Compare software

k3d vs K3s: catalog facts
k3d	K3s
Free Free and open source, supported by sponsorships.	Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…
Command line	Linux, Self-hosted, Command line
Creates single- and multi-node Kubernetes clusters in seconds Runs entirely inside Docker	Single binary installs a conformant cluster in under a minute Runs comfortably on small ARM boards and low-memory hosts
Requires Docker and kubectl Aimed at development rather than production clusters	Defaults to SQLite for a single server; high availability needs etcd or an external database Bundled Traefik and ServiceLB have to be disabled if you prefer your own
Downloadable app	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: Apache-2.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.