# Google Kubernetes Engine vs HashiCorp Nomad

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Google Kubernetes Engine

| Attribute | Google Kubernetes Engine | HashiCorp Nomad |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 70.3 (39% (low)) | 51.3 (67% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 43 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 1,972 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 17,005 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A fully-managed Kubernetes service that handles node scaling, security, and cluster lifecycle management. Offers automatic infrastructure provisioning with per-pod pricing and supports both cloud and on-premises deployment of containerized workloads. It is indexed under Container Orchestration Tools.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine","question":"What is Google Kubernetes Engine?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Google Kubernetes Engine offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $0.10 per cluster per hour. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine","question":"Is Google Kubernetes Engine free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Google Kubernetes Engine. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine","question":"What platforms does Google Kubernetes Engine support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Google Kubernetes Engine can be deployed cloud / SaaS, hybrid, on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine","question":"Can Google Kubernetes Engine be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for Google Kubernetes Engine. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Google Kubernetes Engine not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-os-config/2.5.6/com.google.cloud.osconfig.v1alpha.OSPolicyComplianceState","question":"What security certifications does Google Kubernetes Engine have?","confidence":0.7}]` | `[{"answer":"A simple and flexible scheduler and orchestrator to deploy and manage containers and non-containerized applications across on-prem and clouds at scale It is indexed under Container Orchestration Tools.","source":"https://www.nomadproject.io","question":"What is HashiCorp Nomad?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"HashiCorp Nomad is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.nomadproject.io","question":"Is HashiCorp Nomad free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"HashiCorp Nomad supports Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.nomadproject.io","question":"What platforms does HashiCorp Nomad support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. HashiCorp Nomad can be deployed cloud / SaaS, hybrid, on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.nomadproject.io","question":"Can HashiCorp Nomad be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 6 integrations for HashiCorp Nomad, including Consul, Vault, Docker, Podman, QEMU and Java. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.nomadproject.io","question":"What does HashiCorp Nomad integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and ISO 27001 for HashiCorp Nomad. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as HashiCorp Nomad not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.nomadproject.io/security","question":"What security certifications does HashiCorp Nomad have?","confidence":0.7}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A cloud-based container orchestration platform that abstracts Kubernetes complexity, handling node provisioning, scaling, and security to enable teams to deploy and manage containerized workloads with minimal operational overhead. | Nomad is an orchestration platform for deploying and managing diverse applications—containers, legacy services, and batch jobs—at scale across on-premises and cloud infrastructure. It combines scheduling, resource allocation, and state management into a single self-contained system. |
| features.capabilities | `{"hosting":"cloud","gui_dashboard":true,"orchestration":"kubernetes","gpu_scheduling":true,"k8s_conformant":true,"stateful_workloads":true,"managed_control_plane":true}` | `{"hosting":"both","orchestration":"custom","gpu_scheduling":true,"managed_control_plane":false}` |
| integrations.count | - | 3 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"Consul"},{"name":"Vault"},{"name":"Docker"},{"name":"Podman"},{"name":"QEMU"},{"name":"Java"},{"name":"Terraform"}]` |
| language.primary | - | Go |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | - |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"usage","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Autopilot","summary":"$0.10/cluster/hour cluster management fee plus per-pod compute costs","features":["Automated cluster lifecycle management","Pod and cluster autoscaling","Cost visibility","Automated infrastructure cost optimization","Multi-cluster management","Per-pod billing model","Container-optimized compute","Fleet dashboard"],"components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"cluster","amount":0.1,"period":"hour","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Google manages node infrastructure, scaling, security, and pre-configured features with automatic capacity right-sizing and per-pod pricing","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Standard","summary":"$0.10/cluster/hour cluster management fee plus Compute Engine instance pricing","features":["Flexible cluster management","Node-based billing","Compute Engine pricing applies","Committed use discounts available"],"components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"cluster","amount":0.1,"period":"hour","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Standard node pools with per-node billing based on underlying Compute Engine instances","contactSales":false}],"summary":"Free tier provides $74.40/month credit. Cluster management fee: $0.10/cluster/hour. New customers receive $300 in free credits. Compute costs based on Autopilot per-pod or Standard per-node pricing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine","retrievedAt":"2026-08-05T14:08:38.643Z","startingPrice":{"amount":0.1,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://www.nomadproject.io","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T21:35:24.024Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | low | free |
| pricing.transparent | no | - |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.7","date":"2026-09-18T16:18:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.6","date":"2026-09-09T19:55:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.5","date":"2026-08-13T00:16:33Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.11.8","date":"2026-07-08T16:53:09Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.11.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.10.14","date":"2026-07-08T16:31:37Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.10.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.4","date":"2026-07-07T19:12:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.3","date":"2026-06-09T18:40:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.11.7","date":"2026-06-09T20:50:22Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.11.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.10.13","date":"2026-06-09T20:50:39Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.10.13"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.2","date":"2026-05-22T15:44:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.11.6","date":"2026-05-22T18:05:37Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.11.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.10.12","date":"2026-05-22T18:06:10Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.10.12"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.1","date":"2026-05-12T16:18:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.11.5","date":"2026-05-12T19:54:35Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.11.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.10.11","date":"2026-05-12T19:54:17Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.10.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.0","date":"2026-04-21T17:52:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.11.4","date":"2026-04-21T21:36:36Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.11.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/ent-changelog-1.10.10","date":"2026-04-21T21:36:19Z","type":"stable","version":"ent-changelog-1.10.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.0-rc.1","date":"2026-04-17T13:49:50Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.0.0-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/releases/tag/v2.0.0-beta.1","date":"2026-03-19T15:04:11Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.0.0-beta.1"}]` |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.95 | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | - |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | - | 7.4 |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fhashicorp%2Fnomad%2Fapi&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Container Orchestration Tools)

| Capability | Google Kubernetes Engine | HashiCorp Nomad |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Orchestration scope | Kubernetes | Custom scheduler |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Cloud only | Cloud + self-hosted |
| **Standards** |  |  |
| OCI / CRI compliant | - | - |
| CNCF Certified Kubernetes conformant | ✓ | - |
| **Security** |  |  |
| Rootless operation | - | - |
| **Architecture** |  |  |
| Daemonless architecture | - | - |
| **Platform** |  |  |
| Windows containers | - | - |
| ARM architecture support | - | - |
| **Workloads** |  |  |
| GPU scheduling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stateful workloads | ✓ | - |
| **Networking** |  |  |
| Built-in networking / CNI | - | - |
| **Ops** |  |  |
| Vendor-managed control plane | ✓ | ✗ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| CNCF maturity | - | - |
| **UX** |  |  |
| GUI dashboard | ✓ | - |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:59:40.783Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*