Spiderpool
Spiderpool is an open-source networking solution for Kubernetes workloads on bare metal, virtual machines, and public clouds.
What Spiderpool is
Spiderpool is an open-source networking solution for Kubernetes workloads on bare metal, virtual machines, and public clouds. Its custom-resource-based IP address management handles dual-stack setups, shared or exclusive pools, and static addresses for stateful applications. It supports Macvlan, IPvlan, and SR-IOV, and its IPAM can also work with compatible CNI options such as Calico and Weave. Pods can use multiple underlay interfaces, or combine underlay and overlay connections, with policy routing coordinated across interfaces. Documented functions include Pod-to-host connectivity, IP conflict detection, gateway checks, and service access through kube-proxy or an eBPF-based alternative. For RDMA, Spiderpool supports RoCE and InfiniBand, with devices assigned to Pods in shared or exclusive mode. The project identifies storage, middleware, observability, AI training, latency-sensitive work, and separate-bandwidth needs as use cases. It is licensed under Apache License 2.0 and describes itself as a CNCF sandbox project. Its roadmap marks IPAM and multiple-NIC routing coordination as beta, while RDMA and multi-cluster networking are alpha for Macvlan, IPvlan, and SR-IOV. Documented node architectures are x86-64 and arm64; SpiderSubnet requires Kubernetes v1.21 or later.
Good
- Supports dual-stack IP address management.
- Works with Macvlan, IPvlan, and SR-IOV.
- Supports RoCE and InfiniBand RDMA.
- Licensed under Apache License 2.0.
- Offers community contact options.
Watch out
- IPAM and multi-NIC routing are beta.
- RDMA and multi-cluster networking are alpha.
- SpiderSubnet requires Kubernetes v1.21 or later.
Who it suits
Spiderpool is for teams running Kubernetes on bare metal, virtual machines, or public clouds that need underlay networking, flexible IPAM, or RDMA. Its stated use cases include storage, AI training, observability, and latency-sensitive applications.
Verdict
Spiderpool brings IPAM, multiple interface routing, and RDMA capabilities to Kubernetes networking. Note the differing maturity levels across features and the SpiderSubnet version requirement.
Plans and prices
From Spiderpool's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Apache License 2.0) | Free | Open source project; Kubernetes networking solution |
The facts
Each one read from Spiderpool's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- CNI support
- Spiderpool works with Macvlan, IPvlan, and SR-IOV, and its IPAM can also be used with compatible CNIs such as Calico and Weave.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Connectivity
- The project documents Pod-to-host connectivity, IP conflict detection, gateway reachability checks, and service access through kube-proxy or an eBPF-based replacement.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment requirements
- Documented node architectures are x86-64 and arm64; the SpiderSubnet feature requires Kubernetes v1.21 or later.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Feature maturity
- The roadmap marks IPAM and multiple NIC and routing coordination as beta, while RDMA and multi-cluster networking are alpha for macvlan, ipvlan, and SR-IOV.checked 4 Oct 2026
- IP address management
- Its CRD-based IPAM supports dual-stack networking, shared and exclusive pools, and static IP addresses for stateful applications.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Multiple interfaces
- Pods can use multiple underlay interfaces or a combination of underlay and overlay interfaces, with policy routing managed across interfaces.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Project status
- The project describes itself as a Cloud Native Computing Foundation sandbox project.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Spiderpool is an underlay and RDMA networking solution for Kubernetes on bare metal, virtual machines, and public clouds.checked 4 Oct 2026
- RDMA
- Spiderpool supports RDMA using RoCE and InfiniBand, with devices available to Pods in shared or exclusive mode.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security and license
- Spiderpool is licensed under Apache License 2.0.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project lists CNCF Slack, a monthly community meeting, maintainer email, and a WeChat group as community contact options.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Use cases
- The project identifies storage, middleware, observability, AI training, latency-sensitive workloads, and applications needing separate network bandwidth as use cases.checked 4 Oct 2026
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