# k0s vs Portainer

| Attribute | k0s | Portainer |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 52.9 (45% (low)) | 56 (32% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 1 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 6,452 | - |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"on_prem":true,"air_gapped":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"on_prem":true,"air_gapped":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | An open-source Kubernetes distribution packaged as a single binary with minimal dependencies, designed to run on any infrastructure including bare metal, cloud platforms, and edge environments with simple configuration. | A container orchestration management platform that provides centralized governance, deployment automation, and operational control across multi-cluster Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and edge environments. It enables IT and operations teams to manage containerized applications at scale with simplified workflows, role-based access control, and GitOps integration. |
| features.capabilities | `{"hosting":"both","arm_support":true,"cncf_maturity":"graduated","gui_dashboard":false,"orchestration":"kubernetes","k8s_conformant":true,"stateful_workloads":true,"managed_control_plane":false,"built_in_networking_cni":true}` | `{"hosting":"self","gui_dashboard":true,"orchestration":"kubernetes","windows_containers":true}` |
| integrations.count | 2 | 18 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Kube-Router"},{"name":"Calico"}]` | `[{"name":"Active Directory"},{"name":"LDAP"},{"name":"OAuth"},{"name":"Helm"},{"name":"Git repositories"},{"name":"Kubernetes (EKS, AKS, GKE)"},{"name":"Docker"},{"name":"Swarm"},{"name":"Podman"},{"name":"Talos"},{"name":"Omni"},{"name":"S3-compatible storage"},{"name":"OPC connectivity"},{"name":"MQTT"},{"name":"Argo"},{"name":"Flux"},{"name":"Docker Hub"},{"name":"Matomo Analytics"}]` |
| language.primary | Go | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"hqCountry":"NZ","primaryMarkets":["US","EU"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"k0s","description":"100% open source & free for personal or commercial use"}],"summary":"100% open source & free","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://k0sproject.io","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T14:26:13.706Z"}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Starter","summary":"$105/month or $1045/year, annual commitment. Limited to organizations ≤$50M revenue.","features":["Community support","Max 16 vCPUs per node","Online purchase only"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":105,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"fixed","amount":1045,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Small teams getting started with container management","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"max_vCPUs_per_node":"16"}},{"free":false,"name":"Scale","summary":"$209/month or $2095/year, annual commitment. Limited to organizations ≤$100M revenue.","features":["9x5 next business day support","Vendor onboarding","Reseller purchases","Max 24 vCPUs per node"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":209,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"fixed","amount":2095,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Growing teams requiring higher performance and team support","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"max_vCPUs_per_node":"24"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing via contact sales","features":["Prioritized 9x5 support","Production/Non-production node options","Customizable license agreement","Assigned support engineer","Security assessment report","TAA compliance certificate","Managed platform services option","24/7 support option"],"description":"Business-critical deployments with priority support and compliance coverage","contactSales":true,"includedLimits":{"max_vCPUs_per_node":"32 to unlimited"}}],"summary":"From $105/month. Business Edition free for 3 nodes. Annual commitment required.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.portainer.io/business-iiot-pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T22:39:31.629Z","startingPrice":{"amount":105,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | high |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.36.3%2Bk0s.2","date":"2026-08-12T10:59:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.36.3+k0s.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.36.3%2Bk0s.1","date":"2026-08-07T13:05:33Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.36.3+k0s.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.36.3%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-07-27T14:22:28Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.36.3+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.35.7%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-07-27T14:15:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.35.7+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.34.10%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-07-27T14:11:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.34.10+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.33.13%2Bk0s.1","date":"2026-07-27T08:36:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.33.13+k0s.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.37.0-alpha.1%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-30T14:23:55Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.37.0-alpha.1+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.36.2%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-30T11:27:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.36.2+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.35.6%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-29T13:32:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.35.6+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.34.9%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-29T13:30:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.34.9+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.33.13%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-29T13:26:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.33.13+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.35.5%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-16T13:06:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.35.5+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.34.8%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-16T09:43:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.34.8+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.33.12%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-16T07:11:47Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.33.12+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.36.1%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-06-14T13:05:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.36.1+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.33.11%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-05-13T13:31:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.33.11+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.35.4%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-05-13T14:36:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.35.4+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.34.7%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-05-13T13:34:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.34.7+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.35.3%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-04-08T14:03:32Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.35.3+k0s.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/k0sproject/k0s/releases/tag/v1.34.6%2Bk0s.0","date":"2026-04-08T13:59:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.34.6+k0s.0"}]` | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 5.9 | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fk0sproject%2Fk0s&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | - |

## Capabilities (Container Orchestration Tools)

| Capability | k0s | Portainer |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Orchestration scope | Kubernetes | Kubernetes |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Cloud + self-hosted | Self-hosted only |
| **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 | Graduated | - |
| **UX** |  |  |
| GUI dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T15:17:10.048Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*