What is Kubecost used for?

Kubecost, now IBM Kubecost, monitors Kubernetes spend and allocates cost to teams, namespaces and workloads. It is a good fit for showback and chargeback for shared clusters, and finding underused Kubernetes resources.

Is Kubecost open source?

No. Kubecost is proprietary (closed-source) software. In the CI/CD & DevOps category, open-source options include Harbor, Argo Workflows and Flux.

Can I self-host Kubecost?

Yes. Although Kubecost is closed source, it can be self-hosted on your own servers.

What are some alternatives to Kubecost?

Kubecost competes with CAST AI, Vantage and CloudZero.

Kubecost: features, pricing and alternatives

About Kubecost

IBM Kubecost is a commercial cost monitoring and optimization product for teams that run Kubernetes. It breaks down cluster spending by workload and team, so that platform and finance groups can see which services drive infrastructure costs and where resources are going unused.

The product now belongs to IBM's Apptio family, alongside IBM Cloudability and IBM Targetprocess, which places Kubernetes cost visibility within a broader cloud financial management and IT financial management portfolio. The vendor says it can be installed in a few minutes, and that it offers a comprehensive view of cost data.

Kubecost is aimed at engineering and FinOps teams that want showback or chargeback for shared clusters. Apptio provides demos, support, guides and training around it. Commercial licensing details are available from the vendor rather than a public price list.

Key features

Kubernetes cost monitoring
Cost allocation by team and workload
Optimization recommendations
Quick installation into clusters
Part of the IBM Apptio portfolio

Good fit for

→Showback and chargeback for shared clusters
→Finding underused Kubernetes resources

Tags: kubernetes; finops; cost-monitoring; cost-allocation; ibm; apptio

Kubecost: questions and answers

What is Kubecost used for?: Kubecost, now IBM Kubecost, monitors Kubernetes spend and allocates cost to teams, namespaces and workloads. It is a good fit for showback and chargeback for shared clusters, and finding underused Kubernetes resources.
Is Kubecost free?: Yes. Kubecost has a free plan.
Is Kubecost open source?: No. Kubecost is proprietary (closed-source) software. In the CI/CD & DevOps category, open-source options include Harbor, Argo Workflows and Flux.
Can I self-host Kubecost?: Yes. Although Kubecost is closed source, it can be self-hosted on your own servers.
What are some alternatives to Kubecost?: Kubecost competes with CAST AI, Vantage and CloudZero.