Best Kubernetes Ingress Controllers in 2026
Updated
In short: ngrok is ranked #1 of 27 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Traefik Proxy and agentgateway. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Traefik Proxy. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ngrok at $10/mo.
Kubernetes ingress controllers govern how traffic enters services, with options differing in API model, deployment and available controls. Traefik Proxy starts the ranking, followed by NGINX Ingress Controller and Contour. Compare ingress API model and deployment model, then consider canary routing and rate limiting alongside auth policies, TLS automation and web application firewall support. These features help you assess traffic-management and security needs for your environment. Free-plan availability and the paid-from price offer additional comparison points. HAProxy Ingress, kgateway, Apache APISIX, agentgateway and Airlock Microgateway are also among the early entries, with their listed capabilities to weigh against your setup.
27 Kubernetes ingress controllers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 ngrok Top pick · 7.2 Free plan · $10/mo
#2 Traefik Proxy Runner-up · 7.0 Free plan · Free
#3 agentgateway Also great · 6.7 Free plan · Free
- Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 10 /mo
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$10/mofirst paid tier About ngrokVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- ingress
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial LinuxmacOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 65 /mo
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$59.58/mofirst paid tier About LiteSpeed Ingress ControllerVisit site - apiLinuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linuxself-hosted
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebWindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- ingress
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiLinuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxWindowsmacOS
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- both
- TLS automation
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Ingress API model
- ingress
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- ingress
- Canary routing
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- ingress
- TLS automation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- gateway
- TLS automation
- No
- Canary routing
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Ingress API model
- ingress
- Canary routing
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - self-hosted
- Free plan
- No
- Ingress API model
- ingress
- Canary routing
- Yes
- Rate limiting
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Ingress API model
- both
- Canary routing
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which Kubernetes ingress controller is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
ngrok is ranked #1 of 27 with a score of 7.2. Traefik Proxy is second and agentgateway third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ngrok has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.