Cloudfleet vs. Amazon EKS Anywhere
A comparison of two different approaches to hybrid Kubernetes - self-managed on-premises EKS with EKS Anywhere and EKS Hybrid Nodes versus a unified, multi-cloud native platform with Cloudfleet
A comparison of two different approaches to hybrid Kubernetes - self-managed on-premises EKS with EKS Anywhere and EKS Hybrid Nodes versus a unified, multi-cloud native platform with Cloudfleet
Amazon EKS Anywhere is open-source Kubernetes management software built on EKS Distro and Cluster API (CAPI) that lets organizations run EKS-compatible clusters on their own infrastructure. AWS also offers EKS Hybrid Nodes, a newer approach launched in December 2024 where on-premises nodes join an AWS-managed cloud control plane. Both products extend the AWS ecosystem to on-premises environments but differ significantly in architecture, operational burden, and cost.
Cloudfleet takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of extending a single hyperscaler’s ecosystem to your data center, Cloudfleet provides a single, unified Kubernetes cluster that natively spans all your environments. This architectural difference eliminates the need for Cluster API expertise, removes dependency on AWS support plans, and provides a fully managed experience across any combination of cloud providers and on-premises infrastructure.
Amazon EKS Anywhere is open-source software that creates and manages Kubernetes clusters on customer-owned infrastructure using EKS Distro and Cluster API (CAPI). Supported platforms include VMware vSphere, bare metal (via Tinkerbell), and Nutanix. CloudStack and AWS Snow support were removed in v0.26, narrowing the platform from five supported targets to three. The free open-source tier has no official support. The Enterprise subscription costs $24,000/cluster/year (1-year) or $18,000/cluster/year (3-year) and requires an active AWS Enterprise Support plan starting at $5,000/month.
Amazon EKS Hybrid Nodes, launched at AWS re:Invent in December 2024, takes a different approach. Instead of running a self-managed control plane on-premises, your bare metal or VM nodes connect to an AWS-managed EKS control plane in the cloud. AWS manages control plane security, availability, and upgrades. You manage worker node provisioning, OS patching, and network connectivity. Hybrid Nodes requires reliable connectivity to AWS (minimum 100 Mbps, maximum 200ms round-trip time) and cannot operate in air-gapped environments. AWS now recommends Hybrid Nodes over EKS Anywhere for all connected environments.
EKS Anywhere’s platform scope is contracting. In v0.26, AWS removed Cluster API providers for CloudStack and AWS Snow entirely. In v0.25, Ubuntu 20.04 support was dropped and Kubernetes 1.28 was removed. The cheaper AWS Enterprise On-Ramp support tier is being discontinued in January 2027, forcing customers onto the more expensive full Enterprise Support plan. AWS’s own documentation now steers connected-environment customers toward EKS Hybrid Nodes, reserving EKS Anywhere for “isolated or air-gapped environments” only. These changes signal a product in maintenance rather than growth.
Cloudfleet’s trajectory is the opposite: steadily expanding provider support, now covering 12+ cloud providers (including AWS, GCP, Azure, Hetzner, OVHcloud, Exoscale), on-premises platforms (VMware vSphere, Proxmox VE, bare metal, Equinix Metal), and over 1,300 node types. Rather than narrowing deployment options, Cloudfleet continues to add infrastructure providers and capabilities.
Deploying EKS Anywhere requires deep familiarity with Cluster API (CAPI). While AWS abstracts some CAPI primitives, their own documentation notes “it is useful to understand the basics of CAPI” for effective operation. Teams must configure infrastructure providers, manage bootstrap processes, handle node provisioning, and plan IP CIDR allocations carefully before deployment. Bare metal deployments use Tinkerbell for provisioning, adding another layer of tooling. EKS Hybrid Nodes reduces some of this complexity by offloading the control plane to AWS, but introduces new requirements: private connectivity via VPN or Direct Connect, mixed CNI configuration (VPC CNI on cloud nodes, Cilium or Calico on hybrid nodes), and webhook routing workarounds between cloud and on-premises nodes.
Cloudfleet eliminates this setup complexity entirely. As a fully managed service, Cloudfleet handles the entire lifecycle of the platform, from control plane provisioning to node management, networking, security patching, and upgrades. Adding on-premises servers to a Cloudfleet cluster does not require opening your network to the internet or allowing inbound connections. A single outgoing port is used to synchronize cluster state, and all traffic is end-to-end encrypted. There is no Cluster API to learn, no VPN to configure, and no mixed CNI architecture to manage.
EKS Anywhere’s pricing is layered and punishes multi-cluster deployments. The Enterprise subscription charges per cluster ($24,000/year on a 1-year term, $18,000/year on a 3-year term), and the mandatory AWS Enterprise Support plan adds a minimum of $60,000/year. A typical 3-cluster deployment costs at least $114,000/year before any infrastructure expenses. The free open-source tier provides zero official support, and Bottlerocket is the only OS fully covered by AWS support even with an Enterprise subscription.
EKS Hybrid Nodes uses per-vCPU-hour pricing starting at $0.02/vCPU-hour, plus the standard $73/month cluster management fee. For a deployment of 10 nodes with 16 vCPUs each, running 24/7, the annual cost is approximately $28,000 plus the cluster fee. Hyperthreading doubles the vCPU count, effectively doubling the management cost. While Hybrid Nodes does not require Enterprise Support, it still requires investment in VPN or Direct Connect infrastructure for connectivity.
Cloudfleet’s pricing is transparent and consumption-based. The Basic tier is free for clusters up to 24 vCPUs. The Pro tier starts at $79/month and includes the first 24 vCPUs, high availability, and end-to-end support with SLAs. Connected on-premises nodes are priced at $4.95/vCPU/month. There are no per-cluster charges that penalize multi-cluster architectures, no mandatory support plan prerequisites, and no minimum commitments.
When comparing EKS Anywhere, EKS Hybrid Nodes, and Cloudfleet, the key differences center on operational burden, provider independence, pricing structure, and total cost. EKS products extend the AWS ecosystem to your data center but require significant operational investment. Cloudfleet provides a provider-agnostic, fully managed platform that delivers enterprise capabilities without locking you into any single hyperscaler.
| Features | |  |
|---|---|---|
Core architectureThe fundamental approach to managing multi-environment infrastructure. | EKS Anywhere runs fully self-managed clusters on-premises using Cluster API. EKS Hybrid Nodes connects on-premises worker nodes to an AWS-managed cloud control plane. Both products are AWS-centric, extending the EKS ecosystem to your data center rather than providing true multi-cloud capability. | Creates a single, unified Kubernetes cluster that spans multiple clouds and on-premises locations, eliminating cluster boundaries and federation complexity. No dependency on any single cloud provider’s ecosystem or management plane. |
Secure cloud integrationThe method for accessing cloud provider APIs. | Integrates with AWS IAM for identity and access management. EKS Hybrid Nodes requires VPN or Direct Connect for private connectivity. Cross-cloud identity federation is not a native capability and requires external tooling. | Integrates Workload Identity Federation for secure, keyless API access to cloud providers, simplifying credential management and enhancing security posture. Services access any cloud’s APIs (BigQuery, S3, Active Directory) without hardcoding credentials. |
Support modelThe scope and nature of available support. | EKS Anywhere Enterprise subscription requires an active AWS Enterprise Support plan (minimum $5,000/month). The free tier has zero support. Bottlerocket is the only OS fully supported by AWS. EKS Hybrid Nodes does not require Enterprise Support, but AWS does not support the OS when run outside EC2. | Community support is included in the Basic tier. The Pro tier includes end-to-end support with SLAs covering the entire stack. Enterprise-grade support with a dedicated customer success team is available as an optional addon. No separate support plan prerequisite. |
Pricing modelThe cost structure of the platform. | EKS Anywhere: $24,000/cluster/year (1-year) or $18,000/cluster/year (3-year), plus mandatory AWS Enterprise Support at $60,000+/year. EKS Hybrid Nodes: $0.02/vCPU-hour tiered pricing, plus $73/month per cluster. Hyperthreading doubles vCPU count and cost. | Offers a transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing model. The Basic tier is free for clusters up to 24 vCPUs. The Pro tier is $79/month including the first 24 vCPUs and full support. Connected on-premises nodes are $4.95/vCPU/month. No mandatory support prerequisites. |
Vendor neutralityThe ability to work across different infrastructure providers without vendor lock-in. | Both products are AWS-centric. EKS Anywhere runs on vSphere, bare metal, and Nutanix but uses EKS Distro and requires AWS Enterprise Support. EKS Hybrid Nodes connects directly to an AWS cloud control plane. Neither supports GCP, Azure, Hetzner, or other cloud providers. | Designed to work across all major cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure, Hetzner, OVHcloud, and 12+ others) and on-premises infrastructure from a single control plane, allowing users to avoid lock-in while benefiting from a consistent experience. |
Management modelWho is responsible for managing the platform and its underlying components. | EKS Anywhere: fully self-managed, including control plane, upgrades, patching, HA, and node health. Bare metal upgrades require spare hardware. EKS Hybrid Nodes: AWS manages the cloud control plane, but you manage node provisioning, OS patching, CNI configuration, and network connectivity. | Fully managed service. Cloudfleet handles the entire lifecycle of the platform, from the control plane to node provisioning, networking, security patching, and upgrades, so you can focus on your applications. |
NetworkingHow the platform handles networking across clusters and environments. | EKS Anywhere uses Cilium as bundled CNI with no cross-cloud connectivity. EKS Hybrid Nodes requires VPN or Direct Connect and runs a mixed CNI architecture (VPC CNI on EC2, Cilium/Calico on hybrid nodes), which adds complexity and creates webhook routing issues. | Comes with an encrypted, WireGuard-based peer-to-peer overlay network that enables secure, seamless communication across all environments. Supports multi-cloud and on-premises networking out of the box, including DNS, service exposure, and global load balancing. |
Data sovereigntyHow the platform addresses data residency and regulatory compliance requirements. | Amazon is a US company subject to the CLOUD Act. The AWS European Sovereign Cloud (January 2026, Brandenburg) is still 100% owned by a US Amazon entity. Amazon has acknowledged it cannot rule out US data access. Cloud security experts have called it ‘a classic smokescreen, not genuine digital sovereignty.’ | European-headquartered company with no exposure to the US CLOUD Act. Full control over data residency through EU-native infrastructure providers including Hetzner, OVHcloud, Exoscale, and others. GDPR compliant with Data Processing Agreements available. |
Platform stabilityThe trajectory and breadth of platform support over time. | EKS Anywhere is narrowing: CloudStack and Snow providers removed (v0.26), Ubuntu 20.04 dropped (v0.25), Enterprise On-Ramp support tier being discontinued (January 2027). AWS now steers connected-environment customers toward EKS Hybrid Nodes, a different product with a different architecture. | Consistently expanding platform with 12+ cloud providers, 1,300+ node types, and growing on-premises support (VMware vSphere, Proxmox VE, bare metal, Equinix Metal). No history of deprecating core capabilities or narrowing platform support. |
Cost optimizationHow the platform helps reduce infrastructure and operational costs. | No built-in cross-provider cost optimization. EKS Anywhere’s per-cluster pricing penalizes multi-cluster architectures. Load balancing requires third-party solutions. Cost optimization is limited to AWS-specific tooling and manual configuration. | Built-in cost optimization features such as dynamic autoscaling, node pooling, workload-aware provisioning, and cross-provider spot instance management help reduce infrastructure costs by up to 80% across all environments with minimal configuration. |
Choosing the right hybrid Kubernetes platform depends on your operational capacity and infrastructure goals. Amazon EKS Anywhere and EKS Hybrid Nodes are options for organizations that want to extend the AWS ecosystem to on-premises infrastructure and are prepared to handle significant operational responsibility. However, if you want a fully managed Kubernetes platform that works across all major clouds and on-premises infrastructure without tying your operations to AWS, Cloudfleet offers a fundamentally simpler approach. Our unified architecture eliminates cluster boundaries, provides transparent pricing without mandatory support prerequisites, and delivers a turnkey experience that does not require Cluster API expertise or dedicated platform teams to operate.
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