What is OKD used for?

OKD is an opinionated Kubernetes distribution that adds operators and cluster components for managing applications and clusters. It is a good fit for running applications at scale on any infrastructure, learning and experimenting with cloud ecosystem technologies, and development and lab environment for OpenShift contributors.

Yes. OKD is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at okd-project/okd and is written mainly in HCL.

Yes. OKD is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Yes. OKD can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is OKD an alternative to?

OKD is an open-source alternative to Platform9. Other open-source alternatives to Platform9 include K3s, Kubernetes and Rancher.

Is OKD actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to OKD was on 13 October 2026, and the latest release is 5.0.0-okd-scos.2, published on 13 October 2026. The project has 2.1k stars on GitHub.

OKD: open-source alternative to Platform9

About OKD

OKD is a Kubernetes distribution that adds features directly into Kubernetes and augments the platform with preinstalled operators. These operators provide over 100 cluster components including OS upgrades, web consoles, monitoring, and image building. The platform is intended to run at all scales from cloud to metal to edge.

Key features

Nodes run an immutable operating system updated through cluster APIs
100% compliant Kubernetes with additional patches for advanced features
Includes web console, authentication, image registry, monitoring, node config, networking, and operator management
Installable catalog of operators for GitOps, storage, mesh, and more using leading open-source projects

Good fit for

Running applications at scale on any infrastructure
Learning and experimenting with cloud ecosystem technologies
Development and lab environment for OpenShift contributors

Built with: HCL tools; Kubernetes tools
Tags: kubernetes; orchestration; operators; infrastructure; cloud; edge

OKD: questions and answers

What is OKD used for?: OKD is an opinionated Kubernetes distribution that adds operators and cluster components for managing applications and clusters. It is a good fit for running applications at scale on any infrastructure, learning and experimenting with cloud ecosystem technologies, and development and lab environment for OpenShift contributors.
Is OKD open source?: Yes. OKD is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at okd-project/okd and is written mainly in HCL.
Is OKD free?: Yes. OKD is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host OKD?: Yes. OKD can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is OKD an alternative to?: OKD is an open-source alternative to Platform9. Other open-source alternatives to Platform9 include K3s, Kubernetes and Rancher.
Is OKD actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to OKD was on 13 October 2026, and the latest release is 5.0.0-okd-scos.2, published on 13 October 2026. The project has 2.1k stars on GitHub.