Canonical Kubernetes
Container management software
Container orchestration tools
DevOps software
Containerization software
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What is Canonical Kubernetes
Canonical Kubernetes is Canonical’s distribution and support offering for Kubernetes, commonly delivered as Charmed Kubernetes and MicroK8s for different deployment footprints. It is used by platform and DevOps teams to deploy, operate, and secure Kubernetes clusters on public cloud, private data centers, and edge environments. The product emphasizes automation via Juju charms, Ubuntu-based packaging, and optional managed services and enterprise support from Canonical.
Multiple deployment footprints
It supports both lightweight and full-featured Kubernetes deployments through MicroK8s and Charmed Kubernetes. This helps teams standardize on a Canonical-supported stack across developer laptops, edge nodes, and production clusters. It also fits hybrid and on-prem use cases where a cloud-provider-managed service is not an option.
Automation with Juju charms
Charmed Kubernetes uses Juju and charms to model and automate cluster components and lifecycle operations. This can reduce manual configuration work for add-ons such as networking, storage integrations, and observability components. The approach is particularly useful for repeatable deployments across many environments.
Commercial support options
Canonical provides enterprise support, security maintenance, and consulting services around its Kubernetes offerings. This can be important for regulated environments that require vendor-backed SLAs and patch guidance. Support can cover the broader Ubuntu-based stack that commonly surrounds Kubernetes in production.
Operational model learning curve
Juju and the charm-based operational model are not standard in many Kubernetes teams. Organizations already invested in other tooling may need time to learn and integrate this approach. This can slow initial adoption compared with more familiar cluster management patterns.
Not a hosted cloud service
Canonical Kubernetes is primarily a distribution and operations framework rather than a fully hosted, provider-operated Kubernetes service. Teams typically remain responsible for underlying infrastructure, capacity planning, and parts of day-2 operations unless they purchase managed services. For organizations seeking minimal operational ownership, this may be a mismatch.
Ecosystem varies by edition
Capabilities and integrations differ between MicroK8s and Charmed Kubernetes, which can complicate standardization across environments. Some enterprise features depend on specific add-ons and supported configurations rather than being uniform out of the box. Buyers may need careful architecture validation to ensure required networking, storage, and security controls are supported in their target environment.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Charmed Kubernetes (software) | Free (open-source) | Upstream-conformant Charmed Kubernetes bundle deployable via Juju/Charmhub; no license fees; community documentation and support. |
| Ubuntu Pro - Self-Support (server) | $500 per machine/year | Security maintenance for Main + Universe, kernel livepatch, Landscape; software-only subscription (no 24/7 infra phone support). |
| Ubuntu Pro - With Infra support (server) | $1,775 per machine/year | Includes 24/7 infrastructure support and security maintenance; recommended for production infrastructure and Kubernetes support. |
| Ubuntu Pro - Full support (server) | $3,400 per machine/year | 24/7 full support covering OS, applications, and extended Universe package maintenance. |
| Ubuntu Pro - Desktop (workstation) | $25 per workstation/year (self-support) | Desktop/WSL coverage; paid desktop tier also has a $300/year full-support option. |
| Managed Kubernetes (Canonical-managed service) | Custom / Contact sales | Fully managed K8s offering; Canonical advertises a flexible pricing model and asks customers to contact sales for quotes. Canonical historically cited an example managed-service price of $3,985 per node/year (see official blog), but current managed-service pricing on product pages is listed as "contact us". |
Seller details
Canonical Ltd.
London, United Kingdom
2004
Private
https://canonical.com/
https://x.com/Canonical
https://www.linkedin.com/company/canonical-ltd-/
