KiND vs K3d vs K0s: Choosing the Right Kubernetes Local Development Tool

• 15/7/2024
• 6-minute read

Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for container orchestration, but running a full-scale cluster locally for development purposes can be resource-intensive and complex. This is where lightweight Kubernetes distributions like KiND, K3d, and K0s come in—offering developers a way to run Kubernetes locally without the overhead of a full cluster deployment.

In this article, we’ll compare these three popular options to help you decide which is best suited for your development workflow.

Overview of the Contenders

Before diving into the detailed comparison, let’s briefly introduce each solution:

KiND (Kubernetes IN Docker)

KiND was developed by the Kubernetes Special Interest Group (SIG) Testing team to facilitate testing Kubernetes itself. It runs Kubernetes nodes as Docker containers, making it lightweight compared to traditional virtualization solutions.

Key Features

• Standard Kubernetes: Uses the same codebase as standard Kubernetes
• Multi-node clusters: Easily create multi-node (control plane and worker) clusters
• Docker-based: Runs nodes as Docker containers
• Integration testing: Designed for Kubernetes conformance testing
• Cross-platform: Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows

Example: Creating a KiND Cluster

Creating a simple KiND cluster is straightforward:

# Install KiND
curl -Lo ./kind https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/dl/v0.20.0/kind-linux-amd64
chmod +x ./kind
sudo mv ./kind /usr/local/bin/

# Create a cluster
kind create cluster --name my-cluster

# Check nodes
kubectl get nodes

For a multi-node setup, you can use a configuration file:

# kind-config.yaml
kind: Cluster
apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4
nodes:
- role: control-plane
- role: worker
- role: worker

Then create the cluster with:

kind create cluster --config kind-config.yaml

K3d (K3s in Docker)

K3d is a lightweight wrapper to run K3s (Rancher’s minimalist Kubernetes distribution) in Docker. It’s designed to be even more lightweight than standard Kubernetes, making it particularly suitable for edge computing, IoT, and development environments.

Key Features

• Lightweight: K3s removes many optional components to reduce size
• Fast startup: Clusters start in seconds
• Registry integration: Built-in local registry support
• Resource efficient: Requires less memory and CPU than standard Kubernetes
• Load balancing: Built-in ServiceLB for exposing services
• Single binary: K3s packages everything in a single binary under 100MB

Example: Creating a K3d Cluster

# Install K3d
curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash

# Create a simple cluster
k3d cluster create my-cluster

# Create a cluster with 3 agents (workers)
k3d cluster create my-cluster --agents 3

# Create a cluster with registry and port mapping
k3d cluster create my-cluster \
  --registry-create my-registry:0.0.0.0:5000 \
  --port "8080:80@loadbalancer"

K0s (Zero Friction Kubernetes)

K0s (pronounced “kay-zeros”) is the newest contender, developed by Mirantis. It aims to provide a complete, certified Kubernetes distribution with minimal friction for installation and maintenance. Unlike KiND and K3d, K0s doesn’t require Docker—it can run directly on the host or in containers.

Key Features

• Single binary: All dependencies bundled in one file
• No dependencies: Doesn’t require Docker or container runtime
• Custom containerd: Built-in container runtime
• Controller isolation: Control plane components run in isolated worker processes
• Multi-platform support: Works on x86-64, ARM64, and ARMv7
• Air-gapped installations: Can be deployed without internet access
• Different installation methods: Supports multiple installation approaches

Example: Creating a K0s Cluster

# Download K0s
curl -sSLf https://get.k0s.sh | sudo sh

# Initialize a controller node
sudo k0s install controller --single

# Start K0s
sudo k0s start

# Get kubeconfig
sudo k0s kubeconfig admin > ~/.kube/config

# Check the cluster
kubectl get nodes

For a multi-node setup:

# On controller node
sudo k0s install controller
sudo k0s start

# Get the join token
sudo k0s token create --role=worker > token-file

# On worker node (after transferring token-file)
sudo k0s install worker --token-file=/path/to/token-file
sudo k0s start

Detailed Comparison

Now let’s compare these solutions across several important dimensions:

Resource Requirements

Feature Comparison

Performance Metrics

In my testing on a standard development laptop (16GB RAM, 4-core i7):

Use Cases: Which Tool Fits Your Needs?

Each tool has its sweet spots for different use cases:

Choose KiND When:

• You need the most faithful reproduction of a standard Kubernetes cluster
• You’re developing Kubernetes itself or testing against specific Kubernetes versions
• You need to test custom Kubernetes components
• You want a tool officially supported by the Kubernetes community

Choose K3d When:

• You need the fastest startup times and lowest resource usage
• You’re working on edge computing or IoT applications that will run on K3s
• You need integrated registry and load balancing features
• You want an opinionated setup that works out of the box

Choose K0s When:

• You need to run in environments without Docker
• You require air-gapped installations
• You want maximum flexibility in installation methods
• You need to run on systems with very limited resources

Challenges and Limitations

Despite their benefits, these tools have some limitations you should be aware of:

KiND Limitations

• Limited networking options compared to a full cluster
• Resource usage can grow substantially with multiple nodes
• Persistent storage requires additional configuration
• Production-parity features sometimes require complex configuration

K3d Limitations

• Not 100% feature parity with standard Kubernetes (some components removed)
• Documentation can be less comprehensive than KiND
• Some Kubernetes features may behave differently than in a standard cluster

K0s Limitations

• Newer project with potentially more undiscovered issues
• Smaller community compared to KiND and K3d
• Fewer learning resources available online

Practical Tips for Better Experience

Regardless of which tool you choose, these tips will help you have a better experience:

1. Set resource limits: Explicitly configure memory and CPU limits to avoid host system slowdowns
2. Use node labels: Label your nodes for better workload targeting
3. Create persistent configs: Save your cluster configurations in version control
4. Consider registry mirrors: Set up Docker registry mirrors to speed up image pulls
5. Implement proper cleanup: Regularly delete unused clusters and images

Conclusion

All three tools—KiND, K3d, and K0s—provide excellent options for running Kubernetes locally, but they cater to slightly different needs:

• KiND is the most “vanilla” Kubernetes experience and closest to what you’d get in a production cluster
• K3d offers the most lightweight and fast experience with good defaults for developers
• K0s provides the most flexibility in terms of installation methods and environments

For most developers just getting started with Kubernetes or looking for a quick development environment, K3d probably offers the best balance of speed, resource usage, and features. For those needing to test against standard Kubernetes or developing Kubernetes itself, KiND is the natural choice. If you need to run in environments without Docker or with significant constraints, K0s is worth exploring.

Whichever tool you choose, these lightweight Kubernetes distributions have significantly lowered the barrier to entry for Kubernetes development and testing, making container orchestration more accessible to developers everywhere.

Further Reading

• KiND Official Documentation
• K3d Official Documentation
• K0s Official Documentation
• Kubernetes Core Concepts
• CNCF Blog: Why It’s Getting Easier to Run Kubernetes Locally

What’s your experience with these tools? Have you found one that works better for your specific use case? Drop me a note and let me know!