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K3s vs RKE2: catalog facts
K3s	RKE2
Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…	Free Free to download and run.
Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	Linux, Self-hosted
Single binary installs a conformant cluster in under a minute Runs comfortably on small ARM boards and low-memory hosts	Defaults designed to pass the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark FIPS 140-2 support
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	More than a single developer or small home lab usually needs Compliance focus adds setup and operational detail
Self-hosted	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 24, 2026

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