Canonical LXC
Container management software
DevOps software
Containerization software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$25 per workstation per year
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What is Canonical LXC
Canonical LXC is an OS-level containerization technology that provides Linux containers using kernel features such as namespaces and cgroups. It is used by DevOps and infrastructure teams to run isolated system containers that behave similarly to lightweight virtual machines, often for multi-service hosts, lab environments, and legacy workloads that expect a full init system. LXC emphasizes system containers (as opposed to application-only containers) and integrates closely with Linux distributions and host networking/storage configuration.
System-container (VM-like) model
LXC runs full Linux user spaces and can support init systems and multiple processes inside a container. This fits workloads that do not package cleanly into single-process application containers or that require OS-level tooling. It can simplify lift-and-shift of existing Linux services compared with app-centric container runtimes.
Mature Linux kernel integration
LXC is built directly on standard Linux kernel primitives (namespaces, cgroups, capabilities, seccomp), which are widely available across distributions. This reduces dependence on proprietary components and aligns with common Linux administration practices. It also enables fine-grained control over isolation, resource limits, and device access when configured correctly.
Flexible networking and storage
LXC supports multiple networking modes (e.g., bridged, routed, veth-based setups) and can integrate with common Linux storage backends depending on host configuration. This flexibility helps teams model different deployment topologies and isolation requirements on a single host. It is useful for building repeatable test environments that need realistic network behavior.
Not a full orchestration platform
LXC focuses on container runtime and host-level management rather than cluster scheduling, service discovery, and higher-level deployment workflows. Teams needing multi-node orchestration typically add separate tooling for scaling, rollouts, and health management. This can increase operational complexity compared with integrated platforms.
Higher operational complexity
Because LXC exposes many low-level Linux concepts, correct configuration of security, networking, and storage often requires strong Linux expertise. Misconfiguration can lead to weaker isolation or hard-to-debug connectivity and permission issues. Day-2 operations (upgrades, image management, backups) are less standardized than in more opinionated container platforms.
Different from OCI app containers
LXC system containers do not map one-to-one with common OCI image and tooling expectations used in many CI/CD pipelines. Organizations standardized on OCI images and Kubernetes-style workflows may need additional adaptation or parallel processes. This can limit portability of build artifacts and operational practices across teams.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan / Item | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| LXD (system containers & VMs; uses LXC) — open-source software | Free (AGPL-3.0) | LXD/LXC are free, open-source projects sponsored by Canonical; available via Ubuntu packages/snap and docs on documentation.ubuntu.com/lxd. |
| Ubuntu Pro — Self-Support (Workstation/WSL) | $25 per workstation/year | Security maintenance (Main + Universe), kernel livepatch, Landscape systems management included; free for personal use up to 5 machines. |
| Ubuntu Pro — Self-Support (Server, unlimited VMs) | $500 per server/year | Server-level Ubuntu Pro subscription (software-only). |
| Ubuntu Pro — With Infra support (Server) | $1,775 per server/year | Adds 24/7 infrastructure support and phone/ticket support; includes support for LXD. |
| Ubuntu Pro — With Full support (Server) | $3,400 per server/year | Full 24/7 support covering OS and Universe packages; includes LXD support. |
| Managed Landscape (on public clouds/VM) | $3,099 per Landscape VM/year | Canonical managed / Managed Landscape offering; supports deployments on LXD and other platforms; quoted per Landscape VM/year. |
| Managed Landscape (physical) | $6,861 per Landscape physical machine/year | Pricing shown on official Managed Landscape page; contact Canonical for architecture assessment and quote. |
| Enterprise / Managed services (LXD, MAAS, Kubernetes, OpenStack, Ceph, etc.) | Contact Canonical / Custom pricing | Canonical offers managed services, firefighting support and enterprise engagements — pricing and SLAs quoted via sales. |
Seller details
Canonical Ltd.
London, United Kingdom
2004
Private
https://canonical.com/
https://x.com/Canonical
https://www.linkedin.com/company/canonical-ltd-/
