Kubernetes vs OpenShift: Understanding the Differences

Kubernetes and OpenShift are two of the most popular container orchestration platforms available today. Both are designed to simplify application deployment, scaling and management, but they differ in several ways. In this post, we’ll explore the differences between Kubernetes and OpenShift and help you choose the right platform for your needs.

What is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes is a free and open-source container orchestration platform that was first released by Google in 2014. It provides a powerful API and tooling that helps you automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Kubernetes is widely regarded as the industry standard for container orchestration, with support from all major cloud providers and an active community of developers.

What is OpenShift?

OpenShift is a container application platform that builds on top of Kubernetes. It adds additional features and tools to Kubernetes, making it easier to deploy and manage containerized applications. OpenShift is developed by Red Hat and is available in both an open-source version and a commercially supported version.

Key Differences between Kubernetes and OpenShift

Ease of Use

Kubernetes is a powerful platform but can be complex to set up and manage. It provides a lot of flexibility, but you need to be familiar with its API and command-line tools to use it effectively.

OpenShift, on the other hand, is designed to be easy to use, with a web-based console that makes it easy to deploy and manage applications. It provides a streamlined user interface that abstracts away many of the complexities of Kubernetes and makes it accessible to a wider range of users.

Features

Kubernetes provides a core set of features for deploying and managing containers, but it’s up to you to add any additional features you need.

OpenShift includes additional features that are not available in Kubernetes, such as integrated CI/CD pipelines, integrated container registry, and source-to-image builds. These features make it easier to set up and manage containerized applications, especially for enterprise-scale deployments.

Security

Kubernetes provides a high degree of flexibility but can be more challenging to secure than OpenShift. Kubernetes uses a role-based access control (RBAC) system to control access to resources, but it’s up to you to configure and manage this system correctly.

OpenShift provides a more comprehensive security model, with built-in security controls that help you secure your containerized applications. It includes integrated security scanning for containers, network isolation, and comprehensive RBAC controls.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Both Kubernetes and OpenShift are great platforms for deploying and managing containerized applications, but they differ in their approach and capabilities. Kubernetes provides more flexibility but requires more expertise to manage, while OpenShift provides a more streamlined user experience and additional features that make it easier to deploy and manage containerized applications, especially for larger organizations.

If you need a high degree of flexibility and control over your containerized applications, then Kubernetes is the platform for you. If you need a more streamlined user experience and additional features such as integrated CI/CD pipelines and container security, then OpenShift is the platform for you.

In conclusion, both Kubernetes and OpenShift are powerful container orchestration platforms that can help you automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. By understanding their differences, you can choose the right platform for your needs and take your containerized applications to the next level.