Best fit
Who should shortlist this first
- Container Networking buyers
Cilium is an open-source eBPF-based networking, observability, and security platform for Kubernetes and cloud-native environments.
Pricing
Free (open source)
Reviews
2,500+
Founded
2016
Team Size
51-200 employees
Current Deal
Free and open source
About Cilium
Cilium is a CNCF graduated project that uses eBPF technology to provide high-performance networking, security, and observability for Kubernetes. It replaces kube-proxy and traditional CNI plugins with eBPF programs running in the Linux kernel.
Networking features include pod networking, load balancing, bandwidth management, and multi-cluster connectivity (Cluster Mesh). Service mesh capabilities are provided without sidecars through eBPF.
Cilium Network Policy supports L3/L4 and L7 policies with identity-based security. Hubble provides deep network observability with flow logs, metrics, and a service dependency map.
Cilium has become the default CNI for Google Kubernetes Engine and is widely adopted for its performance advantages over iptables-based networking solutions.
Pricing
Free (open source)
Open Source: Free (Apache 2.0)
Isovalent Enterprise: Custom pricing for enterprise features
Google GKE Dataplane V2 uses Cilium.
Buyer Fit & Commercial Snapshot
Buyer teams
Common buyer roles
- Open Source
- Self-Hosted Option
- Enterprise-Ready
Commercials
Commercial snapshot
Pricing
Free (open source)
Reviews
2,500+
Founded
2016
Team Size
51-200 employees
Procurement
Questions to answer before purchase
- Confirm security, access controls, and onboarding ownership directly with the vendor.
- Validate how Free (open source) pricing scales as usage grows.
- Review website and support resources before procurement review.
- Compare the current deal terms against standard packaging and renewal structure.
Buyer-fit and commercial detail available
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Stack Fit, Alternatives & Trust
Ecosystem
Commonly evaluated with
XeroCloudflare R2ConfluentADPOpen SourceSelf-Hosted OptionEnterprise-ReadyAPI Available
Alternatives
Other products buyers may compare
Alternative products will appear here as the category map gets richer.
Trust
Signals available today
- Users value the eBPF-based performance improvements and network visibility via Hubble. Kernel requirements (5.4+) can limit adoption on older systems. The community is vibrant and well-supported.
- LinkedIn company profile available
- Profile refreshed Mar 30, 2026
- Public profile launched Mar 30, 2026
Executive scan
Summary and what a claimed profile unlocks
Cilium is a container networking product positioned for buyers that want stronger context around pricing, category fit, and real-world proof before committing to a shortlist.
How should buyers evaluate this profile?
Start with category fit, pricing posture, and buyer proof. Then confirm rollout support and procurement readiness directly with the vendor.
What makes the profile stronger after a vendor claims it?
Claimed profiles unlock richer buyer-fit notes, rollout guidance, procurement details, outcome proof, alternatives, and freshness updates.
Deeper stack and trust research available
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Case Studies
Enterprise deployment at scale
A mid-market company implemented Cilium across 3 departments, reducing operational overhead and consolidating their workflow into a single platform...
ROI within first quarter
After switching to Cilium, the team reported measurable improvements in efficiency and a positive return on investment within 90 days...
Case studies available
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Notable Customers
- Bell Canada
- Sky
Named customer proof available
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