What is k3s? Lightweight Kubernetes in a single binary
k3s is a fully CNCF-conformant Kubernetes distribution under 100MB, installable with a single command. Learn how it differs from full Kubernetes and why Civo uses it for all managed clusters.
3 lessons · 10 min · Beginner
Written by
Marketing Team at Civo
Written by
Marketing Team at Civo
k3s is a fully CNCF-conformant Kubernetes distribution packaged as a single binary under 100MB. Developed by Rancher Labs (now part of SUSE), it runs the full Kubernetes API with a fraction of the resource overhead of a standard Kubernetes installation. The name comes from the idea that it is half the size of Kubernetes: k8s has eight letters between the k and s, k3s has three.
k3s is not a fork or a simplified version of Kubernetes. It is the real thing, stripped of legacy features and bundled with components that work well together out of the box. Any workload that runs on Kubernetes runs on k3s unchanged.
Civo uses k3s as the base for all managed Kubernetes clusters. When you create a cluster on Civo, you are getting a k3s cluster ready to run your workloads in under 90 seconds.
Install k3s
The entire installation is a single command:
curl -sfL https://get.k3s.io | sh -
Expected output:
[INFO] Finding release for channel stable[INFO] Using v1.29.2+k3s1 as release[INFO] Downloading hash https://github.com/k3s-io/k3s/releases/...[INFO] Downloading binary https://github.com/k3s-io/k3s/releases/...[INFO] Verifying binary download[INFO] Installing k3s to /usr/local/bin/k3s[INFO] Creating /usr/local/bin/kubectl symlink to k3s[INFO] systemd: Creating service file /etc/systemd/system/k3s.service[INFO] systemd: Enabling k3s unit[INFO] systemd: Starting k3s
Verify the installation:
k3s --version
Expected output:
k3s version v1.29.2+k3s1 (go1.21.7)
Check the node is ready:
k3s kubectl get nodes
What is bundled in k3s
k3s includes everything needed to run a node as a control plane or worker:
- Container runtime: containerd
- CNI plugin: Flannel (default)
- Ingress controller: Traefik
- DNS: CoreDNS
- Metrics: metrics-server
- Datastore: SQLite (single node), etcd (high availability mode)
- Load balancer: ServiceLB (formerly Klipper)
All of these are bundled and configured to work together. You do not need to install them separately.
k3s vs full Kubernetes
Myths about k3s
k3s is only for edge or IoT. Not true. k3s is CNCF-conformant and runs any workload Kubernetes can run. Civo uses it for all managed Kubernetes clusters serving production workloads.
k3s is not suitable for production. Not true. k3s supports high availability mode with etcd or an external database, multiple control plane nodes, and all standard Kubernetes APIs. Many organisations run k3s in production.
k3s is a fork of Kubernetes. Not true. k3s packages the upstream Kubernetes binary and removes deprecated features and cloud provider integrations that are not relevant for most use cases. The core is the same.
When to use k3s
k3s is a good fit when:
- You want a fast, low-overhead local development cluster
- You are running Kubernetes on resource-constrained hardware such as a Raspberry Pi or edge device
- You want a managed cluster that provisions in seconds (Civo)
- You are building a CI/CD environment that spins clusters up and down frequently
Full Kubernetes with kubeadm or a large managed service is a better fit when you need fine-grained control over every component or are running a very large cluster with specific networking requirements.
Marketing Team at Civo
Civo is the Sovereign Cloud and AI platform designed to help developers and enterprises build without limits. We bridge the gap between the openness of the public cloud and the rigorous security of private environments, delivering full cloud parity across every deployment. As a team, we are dedicated to providing scalable compute, lightning-fast Kubernetes, and managed services that are ready in minutes. Through CivoStack Enterprise and our FlexCore appliance, we empower organizations to maintain total data sovereignty on their own hardware.
Our mission is to make the cloud faster, simpler, and fairer. By providing enterprise-grade NVIDIA GPUs and streamlined model management, we ensure that high-performance AI and machine learning are accessible to everyone. Built for transparency and performance, the Civo Team is here to give you total control over your infrastructure, your data, and your spend.
Share this lesson
Nice work, you finished Kubernetes Introduction: what it is and how to get started.
Your next step is up to you - keep building on what you've learned, or put it into practice on Civo.
Next Course
Kubernetes Setup: get your cluster running
4 lessons · 9 min
Everything you need to set up Kubernetes. Covers installing kubectl, Minikube for local development, multi-node clusters with kubeadm, and getting started with Civo managed Kubernetes.
Put it into practice
Spin up your first cluster on Civo
Get $250 free credit and launch a production-ready Kubernetes cluster in under 90 seconds.