Side by side
KubeSphere vs KubeVela
Both stand on platform engineering software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
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
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
Choose KubeVela if you need an open-source delivery control plane for applications across clusters and clouds, with workflow-based deployments and several rollout strategies. Look elsewhere if automatic rollback is a requirement or you need standalone VelaD for production use.
Visit KubeVelaThe facts
| KubeSphere | KubeVela | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | KubeSphere Backup Basic: $65 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 7 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | kubesphere.io | kubevela.io |
| On platform engineering software | #1 of 31 | #6 of 31 |
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
KubeVela: what it does well
- Open-source Apache-2.0 plan costs nothing.
- Workflows can run with CI/CD or GitOps and extend with CUE.
- Supports canary, blue-green, progressive rollout, and placement strategies.
- Includes LDAP integration and fine-grained RBAC modules.
- Cloud resources can be built in or connected through Terraform and Crossplane.
What to know first
- Standalone VelaD is intended for local development and quick demos.
- Production guidance recommends managed Kubernetes services.
- Automatic rollback is not supported.
Alternatives to KubeSphere Alternatives to KubeVela The whole list