprise pricing.

Visit KubeSphere

The facts

	Clusternet	KubeSphere
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Yes
Runs on	API, Linux, Self-hosted	API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	KubeSphere Backup Basic: $65 a month
Plans published	1	7
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	clusternet.io	kubesphere.io
On kubernetes management platforms	#5 of 29	#1 of 29

Clusternet: what it does well

Manages multiple clusters from a parent cluster.
Deploys Helm charts, Kubernetes resources, and CRDs.
Offers replication and capacity-based scheduling.
Supports dynamic RBAC and network tunnels.
Free, open-source software with Helm and manual installation paths.

What to know first

Versions below v0.13.0 lack guaranteed support above Kubernetes v1.24.0.
Many kind clusters and pods may hit inotify limits during setup.

KubeSphere: what it does well

Community Edition is free forever and self-managed
Supports multi-tenancy and multi-cluster management
Includes Jenkins-based CI/CD workflows
Supports online or offline installation

What to know first

Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
Enterprise extensions are available by subscription
Community Edition is self-managed

Alternatives to Clusternet Alternatives to KubeSphere The whole list