Kubernetes is the open source engine that runs containers; Red Hat OpenShift is a full application platform built on Kubernetes, with the extra pieces tested, packaged and supported by Red Hat. Choose plain Kubernetes if you have the skills to assemble networking, monitoring, logging and CI/CD yourself. Choose OpenShift if you'd rather buy an integrated, supported platform with a 9-year support lifecycle.
I read the Kubernetes home page, Red Hat's OpenShift product page and Red Hat's own OpenShift vs Kubernetes explainer. Red Hat sells OpenShift, so I've stuck to what it lists as included rather than its claims about value.
OpenShift and Kubernetes compared
| Red Hat OpenShift | Kubernetes | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Enterprise application platform powered by Kubernetes | Open source container orchestration |
| Packaging | Tested, packaged and supported together by Red Hat, with 24/7 support | Open source project; you integrate the extras |
| Included extras | Registry, monitoring, logging, service mesh, CI/CD pipelines, image builds, multi-cluster management | You integrate these yourself |
| Where it runs | Cloud service on AWS, Azure, Google and IBM, or self-managed | On-premises, hybrid or public cloud infrastructure |
| Support lifecycle | 9 years | Not covered on the pages I read |
| Free option (as of October 2026) | Free trial | Yes, open source |
What Kubernetes gives you
The Kubernetes project describes itself as an open source system for automating deployment, scaling and management of containerised applications, grouping containers into logical units. It builds on 15 years of Google's experience running production workloads, combined with ideas from the community. Every cluster has a control plane, which keeps track of what should be running, and worker nodes that run the actual workloads.
What it doesn't give you is everything around that. Red Hat's explainer lists what teams typically add themselves: networking, ingress, load balancing, storage, monitoring, logging, multi-cluster management and CI/CD. That's real engineering work, and it's ongoing.
Red Hat's comparison table also lists capabilities such as push-button automated node configuration, multi-host container scheduling, self-service provisioning and service discovery. In both cases the building block is the same: a cluster with a control plane that keeps track of which apps are running and which container images they use, and worker nodes that each run their own Linux operating system.
What OpenShift adds
Red Hat lists the components that come with OpenShift on top of Kubernetes: an enterprise container host operating system, a container image registry, validated storage and networking plug-ins, monitoring, log aggregation, service mesh, multitenancy, automated image builds, CI/CD pipelines, certified operators and Helm charts, and more than 200 certified ISV solutions. On the operations side it adds multi-cluster management, zero downtime patching and upgrades, 24/7 support, a security response team and a 9-year support lifecycle.
You can run it as a managed service from the major clouds, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google and IBM, or as self-managed software on bare metal, virtual infrastructure and the edge. AWS's own container guide also lists Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA) alongside its native services.
How to choose
- Do you have engineers who enjoy building and maintaining a platform? Plain Kubernetes gives them freedom.
- Do you need vendor support and a long support lifecycle for compliance? OpenShift's 24/7 support and 9-year lifecycle fit.
- Do developers want built-in pipelines and image builds? OpenShift includes them.
- Are you mostly on one cloud? Compare OpenShift's managed service with that cloud's own Kubernetes offer.
- Want to try before deciding? Kubernetes is free to run, and Red Hat offers an OpenShift trial.
If you're deciding how to staff this kind of work, my guides on hiring a dedicated development team and modernising legacy systems are a good next read.
My advice on OpenShift or Kubernetes
If you're a startup or a team with strong platform engineers, plain Kubernetes, often through your cloud's managed service, keeps you flexible and avoids paying for parts you won't use. If you're a larger organisation that needs one supported platform, long lifecycles and developer tools that work out of the box, OpenShift saves you assembling and maintaining that stack yourself. Either way, OpenShift is still Kubernetes underneath, so skills carry over.
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Do you make container or cloud platforms? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenShift the same as Kubernetes?
No. Red Hat describes OpenShift as an enterprise application platform powered by Kubernetes, with extra components such as a registry, monitoring, logging and CI/CD packaged and supported together.
Is Kubernetes free?
Yes. Kubernetes is open source software for automating deployment, scaling and management of containerised applications.
How long is OpenShift supported?
Red Hat lists a 9-year support lifecycle for OpenShift, along with 24/7 enterprise support.
Where can I run OpenShift?
Red Hat says OpenShift runs as a public cloud service on AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google and IBM, or as self-managed software on bare metal, virtual infrastructure and the edge.
Where did Kubernetes come from?
The Kubernetes site says it builds on 15 years of Google's experience running production workloads, combined with ideas and practices from the community.
