About K3s
K3s is a certified Kubernetes distribution packaged as one small binary. It is built for edge sites, IoT devices and places where computing resources are limited.
What it does
K3s runs the Kubernetes control plane and worker nodes with a single lightweight install. You start a server, then join agent nodes to it with a token. It supports x86 and ARM hardware, including small boards such as the Raspberry Pi. The project says it reduces the dependencies and steps needed to install, run and auto-update a production cluster.
Key features
- Single binary under 70MB
- Runs on ARM64, ARMv7 and x86 hardware
- Simple server and agent node setup
- Suited to edge, IoT and CI environments
Who it's for
Edge and IoT engineers who run Kubernetes on remote or constrained hardware. Developers who need a small cluster for testing or continuous integration will also find it handy.
Pricing and good to know
K3s is open source under the Apache 2.0 license and is a CNCF Sandbox project. You run it on your own machines, so you handle updates, backups and security for each node. Check the docs for the release that matches your Kubernetes version before you upgrade a live cluster.
Highlights
- Single binary under 70MB
- Runs on Raspberry Pi and ARM servers
- Server and agent node setup with a token
- Automatic updates for the cluster
