kMetal
kMetal is a platform for deploying, managing, and operating Kubernetes clusters on bare-metal infrastructure.
What kMetal is
kMetal is a platform for deploying, managing, and operating Kubernetes clusters on bare-metal infrastructure. Tenant control-plane components run as pods, with each tenant receiving a dedicated Kubernetes API server and isolated etcd. Worker nodes run as KubeVirt virtual machines on bare metal, using KVM provided by the platform. Kube-OVN supplies per-tenant VPC isolation, while Kairos provides immutable, declaratively built worker images. GitOps-driven lifecycle management and centralized operations support cluster fleets, including provisioning, multi-cluster management, policy enforcement, and upgrades. Documentation describes monitoring, logging, alerting, and automated backup and recovery. Clastix Care is included with each deployment and provides proactive security updates, monthly NIST NVD-format vulnerability reports, CVE resolutions, a private Slack channel, and monthly office hours. P1 and P2 response is listed as 24/7, with P3 response during 8/5 business hours. kMetal is paid, with pricing on request, and has no free plan.
Good
- Dedicated API server and isolated etcd per tenant
- Kube-OVN provides per-tenant VPC isolation
- GitOps lifecycle and centralized fleet operations
- Built-in monitoring, logging, alerting, and recovery
- Clastix Care included with deployments
Watch out
- Paid product with pricing available on request
- No free plan or free trial
- Evaluation requires a temporary token
- Evaluation access is limited to testing
Who it suits
kMetal suits enterprises, cloud providers, and AI factories operating bare-metal Kubernetes fleets. It also fits teams seeking vendor-managed control planes and GitOps lifecycle operations.
Verdict
kMetal combines tenant-isolated Kubernetes control planes with virtualized bare-metal workers and fleet management. Its included Clastix Care and documented recovery, security, and support services are important considerations for production-oriented organizations.
Plans and prices
From kMetal's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| kMetal subscription | Priced on request | License based on licensed hardware footprint · Full platform functionality included · Usage limited to licensed hardware · Annual commitment with renewal options; current pricing by contacting sales |
The facts
Each one read from kMetal's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Evaluation access
- Evaluation access requires a temporary token from Clastix, is typically two weeks, and can receive one additional extension week.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Evaluation restriction
- Evaluation is for testing only; production use requires a commercial license, and access is disabled after the evaluation expires.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The product site says kMetal is built for enterprises, cloud providers, and AI factories.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Management
- kMetal supports GitOps-driven lifecycle management and centralized operations for a cluster fleet.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Observability and recovery
- The documentation describes built-in monitoring, logging, alerting, and automated backup and recovery procedures.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- kMetal provides a platform for deploying, managing, and operating multiple Kubernetes clusters with production-grade reliability and efficiency.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- Clastix Care includes proactive security updates, monthly vulnerability reports in NIST NVD format, and CVE resolutions.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- Clastix Care is included with every kMetal deployment and includes a private Slack channel and monthly office hours with Clastix engineers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support response
- The stated service levels list P1 and P2 response as 24/7 and P3 response as 8/5 business hours.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Virtualization
- Tenant workers run as KubeVirt virtual machines on bare metal, using KVM built into the platform.checked 8 Oct 2026
The company
- Headquarters
- Naples, Italychecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Hosted control planes
- Tenant control plane components run as pods, and each tenant has a dedicated Kubernetes API server and isolated etcd.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Networking and OS
- The platform uses Kube-OVN for per-tenant VPC isolation and Kairos for immutable, declaratively built worker images.checked 8 Oct 2026
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