Side by side
kube-monkey vs KubeInvaders
Both stand on chaos engineering platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose kube-monkey if you need a free, self-hosted Kubernetes tool for scheduled pod-termination experiments with opt-in labels and namespace controls. Look elsewhere if you need cloud or network fault injection; also account for the cluster-wide permission requirement when using namespace pattern filtering.
Visit kube-monkeyPick KubeInvaders for interactive Kubernetes learning or resilience exercises, especially when you want a simulated mode before connecting a real cluster. Look elsewhere if official Helm installation support is essential, or take care with cluster credentials and TLS configuration when connecting to a real environment.
Visit KubeInvadersThe facts
| kube-monkey | KubeInvaders | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Self-hosted | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | kubeinvaders.platformengineering.it |
| On chaos engineering platforms | #16 of 25 | #12 of 25 |
kube-monkey: what it does well
- Free and distributed under the Apache License 2.0.
- Dry run is enabled by default.
- Supports Deployments, StatefulSets, and DaemonSets directly.
- Scheduling settings include run days, timezone, and termination hours.
- Namespace whitelists and blacklists control eligible workloads.
What to know first
- Self-hosted deployment requires an installation into Kubernetes.
- Namespace pattern filtering requires cluster-wide workload list permission.
- Does not provide cloud or network fault injection.
KubeInvaders: what it does well
- Includes a KWOK-powered simulated cluster that does not delete real resources.
- Supports exercises against a real cluster using a ServiceAccount token.
- Documents URL monitoring, Prometheus metrics, and a Grafana dashboard.
- Interface includes automatic experiments and namespace switching.
- Licensed under Apache 2.0 and free to use.
What to know first
- The latest release says Helm installation support has been discontinued.
- A missing, invalid, or expired token prevents Kubernetes API calls.
Alternatives to kube-monkey Alternatives to KubeInvaders The whole list