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K3s vs Kubernetes: catalog facts
K3s	Kubernetes
Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…	Free Free and open source.
Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	Linux, Self-hosted, Command line
Single binary installs a conformant cluster in under a minute Runs comfortably on small ARM boards and low-memory hosts	Automates deployment, scaling and recovery of containers Runs on premises, in hybrid setups or in public clouds
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	Complex to set up and operate Overkill for small single-server applications
Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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