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kubeadm vs k3sup: catalog facts
kubeadm	k3sup
Free Free and open source as part of the Kubernetes project.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Official Kubernetes tool with extensive documentation Simple init and join workflow	Only needs SSH access to the target machine Single Go binary for Linux, Windows, macOS and Raspberry Pi
Does not provision machines or install add-ons Requires solid Kubernetes knowledge to operate a cluster	Limited to k3s rather than other Kubernetes distributions Repository also contains an EULA file, so check the terms for any extra components
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

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