kind
6.6#10 in container development environmentsFree planFree planLinuxmacOSSelf-hostedWindows
Visitkind vs OrbStack
What both publish
| Fact | kind | OrbStack |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | The project provides downloadable release binaries and source installation instructions; community-maintained packages are also listed. | The documented installation path is downloading and opening the app or installing it with brew install --cask orbstack. |
| Networking | The documentation covers configuring ingress and Gateway API with cloud-provider-kind, which natively supports both. | Its custom network stack supports IPv6, ping, traceroute, VPN and DNS settings, host networking, port forwarding and direct container IP access. |
| Support | The project directs users to its Kubernetes Slack #kind channel, GitHub issue tracker, and SIG-Testing mailing list for help and issues. | Official support is offered through email, discussions, an issue tracker and a Discord community. |
kind plans
- kindFree
OrbStack plans
- FreeFree
- Pro$8 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
Pick kind if…
kind suits developers and teams who need local Kubernetes clusters for Kubernetes or application testing, development, CI, or Cluster API work. It is not intended as an alternative to Docker Compose.
Pick OrbStack if…
OrbStack suits macOS users who want local containers, Linux machines, or a lightweight Kubernetes cluster for development. Personal users can use the free plan, while commercial users need a per-user license.