A quick overview of common ways to install and use Kubernetes based on your environment and use case.
- Runs a single-node cluster inside Docker
- Best for quick local testing
- No need for external tools
✅ Easy setup
❌ Not production-ready
- Bootstraps a real Kubernetes cluster on Linux VMs or bare metal
- Suitable for IaaS and on-prem
- You manage everything: control plane, networking, HA, etc.
✅ Flexible and customizable
❌ Requires ops knowledge and maintenance
- Fully managed Kubernetes control plane
- You manage workloads and worker nodes (or even those can be auto-managed)
✅ Fast to provision, integrated with cloud services
❌ Limited low-level control