k3s

Patterns and decisions for installing, configuring, and scaling k3s Kubernetes clusters in self-hosted environments.

Distribution Decision

Choose k3s when self-hosting on VPS, homelab, Raspberry Pi, or edge — single binary (~65 MB), reasonable defaults, supports single-node through large clusters, CNCF-maintained, production-ready.

Alternatives and when to prefer them:

• minikube / Docker Desktop / Orbstack embedded K8s — local dev/learning only; not for production
• k0s — similar philosophy to k3s, less mature ecosystem
• kubeadm — full control over every component; only if you have specific requirements and operational expertise
• Cloud-managed (EKS, GKE, AKS) — when you don't want to manage the control plane; costs more but eliminates operational overhead
• Docker Compose / Kamal — single-host only, no self-healing or rolling updates; fine for simple apps that don't need cluster features