Kubernetes vs OpenShift: Which Containerization Platform Should You Use?

The rise of containerization technology provided a way to package and deploy applications in a portable and consistent manner. And this is why we expect the containerization software market to grow by USD 2049.1 million by 2031. However, as the number of containers grew, it became increasingly difficult to manage them manually, especially when running large-scale distributed applications.

Container orchestration emerged as a solution to this problem, providing a way to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containers across multiple hosts.

Today, container orchestration has become an essential part of modern DevOps architecture, enabling organizations to deploy and manage containerized applications at scale. It has also led to the emergence of new cloud-native architectures and microservices-based applications that are designed to take advantage of containerization and container orchestration.

In this regard, Kubernetes and OpenShift have become the modern frontiers of the container revolution. Scalable, robust, secure, and popular- both are quite similar and have their own set of advantages to make their communities proud.

Moreover, Kubernetes itself is a building block of the overall OpenShift architecture. And given their intertwining nature, it might not be easy to pick one of these two containerization platforms.

Like any other “this or that” tech dilemma, it’s just not about which one is better; it’s all about making tradeoffs

So, what we are going to do is to compare and contrast Kubernetes vs. OpenShift based on their features, functionalities, use cases, and benefits, discuss in great detail how inherently different or similar they are from each other and wrap up with some logical benchmarks.

Let's take the Kubernetes vs OpenShift matter at hand and see what we can spy.

What is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes (aka K8s) is an open-source container orchestration tool that helps you automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It was originally developed by Google and is now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

Kubernetes was built to solve the challenges associated with managing containerized applications at scale. Containers are lightweight, portable, and easy to deploy, but as we mentioned before, managing large numbers of them can be complex and time-consuming.

Kubernetes provides a way to automatically deploy, manage, and scale containers, making it easier to manage containerized systems in production environments.

Another important aspect of Kubernetes is that it gives you a high degree of flexibility and portability. DevOps engineers can use Kubernetes with a wide range of cloud providers and on-premises infrastructure, and it supports a variety of container runtimes, including Docker, containerd, and CRI-O.

To this end, Kubernetes has become a critical component of modern cloud infrastructure, and its popularity is likely to continue to rise in the coming years.

Key Features of Kubernetes

Google open-sources Kubernetes in 2014, and since then, Kubernetes has been going through multiple updates and improvements over the years. As an open-source project, it’s constantly growing with evolving with new features to make the platform scalable and reliable.

Take a look at some of the groundbreaking features Kubernetes offers:

• Container orchestration

First and foremost, Kubernetes automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications, resulting in a highly efficient and flexible way to manage modern cloud-native applications.

• Service discovery and load balancing

Developers can easily expose services and endpoints for their applications and provide built-in load balancing and service discovery mechanisms with Kubernetes to ensure that traffic is routed to the appropriate containers.

• Automatic scaling

Automatic scaling is a great gesture of Kubernetes. Hence, developers can automatically scale up or down their application instances based on user demands without any manual intervention.

• Self-healing

This Container as a Service tool has self-healing capabilities, automatically restarting failed containers and replacing them with new ones. This ensures that applications are highly available and resilient.

• Declarative configuration

Kubernetes allows you to define the desired state for your apps using a declarative configuration approach and automatically manage the underlying infrastructure and containers to match the required condition.

• Rolling updates and rollbacks

Rolling updates and rollbacks for system updates is another crucial feature of Kubernetes. It enables developers to deploy new versions of their app with zero downtime, and quickly roll back to previous versions if necessary.

• Resource management

Businesses can easily manage and allocate resources such as CPU and memory with Kubernetes to make sure that apps have the resources they need to run efficiently.

• Multi-cloud support

Kubernetes is designed to be cloud-agnostic and can run on a wide variety of cloud service models. This leads to the easier deployment of applications across multiple clouds.

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Biggest Benefits of Kubernetes

In order to truly understand the difference between OpenShift and Kubernetes, we should know the distinct pros and cons of each platform, starting with Kubernetes:

Scalability: Kubernetes makes it easy to scale your application as your organization needs it to. It can automatically scale your application based on CPU utilization or other metrics.

Resilience: You can ensure that your application is always available by automatically restarting containers that fail, and by replacing containers that are unresponsive.

Portability: Kubernetes allows you to deploy your application on any cloud provider or on-premises infrastructure. So, it is very easy to move your system from one environment to another.

Security: With built-in security features, such as secure communication between containers and automatic encryption of sensitive data, Kubernetes comes with unparallel security.

Flexibility: Another benefit of this platform is its high degree of flexibility, allowing users to deploy their apps across a wide range of environments and platforms, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Productivity: Kubernetes provides a unified platform for developers to create and deploy software products, resulting in easier management of complex application architectures and improved efficiency.

Major Drawbacks of Kubernetes

Although Kubernetes is a powerful and popular tool for container orchestration, it does come with some limitations and challenges. It is important to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of Kubernetes carefully and consider whether it is the right tool for your project:

Complicated Architecture: Kubernetes is a complex system, and it can take time to learn how to use it properly. The steep learning curve can be a challenge for small teams or developers with limited experience.

Resource Overhead: It has a significant resource overhead, which can lead to increased costs, especially for small projects or applications that do not require a large infrastructure.

Network Complexity: Kubernetes networking can be complex, especially for applications with multiple services and dependencies. It requires careful configuration and management to ensure that all services are accessible and functioning correctly.

Top Kubernetes Use Cases and Examples

Kubernetes has a variety of use cases in the modern software development landscape. Some of the best use cases of Kubernetes include:

Scalable Microservices

Kubernetes is highly efficient at managing microservices architectures, which involve breaking down applications into smaller, more modular components.

Cloud-Native Applications

It is an ideal platform for cloud-native applications that are designed to be portable and run anywhere across multiple on-premises environments and cloud providers.

DevOps Automation

Kubernetes can automate many of the tasks involved in the DevOps process, including building, testing, and deploying applications. This can help you streamline the CI/CD pipeline and reduce the time it takes to get new features and updates to production.

Hybrid Cloud

Managing applications that span both on-premises data centers and cloud environments is very easy with Kubernetes. This can be particularly useful for businesses that are transitioning from legacy systems to modern cloud-based architectures.

Now let’s take walk through the most popular examples of Kubernetes implementation in the market today:

• Spotify uses Kubernetes to manage their complex microservices architecture, run their services in a consistent and reliable manner, and deliver a seamless user experience.
• Netflix uses Kubernetes to deploy, scale, and manage their apps with ease, improving their overall operational efficiency.
• Airbnb uses Kubernetes for a scalable and resilient infrastructure that can handle the high volume of data generated by their users.
• GitHub uses Kubernetes to automate their deployment and scaling processes. Hence, it is easier for them to manage their infrastructure at scale.
• Volkswagen uses Kubernetes to deploy and scale their applications across multiple regions and data centers and enhance their overall operational efficiency.

What is OpenShift?

OpenShift is a cloud computing Platform as a Service (PaaS) developed by Red Hat. It allows developers to easily build and deploy applications in containers using popular open-source tools and frameworks such as Docker and Kubernetes. It supports a number of programming languages, including Java, Python, Pearl, PHP, Ruby, and Node.js, among others.

This container orchestration tool provides a comprehensive set of features for managing and scaling applications, including automatic scaling, load balancing, application monitoring, and health checks. It also comes with built-in security features like encryption, access control, and network isolation.

One of the key benefits of OpenShift is its ability to provide a consistent development and deployment environment across multiple clouds, making it easier for developers to move their applications between different cloud providers.

Developers can deploy this container orchestration tool on-premise or on public cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and GCP. It is available in a variety of editions, including OpenShift Container Platform, OpenShift Dedicated, and OpenShift Online.

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Key Features of OpenShift

The most exciting features of OpenShift include:

• Kubernetes-based container orchestration

OpenShift uses Kubernetes to manage and orchestrate containers; thus, it increases scalability, flexibility, and reliability for applications.

• Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud support

You can deploy OpenShift on the public cloud, private cloud, or on-premise and make it a flexible solution for different deployment scenarios.

• Software lifecycle management

This containerization tool includes features for building, deploying, and managing applications throughout the entire software development life cycle, from development to production.

• Container security

OpenShift includes built-in security features, such as container isolation, image scanning, and role-based access control (RBAC), to help protect applications and data.

• Automation and integration

With automation capabilities and integration with other tools and platforms, such as Ansible and Jenkins, OpenShift simplifies operations and improves efficiency.

• Service mesh

OpenShift has Istio, a popular service mesh technology, that helps developers improve visibility, control, and security for microservices-based applications.

Biggest Benefits of OpenShift

It's time to go through the list of OpenShift benefits:

Simplified deployment: OpenShift simplifies the deployment process of applications, as it automates the entire process of deploying and managing applications in containers.

Flexibility: It provides developers with the ability to deploy and manage applications across multiple cloud platforms and on-premises infrastructure.

Security: With built-in security features that ensure the safety of your application, data, and infrastructure, OpenShift works as a highly secure container orchestration tool.

Customization: OpenShift allows you to customize the platform according to your needs, allowing them to create a tailored environment for their applications.

Developer productivity: Since developers can work on a platform that simplifies the development process, it enables them to focus on writing code and delivering applications faster.

Integrated tools: This platform integrates a wide range of tools, including Git, Jenkins, and Docker, allowing developers to use their preferred tools for developing and deploying applications.

Major Drawbacks of OpenShift

Like any other technology, OpenShift is not perfect. Have a look at the critical disadvantages you might face while using this platform:

Cost: OpenShift is not a cheap platform. It requires expensive hardware and software, as well as a team of skilled professionals to manage it. Additionally, there are licensing costs associated with using the platform.

Compatibility: It has compatibility issues with some applications and tools, particularly those that were not designed for containerization or Kubernetes. This can limit your choices when it comes to selecting third-party tools and applications.

Vendor lock-in: OpenShift is a proprietary platform owned by Red Hat. This means that if you use it, you are locked into the Red Hat ecosystem. This can limit your options when it comes to selecting other tools or platforms in the future.

Top OpenShift Use Cases and Examples

OpenShift is an emerging platform that has been gaining immense popularity as the greatest rival of Kubernetes. Some of the top use cases for OpenShift include:

Application Modernization

OpenShift enables developers to modernize legacy applications by containerizing them, which makes it easier to deploy and manage applications across different environments.

Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery

This platform provides a robust CI/CD pipeline that helps developers automate the build, test, and deployment process of their applications.

Multi-Cloud Deployment

OpenShift supports the deployment of applications on different cloud platforms. As a result, organizations are able to manage their applications across multiple clouds.

Data Management

OpenShift has the ability to work with a range of databases and data management tools, which makes it easy to build and deploy data-driven applications.

OpenShift is being used by companies of all sizes and across many different industries to improve their application development, deployment, and management processes. The following are just a few examples of OpenShift implementation in the real world:

• Barclays, a financial services company, uses OpenShift to develop and deploy their applications in a cloud-native environment.
• OpenShift has helped Amadeus to improve their development process and reduce deployment times.
• Sprint, a telecommunications company, uses OpenShift to increase application scalability and reduce infrastructure costs.
• UPS, a logistics and transportation firm, uses OpenShift to deploy their parcel tracking system and increase their system uptime.
• BMW uses OpenShift to build and deploy applications for their connected cars and create microservices that they can deploy quickly and scale up or down as needed.

Kubernetes vs OpenShift: Most Crucial Differences

Although these two platforms have a lot of features and functionalities in common, there is a mission-critical difference between OpenShift and Kubernetes. So, it’s time to hit the bull’s eye and go through the Kubernetes vs OpenShift debate based on the below parameters:

1. K8s vs OpenShift: CaaS vs. PaaS

‘CaaS’ stands for "Container-as-a-Service" where the underlying infrastructure is abstracted away, and users can run their containerized applications. Kubernetes is an example of a CaaS platform as it provides the necessary resources to run containers, such as CPU, memory, and network, but users are responsible for managing the containers and their dependencies.

On the contrary, ‘PaaS’ stands for "Platform-as-a-Service" where the platform provides a higher level of abstraction, allowing developers to focus on building and deploying their applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. OpenShift is an example of a PaaS platform built on top of Kubernetes. It provides additional features such as build and deployment automation, application scaling, and integrated services such as databases, messaging, and caching.

2. OpenShift vs Kubernetes: Installation

To install OpenShift, you need to set up a master node, multiple worker nodes, and a set of OpenShift-specific components such as the integrated registry, router, and image streams. The installation methods include the Ansible-based installer, the OpenShift installer provided by cloud providers, and Red Hat's managed OpenShift offerings.

The installation process for Kubernetes, on the other hand, involves setting up a master node and multiple worker nodes, configuring networking, and deploying add-ons such as the dashboard, monitoring tools, and load balancers. Developers can install Kubernetes using various methods such as kubeadm, kops, and the Kubernetes installer provided by cloud providers.

In a nutshell, Kubernetes is a more lightweight option that can be customized and extended with add-ons, while OpenShift adds additional features and capabilities on top of Kubernetes, but with a more complex installation process.

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3. Kubernetes K8s vs OpenShift: Deployment

Kubernetes is known for its flexibility, as it can run on a variety of infrastructures, from on-premises to public and private clouds. It has a large community and a rich ecosystem of third-party tools and extensions for easy application deployment.

OpenShift, on the other hand, is a container application platform that adds more useful features on top of Kubernetes. It provides a more opinionated approach to deploying and managing applications, with a focus on enterprise features such as security, compliance, and automation.

Hence, when it comes to deployment between Kubernetes vs OpenShift, both provide similar capabilities. However, OpenShift provides some additional features that make it easier to deploy and manage applications, especially in enterprise environments. For example, OpenShift provides an integrated container image registry, which allows developers to easily build, store, and deploy container images without having to set up and manage a separate container registry.

4. Red Hat OpenShift vs Kubernetes Support

In terms of support, both Kubernetes and OpenShift have active communities of developers and users who contribute to the codebase and support the platforms through documentation, forums, and other resources.

However, OpenShift has additional support options available through its commercial offering from Red Hat. This includes access to technical support, consulting services, and training. Red Hat also provides a more streamlined and consistent user experience across its OpenShift offerings, which can be beneficial for organizations looking for a more comprehensive and integrated solution.

In short, both Kubernetes and OpenShift are widely used and have robust support communities, but OpenShift may be a better fit for organizations that require additional support and more comprehensive features.

5. Kubernetes Engine vs Red Hat OpenShift: Release and Updates

Both Kubernetes vs OpenShift have regular releases and updates, although the frequency and timing of these releases may differ between the two platforms.

Kubernetes typically has a new release every quarter, with minor releases for bug fixes and security updates in between. Each release of Kubernetes introduces new features and improvements to the platform. Kubernetes follows a predictable release schedule and has a well-established release process that ensures stability and backward compatibility.

OpenShift, on the other hand, follows a more conservative release strategy. Red Hat, the company behind OpenShift, typically releases a new version of OpenShift every 12-18 months. These releases may include new features and enhancements to the platform, as well as updates to the underlying Kubernetes version. Red Hat also provides long-term support for each version of OpenShift, with regular updates for bug fixes and security patches.

6. OpenShift vs K8s: Templates

Between K8s and OpenShift, K8s templates are called "YAML manifests" that define the desired state of objects, such as deployments, services, and pods. Developers can create these manifests manually or using tools like Helm or Kustomize. The manifests are then applied to a Kubernetes cluster using the kubectl apply command.

And in OpenShift, templates define the structure and configuration of an application, along with its dependencies. Templates in OpenShift use the OpenShift Template Language (OTL), which is a simplified version of the Kubernetes YAML syntax.

Overall, while the syntax and terminology may differ, both Kubernetes and OpenShift use templates to simplify the deployment of applications and infrastructure, with OpenShift offering additional functionality for users.

7. Kubernetes vs OpenShift: Security

Both platforms offer security features to protect the infrastructure and the applications running on it, but there is a critical difference between Kubernetes and OpenShift.

Kubernetes offers several security features, such as Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Pod Security Policies (PSP), Network Policies, and Container Runtime Security. These features help to control access to the Kubernetes API, restrict the privileges of containers running on the platform, enforce network segmentation, and ensure the security of the container runtime environment.

OpenShift, contrastingly, builds on top of Kubernetes and offers additional security features. It adds an extra layer of security by providing an integrated security solution that includes identity management, compliance controls, and security automation. It also provides additional security features such as encrypted communication between pods, image signature verification, and more granular access control policies.

In essence, Kubernetes is a more lightweight solution that provides essential security features, while OpenShift builds on top of Kubernetes and provides additional security features that are suitable for enterprises with strict security requirements.

8. K8s vs OpenShift: Web UI

The web console in Kubernetes provides a basic GUI that allows users to view and manage Kubernetes resources such as pods, services, deployments, and so on. The Kubernetes web console is simple and easy to use, but it does not offer advanced features such as application monitoring, centralized logging, or built-in CI/CD pipelines.

On the other hand, the OpenShift web console provides a more advanced and comprehensive GUI that offers additional features beyond the basic Kubernetes web console. These features include application monitoring, centralized logging, built-in CI/CD pipelines, and an integrated container image registry. The OpenShift web console is designed to provide a full-stack platform that offers a more comprehensive solution for container orchestration and application development.

In a nutshell, while both Kubernetes and OpenShift offer web console interfaces, the OpenShift web console offers additional features and functionality beyond the basic Kubernetes web console.

9. OpenShift vs K8s: Networking

In terms of networking, the difference between OpenShift and Kubernetes is that Kubernetes provides a simpler networking model based on Pods and Services, while OpenShift adds additional features like project-based network isolation and integrated network policies.

Kubernetes networking model is based on the Container Network Interface (CNI) standard, which uses different networking plugins to provide network connectivity to containers. Kubernetes networking is based on the concept of a Pod, which is a group of one or more containers that you can deploy together on the same host. Each Pod has a unique IP address that containers use to communicate with each other.

OpenShift also uses the CNI standard for networking, but it provides additional networking features on top of Kubernetes. OpenShift uses the concept of a project, which is a logical boundary for a group of related applications and services within a cluster.

10. Kubernetes K8s vs OpenShift: Image Registry

An image registry is a place to store and manage container images. Between Kubernetes vs OpenShift, both use container images as the building blocks of their apps.

Kubernetes uses a container image registry called Docker Registry, which is an open-source project that can store and distribute Docker images. Developers can deploy Docker Registry on a Kubernetes cluster as a container, and store and manage Docker images that deploy applications on the cluster.

OpenShift has its own image registry solution called OpenShift Image Registry, which is an integrated solution for storing and managing container images. OpenShift Image Registry is built on top of Docker Registry, but it also provides additional features like image signing and scanning, image replication across multiple clusters, and integration with OpenShift's security features.

Simply put, both Kubernetes and OpenShift have their own image registry solutions, with Kubernetes using Docker Registry and OpenShift using OpenShift Image Registry.

11. Kubernetes vs OpenShift: Integrated CI/CD

Although both Kubernetes and OpenShift provide native support for CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous deployment) workflows, OpenShift includes additional features that make it easier to implement CI/CD in a Kubernetes environment.

OpenShift has a built-in CI/CD pipeline system called OpenShift Pipelines, which is based on the open-source Tekton project. This allows developers to define CI/CD workflows as code, using YAML manifests, and execute them within OpenShift. The pipelines can be triggered automatically based on events, such as code commits or image updates, or manually through the OpenShift console or CLI.

In contrast, Kubernetes does not have a built-in CI/CD system, but it provides the necessary primitives to build one. For example, Kubernetes provides resources such as Pods, Deployments, and Services that can be used to orchestrate a CI/CD pipeline. However, developers need to set up their own CI/CD tools, such as Jenkins or GitLab, and configure them to work with Kubernetes.

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Kubernetes vs OpenShift: What Should You Choose?

Kubernetes and OpenShift are both powerful container orchestration platforms that can help manage containerized applications at scale. Therefore, the choice between Kubernetes and OpenShift largely depends on your organization's needs, resources, and priorities.

Here are some factors to consider:

• Cost: OpenShift is a commercial product and requires a license, while Kubernetes is open-source and free to use. If cost is a concern, Kubernetes may be the better choice.

• Support: If you need enterprise-grade support for your container orchestration platform, OpenShift may be the better choice. Red Hat offers commercial support for OpenShift, which can be critical if you're running mission-critical applications.

• Integration with existing systems: If you already have a lot of existing infrastructure and tools, Kubernetes may be the better choice as it integrates easily with a wide range of systems. OpenShift, on the other hand, has a more closed ecosystem and may require more effort to integrate with existing systems.

• Features: OpenShift includes several additional features that are not available in vanilla Kubernetes, such as integrated CI/CD pipelines, built-in security, and a web-based console for managing applications. If these features are important to you, OpenShift may be the better choice.

• Community: Kubernetes has a large and active community, with a myriad of documentation and support available. OpenShift has a smaller community but offers commercial support options. If you need strong technical support, OpenShift may be the better option.

How Radixweb Can HelpContainerization has become an essential technology in modern software development. Whatever you choose between Kubernetes vs OpenShift, the aim is to build, package, and deploy software applications with greater efficiency and consistency across different environments.Radixweb has a proven track record of using modern container orchestration tools in mission-critical projects for global organizations. If you have enjoyed reading this article, you will definitely enjoy our professional DevOps containerization services. Take this opportunity to check what we can offer and feel free to reach out to us if you need to work with any platform; we have expertise in both!