head to head · open source
kubernetes vs radar
kubernetes has 128,671 GitHub stars, 45,732 forks, 3,072 open issues and last shipped today. radar has 4,038 stars, 267 forks, 89 open issues and last shipped today. kubernetes leads on adoption by 3,087% (128,671 vs 4,038 stars). kubernetes is written in Go under Apache-2.0; radar is written in Go under Apache-2.0. kubernetes has attracted 36% as many forks as stars, radar 7%. kubernetes was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (kubernetes), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | radar | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 129K | ★ 4.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-05 | 2026-11-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 46K | ⑂ 267 |
| 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 radar if
- You want the radar feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and radar 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 radar
Radar The missing open source Kubernetes UI. Single binary. No account required. Free forever. 🌐 radarhq.io · Docs · Releases Topology, resources, Helm, GitOps, traffic, audit, upgrade impact, and MCP context for AI agents — from your laptop or in cluster. Table of contents Why Radar? Installation Usage Views — Topology · Resources · Image Filesystem · Timeline · Helm · Compare · TLS · GitOps · Traffic · Cost · Audit · Upgrade impact · RBAC · MCP · Auth Supported Resources Keyboard Shortcuts Security Development · Contributing Install and run in 30 seconds: More installation options ↓ Why Radar? Zero install on…
read the full radar overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is kubernetes or radar more popular?
kubernetes has 128,671 GitHub stars and radar has 4,038. kubernetes has the larger community by that measure.
Are kubernetes and radar free?
Both are open source. kubernetes is licensed under Apache-2.0 and radar under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between kubernetes and radar?
kubernetes is written in Go and radar 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 radar?
Choose kubernetes if you want the larger community (128,671 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose radar if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.