Local Kubernetes Clusters - The Grand Comparison 2023

There's multiple options for running Kubernetes locally. But which one is the best? How do you run container images from private registries or images you've built yourself? How can services be exposed on localhost? And of course: Which solution is the fastest? If you're looking for answers to all of these questions, then this is the video for you. After watching it, you'll be able to choose the solution that fits your needs best and deploy it effectively.

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00:00 Intro
03:41 1. First Cluster: Docker Desktop
04:43 1. First Cluster: Rancher Desktop
06:05 1. First Cluster: MikroK8s
07:36 1. First Cluster: Minikube, Kind, K3D
08:49 1. First Cluster: Minikube GUI, Minikube with qemu VM
09:45 2. Build & Run: Intro
10:39 2. Build & Run: Rancher Desktop
11:48 2. Build & Run: Docker Desktop
12:11 2. Build & Run: Kind
12:38 2. Build & Run: K3D, Minikube, MikroK8s
13:05 2. Build & Run: Minikube with qemu VM
13:49 3. Private Registry: Intro
14:22 3. Private Registry: Docker pull
15:13 3. Private Registry: Image pull secrets
16:38 3. Private Registry: Minikube GCP auth addon
17:29 3. Private Registry: Kyverno, GCP auth for Rancher and Docker Desktop
18:41 3. Private Registry: K3D Config
19:13 3. Private Registry: Conclusion
19:26 4. Expose Services: Intro
20:14 4. Expose Services: Docker and Rancher Desktop (type LoadBalancer)
20:58 4. Expose Services: K3D (type LoadBalancer)
21:51 4. Expose Services: Minikube (type LoadBalancer)
22:29 4. Expose Services: Minikube, K3D, Kind (type NodePort)
23:17 4. Expose Services: MicroK8s (type NodePort)
23:42 4. Expose Services: Conclusion
24:04 5. Reset: Intro
26:27 5. Reset: Benchmarking Montage
27:14 5. Reset: Results
27:59 6. Usage in CI: Intro
28:50 6. Usage in CI: Results
29:25 Comparison: The Grand Table
33:25 Comparison: Desktop Apps
34:54 Recommendations

[scottamolinari]

Finished the video. Well done! This comparison video puts all the solutions for local k8s in very good perspective.

[panthermodern]

The video I needed, right when I needed it. Looking forward to more of your work!

[MarkusEicher]

Thanks for this comparison of possible solutions for a local Kubernetes cluster. I'm still not through the evaluation process which one to use, but your video helped a lot with coming to a decision. Sure I left a like and subscribed. Looking forward to see more of your work. Have a good time and see you later.

[scottamolinari]

With Rancher, you can also use containerd and build containers locally. You can also alias all nerdctl commands to run like docker too. So, if you do a "docker build", nerdctl will build your container.

[nunothecorsair]

Very nice video and good comparison tests/metrics. There's just few features that I guess were compared in a different way without the introduction (that you might certainly know of). For example the Dashboard, MicroK8s has an "add-on" system, which is great by itself, but it's the feature which is built-in, not the dashboard itself like Rancher Desktop or Minikube.
But the "add-on" feature is maybe the one missing here, as now we have extensions (Docker Desktop, Rancher Desktop, Podman Desktop) or add-ons (MicroK8s, Minikube) which allow the clusters to have even more features.

Finally, you covered it from a Mac user point of view, so all the solutions result in using a VM but each solution might use a different provider (Virtualization.framework VS HVF accelerator), so some startup times might be slightly impacted by it.

But again, please take this as a suggestion and not critics, because I really liked the knowledge shared and the "magic of editing" which made it comprehensible.

Really good work, thanks a lot

[johnhupperts]

Amazing and thorough video. Wow, Thank you

[jparkr]

Thanks for the great video! Which of the listed we can use on production using digitalocean, for example? GoogleCloud, AWS etc are too expensive for individuals and for learning purposes.

[VicenteFontanella]

I’m surprised that you didn’t mention minikube add-ons more in deep. Also I’m using minikube with colima vm in a Mac M1 and I’m almost sure the performance could be better than using docker desktop.

[scottamolinari]

Would you agree that developing for a full blown k8s system wouldn't or even shouldn't be done locally? Local k8s clusters are more for experimentation at best?

[MajorBreakfast]

Update 1: Since filming this video, Podman Desktop has reached 1.0. They now offer the creation of Kind clusters via the UI. They still have a bit of catching up to do in regards to ease of use and polish, but their speed of development is impressive!

[superblondmale]

Interesting and well presented content. Thanks a lot.

[orebelo]

You say at beginning you're not use port forward but expose only, but you have used por forward in ALL CASES. Have you changed your mind during the recording time?

[putnam]

For each of these how easy is it to create multi node clusters? From my experience k3d is the easiest to accomplish this.

[marcello]

I Never understand why one outside the creative are uses macOS.. Container can’t run native.. I don’t see the point.. just because it’s hip?

[pg_usa]

There is a new player in the ring… KariOS please add this also in a new video. Thanks.

[flat-line]

it would be nice to see how you install k3d, why hide that part