---
title: "Canonical Kubernetes vs Red Hat OpenShift vs Rancher\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Feature and price comparison of enterprise Kubernetes offerings from
  Canonical, Red Hat and Rancher.
url: https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes/compare?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# Kubernetes distributions comparison

The Kubernetes landscape is vast and complex. If you are looking to compare different enterprise Kubernetes distributions, have a look at the table below. [Kubernetes by Canonical](https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes) stands out because it delivers multi-cloud operations, enterprise-grade security and optimal price-performance.

[Get in touch](https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes/contact-us)
[Learn more in the Kubernetes comparison whitepaper ›](https://ubuntu.com/engage/enterprise-kubernetes-comparison)

|  | MicroK8s,   Charmed Kubernetes | Red Hat   Openshift | Rancher |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CNCF Conformant | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| High availability | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| Automated updates and patches | *yes* | – | – |
| Automated upgrades between versions | *yes* | – | *yes* |
| Edge support | 5/5   ---   [MicroK8s](https://microk8s.io/) | 4/5   ---   Openshift | 5/5   ---   K3s |
| Single-node edition | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| Managed Kubernetes offering | *yes* | *yes* | – |
| Container runtime and registries | 5/5   ---   ContainerD, Docker, Kata   ---   Private registries, DockerHub, rocks, public cloud registries | 3/5   ---   CRI-O, Kata   ---   Private registries, DockerHub, public cloud registries | 4/5   ---   ContainerD, Docker   ---   Private registries, DockerHub, public cloud registries |
| Networking | 5/5   ---   Flannel, Calico, Cilium, Kube-OVN, Canal, TIgera EE, Multus, SR-IOV, Juniper Contrail | 4/5   ---   OpenShift SDN, Flannel, Nuage, Kuryr, OvS, Multus, SR-IOV | 3/5   ---   Canal, Calico, Flannel, Weave |
| Storage | 5/5   ---   Ceph, NFS, Cloud Storage, NetApp, vSphere, FlexVolume, PureStorage | 4.5/5   ---   Ceph/Rook, GlusterFS, NFS, Cinder, Flexvolume, vSphere | 4.5/5   ---   GlusterFS, NFS, vSphere, Longhorn |
| Monitoring and Operations Management | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| Multi-cloud deployments | 5 \*   ---   Juju, Cluster API | 3 \*   ---   Ansible | 4 \*   ---   Terraform, Helm |
| Native AWS/GCP/Azure integration | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| Native OpenStack/VMware integration | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| GPU support for accelerated workloads | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| Bare metal deployment | *yes* | *yes* | *yes* |
| Architectures supported | X86, POWER, ARM, Z, s390x | X86, POWER, Z | X86 |
| Pricing | $$ | $$$$$ | $$$ |

---

*Some categories are rated out of 5 for easy comparison.*

---

## Multi-cloud deployments and operations

Model-driven Kubernetes Operators. Supported or fully managed from public cloud to on-prem.

[Charmed Operators](https://charmhub.io/) streamline your Kubernetes deployments and operations across all clouds. Get started with our [K8s Architecture Design and Deployment Workshop](https://canonical.com/consulting) and our Cloud-native Migration Services. Enjoy peace of mind with Managed Kubernetes from Canonical.

---

## Secure Kubernetes

Hardened platform. Immutable containers. Security patching.

Canonical Kubernetes runs in immutable containers to provide for better security out of the box. Integration with K8s RBAC, Active Directory and LDAP, CIS hardening by default, encryption at rest and automatic security patching ensure you get the most secure Kubernetes in the market.

---

## Canonical Kubernetes pricing

Predictable pricing model. No license fees. Enterprise support.

Canonical's support services for Kubernetes follow a per host pricing model to bring you the best price-performance. Just count the number of physical or virtual machines you want support for and get coverage through [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro), without any additional license or support fees.

---

## Kubernetes resources

* ### Data sheet

  [Kubernetes for the enterprise](https://assets.ubuntu.com/v1/b5f9ae49-Enterprise_Kubernetes_Datasheet.pdf)
* ### Webinar on demand

  [How to accelerate Kubernetes deployment in the enterprise](https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/6793/435999)
* ### Case study

  [Atresmedia dominates Spain's OTT media market with Charmed Kubernetes](https://ubuntu.com/engage/atresmedia-charmed-kubernetes-case-study)

[Find more resources ›](https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes/resources)

---

## Need help with K8s?

Let our expert cloud team help with:

---

* Project evaluation
* Requirements and feature parity
* Pricing and TCO assessment

[Contact us](https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes/contact-us)