head to head · open source
kubernetes vs floci
kubernetes has 128,842 GitHub stars, 45,758 forks, 3,072 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. floci has 27,815 stars, 3,110 forks, 130 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. kubernetes leads on adoption by 363% (128,842 vs 27,815 stars). kubernetes is written in Go under Apache-2.0; floci is written in Java under MIT. kubernetes has attracted 36% as many forks as stars, floci 11%. floci was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| kubernetes | floci | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 129K | ★ 28K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Go | Java |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 46K | ⑂ 3.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick kubernetes if
- You weight community size — 129K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick floci if
- You want the floci feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and floci fits your workflow better
About kubernetes
Kubernetes (K8s) Kubernetes, also known as K8s, is an open source system for managing [containerized applications] across multiple hosts. It provides basic mechanisms for the deployment, maintenance, and scaling of applications. Kubernetes builds upon a decade and a half of experience at Google running production workloads at scale using a system called [Borg], combined with best of breed ideas and practices from the community. Kubernetes is hosted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation ([CNCF]). If your company wants to help shape the evolution of technologies that are container packaged, dynamically…
read the full kubernetes overview →
About floci
Any Cloud. Locally. Light, fluffy, and always free No account. No auth token. No feature gates. Just docker compose up . Quick Start · Features · Services · SDKs · Testcontainers · Migration · Docs What is Floci? Floci is a free, open source local AWS emulator for development, testing, and CI. It gives you AWS shaped services on your machine without requiring a cloud account, an auth token, or paid feature gates. Point your AWS SDK, CLI, Terraform, CDK, OpenTofu, or test suite at and keep your existing workflows. Already using LocalStack? Floci is a drop in replacement: swap the image and keep going. See…
read the full floci overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is kubernetes or floci more popular?
kubernetes has 128,842 GitHub stars and floci has 27,815. kubernetes has the larger community by that measure.
Are kubernetes and floci free?
Both are open source. kubernetes is licensed under Apache-2.0 and floci under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between kubernetes and floci?
kubernetes is written in Go and floci in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, kubernetes or floci?
Choose kubernetes if you want the larger community (128,842 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose floci if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.