head to head · open source
kubernetes vs openebs
kubernetes has 128,660 GitHub stars, 45,728 forks, 3,072 open issues and last shipped yesterday. openebs has 9,842 stars, 984 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped yesterday. kubernetes leads on adoption by 1,207% (128,660 vs 9,842 stars). kubernetes is written in Go under Apache-2.0; openebs is written in various languages under Apache-2.0. kubernetes has attracted 36% as many forks as stars, openebs 10%. 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 | openebs | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 129K | ★ 9.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | — |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 46K | ⑂ 984 |
| 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 openebs if
- You want the openebs feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- You evaluated both and openebs 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 openebs
OpenEBS Cloud Native Storage Overview OpenEBS is an open source Container Native Storage solution that provides persistent storage for Kubernetes workloads. It enables dynamic provisioning of storage resources using containerized storage controllers, making it highly flexible and cloud native. OpenEBS supports various storage engines, including LocalPVs for direct node storage and Replicated PV advanced data replication and resilience. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with Kubernetes, offering benefits like storage policies, resize, thin provisioning, snapshots, and restore capabilities, making it an ideal…
read the full openebs overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is kubernetes or openebs more popular?
kubernetes has 128,660 GitHub stars and openebs has 9,842. kubernetes has the larger community by that measure.
Are kubernetes and openebs free?
Both are open source. kubernetes is licensed under Apache-2.0 and openebs under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between kubernetes and openebs?
kubernetes is written in Go and openebs in various languages. 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 openebs?
Choose kubernetes if you want the larger community (128,660 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose openebs if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.