Managed Kubernetes: clusters with a free control plane
Affordable managed Kubernetes: the control plane is free, you pay only for worker nodes
- Free control plane
- Worker nodes from $25.00/mo
- Renews monthly by invoice
Managed Kubernetes is a server product where, in a Kubernetes cluster that spreads and manages containers across several servers, the management layer, the control plane, is run by the service for you. HELPER VPS affordable managed Kubernetes has a free control plane, and you pay only for the worker nodes where your apps actually run, starting at $25.00 per month for a 4 vCPU, 16GB node.
Control plane
Management layer free
Free
You pay only for worker nodes
- 1 management layer
- Managed
- Managed
- Managed
- Per cluster
High-availability control plane
Triple-redundant management layer
2500$/ mo
Billed monthly
- Triple-redundant management layer
- Managed
- Managed
- Managed
- Per cluster per month
Worker node 16GB
For small clusters
2500$/ mo
Billed monthly
- Worker node
- 4 vCPU
- 16 GB RAM
- 200 GB NVMe
- Per node per month
Worker node 32GB
For regular services
4500$/ mo
Billed monthly
- Worker node
- 8 vCPU
- 32 GB RAM
- 400 GB NVMe
- Per node per month
Worker node 64GB
For large services
8500$/ mo
Billed monthly
- Worker node
- 16 vCPU
- 64 GB RAM
- 800 GB NVMe
- Per node per month
If you are running just a few containers without a cluster Cloud VPS
What is managed Kubernetes used for?
Kubernetes automatically spreads services split into many containers evenly across several servers, revives stopped containers and rolls out new versions bit by bit. Here are four cases where managed Kubernetes fits especially well.
Web apps split into several services
Run services split into several containers, such as a front end, API, job workers and cache, together in one cluster. Set the number of replicas for each service and Kubernetes spreads them appropriately across worker nodes.
Zero-downtime deploys
Push a new version image and use rolling updates that replace existing containers with new ones one at a time. If something goes wrong, rolling back to the previous version is easy, so you never have to take the service down for a deploy.
CI and automated deploy pipelines
Build a flow where a tool such as GitLab CI builds images and deploys them to the cluster with Helm charts. Push your code and everything from tests to deploys repeats in the same order, reducing human error.
Separating development, staging and production
Separate development, staging and production within one cluster using namespaces, or create a separate cluster for each environment. The control plane is free, so splitting clusters only adds node fees.
How is installing on a VPS yourself different from managed Kubernetes?
You can also install Kubernetes yourself across several VPS. The difference is who looks after the control plane. Choose based on whether you want to run the management layer yourself or hand it off and focus on your apps.
Install on VPS yourself
A cluster you build from several cloud VPS
Best for
- When you want to learn Kubernetes architecture hands-on
- Teams that want to choose install tools and versions themselves
- Small setups running just a few containers
- Starting light with the Docker one-click app
Managed Kubernetes
Free control plane, pay only for worker nodes
Best for
- Dev teams who want to spend time running their apps
- When keeping separate development and staging clusters
- Services starting with a few worker nodes
- When you want to start from $25.00 per node per month
High-availability control plane
A cluster with a triple-redundant management layer
Best for
- Production services that must not stop
- Teams that deploy often and use the cluster API heavily
- Large clusters with many worker nodes
- When you want headroom in the management layer too
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is an open source platform for placing and managing containerized apps across several servers. Write in a file how many instances of an app to run and with what settings, and Kubernetes keeps watching that state and brings the real servers in line with what you wrote. It greatly reduces the need for people to log in to each server and type commands.
A cluster is split into two parts. The control plane is the management layer for the whole cluster, with the API server, scheduler and cluster state store, while worker nodes are the servers where containers actually run. Restarting stopped containers and moving work to other nodes when a node has problems happen within this structure.
With managed Kubernetes, the service handles installing and running the control plane, and you focus on deploying apps with kubectl and Helm. The management layer, the most demanding part of a self-installed setup, is handed off, so even a small team can run a cluster. The time saved goes into improving your service.
How do I choose the most affordable managed Kubernetes?
The cost of managed Kubernetes is the control plane fee plus the worker node fees. If each cluster's control plane has a monthly fee, it takes up a larger share of total cost the smaller the cluster is, so it is worth checking first whether this part is free. Then compare the specs and monthly price of a single node to see the real cost.
At HELPER VPS the standard control plane is free, so the worker node fees are your cluster fee. Start small with two 4 vCPU, 16GB nodes, and as your service grows, add 32GB or 64GB nodes as needed. You pay only for the nodes you use, so there is no need to start big.
If you want headroom in the management layer too, as for production services, you can choose a high-availability control plane at $25.00 per cluster per month. Use the free control plane for development clusters and high availability for production clusters to balance cost and stability. All fees are paid together from the same invoice.
How much does managed Kubernetes cost?
The standard control plane is free, and worker nodes start at $25.00 per node per month for 4 vCPU, 16GB memory and 200GB NVMe. The high-availability control plane, with a triple-redundant management layer, is $25.00 per cluster per month.
Free control plane
No fee for the management layer; you pay only for worker nodes. Even if you create several development and test clusters, costs grow only with the number of nodes.
Flat prices by node size
Each node has a set monthly price, such as $25.00 for a 16GB node, $45.00 for a 32GB node and $85.00 for a 64GB node, making cluster costs easy to calculate in advance.
Renews monthly by invoice
Pay the invoice with 12 crypto options to create nodes and control planes. Use it month by month with no contract term; just renew the invoice.
HELPER VPS in numbers
Choose from 40 regions, 12 operating systems and 10 one-click apps in one account, and pay right away. The numbers below are based on what is on sale now.
40
Data center regions
12
Operating systems
10
One-click apps
$25.00
Starting price of this product (monthly)
Tools to use with your Kubernetes cluster
Deploy apps with Helm charts, keep your setup as code with Terraform, and build images with GitLab CI to ship them automatically.
- Kubernetes
- Helm
- Docker
- Terraform
- GitLab CI
- NGINX Ingress
Why choose HELPER VPS managed Kubernetes
Free control plane
No fee for the cluster management layer, so even small clusters start with no pressure, and you can keep separate clusters per environment.
High availability option
For production services, choose the high-availability control plane with a triple-redundant management layer, so cluster management carries on even if one part of the management layer has a problem.
Three node sizes
Mix 16GB, 32GB and 64GB worker nodes to run light apps and memory-hungry apps together in the same cluster.
SSD node disks
Each node includes 80GB to 320GB SSD, with plenty of room for container images, logs and temporary files.
The tools you already know
Bring the tools and config files you already use, such as kubectl, Helm, Terraform and GitLab CI, and work with the cluster as is.
Receive traffic with Ingress
Run a controller such as NGINX Ingress to route traffic by domain and path to several services.
Managed with one account alongside your VPS
Manage clusters, cloud VPS and databases with the same account, and see your whole service's cost in one place.
Sign up with a single account token
Sign up instantly with a single account token, and after your first payment you can use support and API keys.
A server network across 40 regions
With servers in 40 cities across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, you can run services close to your users.
Where can I create Kubernetes clusters?
HELPER VPS has servers in 40 cities across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. The regions you can choose are shown when creating a cluster; pick one close to where most of your users are for faster responses.
Germany
Netherlands
United Kingdom
France
7 cities in United States
Canada
Brazil
Singapore
2 cities in Japan
2 cities in India
2 cities in Australia
Mexico
Spain
Sweden
Poland
South Africa
South Korea
- Germany
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- France
- 7 cities in United States
- Canada
- Brazil
- Singapore
- 2 cities in Japan
- 2 cities in India
- 2 cities in Australia
- Mexico
- Spain
- Sweden
- Poland
- South Africa
- South Korea
Chile
Colombia
Italy
Switzerland
Finland
Türkiye
United Arab Emirates
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Nigeria
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Indonesia
Thailand
Managed Kubernetes FAQ
Answers on Kubernetes pricing, setup and payment
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is an open source platform that spreads and manages containerized apps across several servers. Write the number of containers to run and their settings in a file, and it keeps that state, restarts stopped containers and rolls out new versions in order, all automatically. You can handle several servers as one unit.
What is the most affordable managed Kubernetes?
Managed Kubernetes with a free control plane costs the least for small clusters. At HELPER VPS the standard control plane is free, so you pay only for worker nodes, and 4 vCPU, 16GB nodes start at $25.00 per month, so you can run a cluster on two small nodes. Add bigger nodes when you need them.
Is the control plane really free?
Yes, the standard control plane with one management layer has no per-cluster fee. Your cluster cost is the sum of worker node fees, and $25.00 per cluster per month is added only if you choose the high-availability control plane with a triple-redundant management layer. Creating several development clusters does not add management layer fees, making it easy to split environments.
When do I need a high-availability control plane?
For production services that must not stop or large clusters with frequent deploys, the high-availability control plane is the right fit. With the management layer in three places, if one has a problem the others keep managing the cluster. The free control plane is enough for development and test clusters. You can choose separately for each cluster.
Which worker node size should I choose?
Start light web apps and APIs on several 16GB nodes, and add 32GB or 64GB nodes if you have memory-hungry apps. Several small nodes limit the impact if one has a problem, while large nodes are good for keeping memory-heavy containers in one place. Mixing different sizes is fine.
How many worker nodes should I start with?
For production services, we recommend starting with two or more worker nodes. With two or more, even if one node is under maintenance or has a problem, containers keep running on the other node so your service carries on. Add nodes as you need them. Nodes can be added one at a time, so costs grow gradually too.
How do I pay for Kubernetes?
Pay the invoice with 12 crypto options to create nodes and control planes. Use it month by month with no contract term; just renew the invoice. Refunds go to your account credit. Use it month by month and reduce nodes anytime.
What happens to my cluster if I don't renew the invoice?
If the invoice is not renewed on the billing date, nodes are suspended, and you can renew by paying within 3 days. If there is still no renewal after 3 days, the nodes and their data are deleted, so renew the invoice before the billing date. Keeping your config files in a repository makes them easy to recreate. Renew the invoice so automatic renewal continues.
Can I use Helm and Terraform as they are?
Yes. The cluster is managed the standard Kubernetes way, so kubectl, Helm and the manifest files you already have work as they are. Manage resources inside the cluster as code with Terraform, and build a flow where pipelines such as GitLab CI build images and deploy them right away.
Should my database live inside the cluster too?
A setup that keeps the database separate as a managed database and only apps in the cluster is easier to run. Keep app containers so they can be recreated anytime, and keep data in managed PostgreSQL or MySQL with daily automatic backups, so your data carries on as is even when you change or recreate the cluster.
Kubernetes guides
Guides worth reading before starting your cluster
- Managed databasesA setup that keeps apps in the cluster and data in managed PostgreSQL and MySQL with daily automatic backups.
- API docsDocumentation on listing servers and handling management tasks in code with an API key.
- Pricing at a glanceCompare the prices of cloud VPS, high-performance NVMe, dedicated CPU and high-memory servers in one table.
Prices shown are monthly prices in US dollars, paid with 12 crypto options. The standard control plane is free, and worker node and high-availability control plane fees renew automatically at the same amount on each billing date.
Minimum term: 1 month | Cancel: delete anytime from the control panel | If not renewed: suspended, then deleted 3 days later | Remaining time on deleted nodes is not refunded. Refunds are credited to your account.