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Istio vs Linkerd

Istio logo
IstioService Mesh Platforms
Free (open source)Published price
Linkerd logo
LinkerdService Mesh
Free (open source)Published price
Istio logo
Istio
Service Mesh Platforms

Simplify observability, traffic management, security, and policy.

Linkerd logo
Linkerd
Service Mesh

Ultralight service mesh for Kubernetes.

Overview
CategoryService Mesh PlatformsService Mesh
What it isIstio is an open-source service mesh that provides traffic management, security, and observability for microservices running on Kubernetes.Linkerd is an ultralight CNCF-graduated service mesh providing mTLS, observability, and reliability with minimal overhead.
Pricing
Published priceFree (open source)
Free and open source (Apache 2.0, a CNCF graduated project). The software itself has no license fee or paid tier; costs come only from your own infrastructure. Commercial support…
Free (open source)
Linkerd is a free, open-source service mesh for Kubernetes. Commercial support and managed offerings may be available from ecosystem vendors, but the project itself has no subscri…
Pricing modelFreeFree
Free optionsFree plan · Free trialFree plan · No free trial
Deal on CubbieNone right nowNone right now
Company
Founded20172016
Team size1-10 employees11-50 employees
HeadquartersRemote (CNCF)San Francisco, California
Featured clientsAirbnb, eBay, SalesforceMicrosoft, HP, Nordstrom

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