Kubernetes vs OpenShift: What are the differences?

Introduction

In the realm of container orchestration, Kubernetes and OpenShift are two popular solutions that aid in managing containerized applications efficiently. However, they exhibit some key differences that set them apart in terms of features and capabilities.

1. Architecture: The fundamental difference lies in their architecture. Kubernetes is an open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. On the other hand, OpenShift is a more comprehensive enterprise-ready platform built on top of Kubernetes, offering additional features such as a web console, developer tools, and enhanced security controls.

2. Support and Maintenance: When it comes to support and maintenance, OpenShift offers commercial support options from Red Hat, the company behind OpenShift, ensuring enterprise-grade support for production environments. In contrast, Kubernetes relies heavily on its vibrant community for support, although commercial support options are also available through third-party vendors.

3. User Interface: Another notable difference is in the user interface. Kubernetes primarily relies on command-line tools for interacting with the cluster, whereas OpenShift provides a web-based console that simplifies cluster management, monitoring, and deployment tasks, making it more user-friendly for administrators and developers.

4. Security Features: OpenShift places a strong emphasis on security features, offering additional layers of security controls such as role-based access control (RBAC), network policies, and container image scanning out-of-the-box. While Kubernetes also provides security features, OpenShift's integrated security mechanisms make it a preferred choice for organizations with stringent security requirements.

5. Developer Experience: OpenShift distinguishes itself by providing a more streamlined developer experience through its developer tools and workflows. It simplifies the process of building, deploying, and scaling applications, offering features such as source-to-image (S2I) build process and built-in continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, which Kubernetes lacks out of the box.

6. Cost Considerations: While both Kubernetes and OpenShift are open-source platforms, the cost considerations come into play when looking at the overall TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). OpenShift's enterprise features, support, and proprietary tools may result in higher operational costs compared to using vanilla Kubernetes, making it essential for organizations to evaluate their specific needs and budget constraints.

In Summary, Kubernetes and OpenShift differ in architecture, support, user interface, security features, developer experience, and cost considerations, catering to various requirements and preferences in the realm of container orchestration.