head to head · open source
kubernetes vs Plakar
kubernetes has 128,660 GitHub stars, 45,728 forks, 3,072 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Plakar has 2,105 stars, 103 forks, 123 open issues and last shipped yesterday. kubernetes leads on adoption by 6,012% (128,660 vs 2,105 stars). kubernetes is written in Go under Apache-2.0; Plakar is written in Go under ISC. kubernetes has attracted 36% as many forks as stars, Plakar 5%. kubernetes 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 | Plakar | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 129K | ★ 2.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | ISC |
| Written in | Go | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 46K | ⑂ 103 |
| 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 Plakar if
- You want the Plakar feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the ISC license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and Plakar 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 Plakar
Plakar: open source backup engine Encrypted, deduplicated, verifiable, and scalable. Back up anything, store anywhere, restore everywhere, with zero trust encryption and no vendor lock in. Deutsch Español français 日本語 한국어 Português Русский 中文 What is Plakar? Plakar is an open source backup solution powered by Kloset and ptar. It creates snapshots of your data, stores them in an encrypted and deduplicated store, and lets you inspect, verify, and restore them later. Plakar stores backups in a Kloset, an open source, immutable data store that enables the implementation of advanced data protection scenarios. Through…
read the full Plakar overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is kubernetes or Plakar more popular?
kubernetes has 128,660 GitHub stars and Plakar has 2,105. kubernetes has the larger community by that measure.
Are kubernetes and Plakar free?
Both are open source. kubernetes is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Plakar under ISC. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between kubernetes and Plakar?
kubernetes is written in Go and Plakar in Go. 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 Plakar?
Choose kubernetes if you want the larger community (128,660 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Plakar if its feature set, stack or ISC licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.