flannel by flannel-io
flannel is a network fabric for containers, designed for Kubernetes
About flannel
From the project's README at github.com/flannel-io/flannel. Lightly cleaned for readability; for the full source see the upstream repo.
[](https://scorecard.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com%2Fflannel-io%2Fflannel)
Flannel is a simple and easy way to configure a layer 3 network fabric designed for Kubernetes. How it works
Flannel runs a small, single binary agent called on each host, and is responsible for allocating a subnet lease to each host out of a larger, preconfigured address space. Flannel uses either the Kubernetes API or [etcd][etcd] directly to store the network configuration, the allocated subnets, and any auxiliary data (such as the host's public IP). Packets are forwarded using one of several [backend mechanisms][backends] including VXLAN and various cloud integrations. Networking details
Platforms like Kubernetes assume that each container (pod) has a unique, routable IP inside the cluster. The advantage of this model is that it removes the port mapping complexities that come from sharing a single host IP.
Health score breakdown
6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
Adoption signals
Real-world usage data, pulled from each registry. The bigger the numbers, the more battle-tested the project.
| Signal | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 9.4k | github.com/flannel-io/flannel |
| GitHub forks | 2.9k | github.com/flannel-io/flannel |
Release & maintenance
Is this project actively maintained, or about to die? Check the recency of last commit and last release.
| Project age | 11.8 years | since Jul 2014 |
| Last commit | 3 days ago | May 4, 2026 |
| Releases shipped | 90 | last: 22 days ago |
| Security policy | SECURITY.md | declared by maintainers |
Self-hosting cost across providers
Detected requirements: 4GB RAM, 40GB disk minimum. Cheapest plan per provider that meets the requirement.
| Provider | Plan | Specs | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hetzner | CAX11 | 2c · 4GB · 40GB | $4.13 USD | Deploy → |
| vultr | VC2 | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5 USD | Deploy → |
| linode | Nanode 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5.12 USD | Deploy → |
| digitalocean | Basic Regular 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $6 USD | Deploy → |
Security advisories
CVE-2026-32241. What people say on Hacker News
Ready to self-host flannel?
Spin up a hetzner CAX11 (4GB RAM, 40GB disk) for $4.13/mo and follow the project's official install docs.
Data last refreshed May 7, 2026.
Similar open-source projects
Projects in our directory that replace the same SaaS or share topics with flannel.