Side by side
HashiCorp Consul vs Istio
Both stand on microsegmentation software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWeb+1
Visit HashiCorp Consul 
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
Istio combines traffic management, security, and observability for distributed workloads, with sidecar and ambient deployment choices. Teams should account for its Kubernetes-based control plane and release support window.
Visit IstioThe facts
| HashiCorp Consul | Istio | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | hashicorp.com | istio.io |
| On microsegmentation software | #8 of 31 | #4 of 31 |
HashiCorp Consul: what it does well
Istio: what it does well
- Free and open source.
- Supports HTTP, gRPC, WebSocket, and TCP traffic.
- Offers sidecar and ambient deployment modes.
- Provides workload identity and mutual TLS.
- Generates traffic metrics, logs, and traces.
What to know first
- The control plane runs on Kubernetes.
- Development builds have no support.
- Minor releases have a defined support window.
Alternatives to HashiCorp Consul Alternatives to Istio The whole list