Kubernetes (K8s) by kubernetes
Production-Grade Container Scheduling and Management
About Kubernetes (K8s)
From the project's README at github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes. Lightly cleaned for readability; for the full source see the upstream repo.
[](https://bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/569) [](https://goreportcard.com/report/github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes)
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 scheduled, and microservices-oriented, consider joining the CNCF. For details about who's involved and how Kubernetes plays a role, read the CNCF [announcement].
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 | 122k | github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes |
| GitHub forks | 43k | github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes |
Release & maintenance
Is this project actively maintained, or about to die? Check the recency of last commit and last release.
| Project age | 11.9 years | since Jun 2014 |
| Last commit | 2 days ago | May 5, 2026 |
| Releases shipped | 794 | last: 15 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-2026-22549. What people say on Hacker News
Ready to self-host Kubernetes (K8s)?
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 Kubernetes (K8s).