compare
k0s vs Kubernetes
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | k0s | Kubernetes |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Go |
| Licence | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 6.5k | 128k |
| Latest | v1.36.4+k0s.1 | v1.37.1 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-06 |
| Release cadence | about 1 day between releases | about 1 day between releases |
| Active contributors | 18+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 73+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace Amazon EKS. Alternatives to Amazon EKS →
Full replacementk0sConformant Kubernetes in a single binary, with the control plane on hosts you run.
Full replacementKubernetesThe upstream project EKS runs, operated on your own machines including the control plane.
k0s
- v1.36.4+k0s.12026-09-19Fixes GHSA-qjgc-wmg7-3jc3.
- v1.35.8+k0s.12026-09-19Fixes GHSA-qjgc-wmg7-3jc3.
- v1.34.11+k0s.12026-09-19Fixes GHSA-qjgc-wmg7-3jc3.
- v1.36.4+k0s.02026-08-31[Backport release-1.36] Improve docs: enable "content.code.copy" feature
- v1.35.8+k0s.02026-08-31[Backport release-1.35] Distinguish pending from performed restarts in Autopilot
Kubernetes
- v1.38.0-alpha.12026-09-29See kubernetes-announce@. Additional binary downloads are linked in the CHANGELOG.pre-release
- v1.34.122026-09-23See kubernetes-announce@. Additional binary downloads are linked in the CHANGELOG.
- v1.35.92026-09-23See kubernetes-announce@. Additional binary downloads are linked in the CHANGELOG.
- v1.36.52026-09-23See kubernetes-announce@. Additional binary downloads are linked in the CHANGELOG.
- v1.37.12026-09-23See kubernetes-announce@. Additional binary downloads are linked in the CHANGELOG.
k0s
✓ signed The latest release, v1.36.4+k0s.1, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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Kubernetes
unsigned The latest release, v1.37.1, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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