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Knative vs OpenFaaS: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)

Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Knative and OpenFaaS side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.

On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.

Data comparison compiled by Toolradar, not hand-reviewed Methodology
Data comparison 80 user reviews compared Pricing checked Oct 18, 2026

Short on time? Here's the quick answer

Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:

Knative

Serverless containers on Kubernetes

Best for you if:

  • • You want serverless on Kubernetes

OpenFaaS

Serverless functions on Kubernetes

Best for you if:

  • • You want open source serverless
At a glance: Knative vs OpenFaaS
At a Glance
Knative Knative
OpenFaaS OpenFaaS
Starts at
Free 100% free
Free 100% free
Category
Hosting & Deployment Serverless
Hosting & Deployment Serverless
Rating
4.3/5 SourceForge 4.3 · G2 4.4 80 reviews n/a
Free plan
Yes Yes
Watch out for
n/a OpenFaaS Pro pricing is not public, requiring direct contact.

Choose Knative or OpenFaaS?

Knative

Choose Knative if

  • You want serverless on Kubernetes
  • You want event-driven
OpenFaaS

Choose OpenFaaS if

  • You want open source serverless
  • You want kubernetes native

In-Depth Analysis

Knative Knative

Serverless containers on Kubernetes

Great value

Knative's pricing is exceptionally generous as it is entirely free, being an open-source project.

Strengths

  • Pro: Serverless on Kubernetes
  • Pro: Event-driven
  • Pro: Good scaling
  • Pro: Open source
  • Pro: CNCF project

Weaknesses

  • Con: Complex setup
  • Con: Steep learning curve
  • Con: K8s knowledge needed
  • Con: Resource overhead
  • Con: Documentation gaps

Key features

Serverless Kubernetes Autoscaling Eventing Traffic management CNCF Open source

OpenFaaS OpenFaaS

Serverless functions on Kubernetes

Good value

OpenFaaS offers a very generous pricing model with its free Community Edition, making it highly accessible for individual developers and small teams.

Watch out

OpenFaaS Pro pricing is not public, requiring direct contact.

Strengths

  • Pro: Open source serverless
  • Pro: Kubernetes native
  • Pro: Self-hostable
  • Pro: Good community
  • Pro: Language agnostic

Weaknesses

  • Con: Learning curve
  • Con: Setup complexity
  • Con: Enterprise features paid
  • Con: Documentation gaps
  • Con: Operational overhead

Key features

Serverless functions Kubernetes Docker Swarm Any language Auto-scaling Open source

Plans and prices: Knative vs OpenFaaS

Plans and prices of Knative and OpenFaaS, as read on each vendor's pricing page. Each plan keeps its own billing unit.
Tool Plans and prices Source
Knative
  • Free: Free
knative.dev read Oct 2, 2026
OpenFaaS
  • Community Edition: Free
  • OpenFaaS Pro: Custom pricing
openfaas.com/pricing read Oct 18, 2026

Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Knative pricing and OpenFaaS pricing.

Key Takeaways

Knative

  • Choose if you want serverless containers on Kubernetes

OpenFaaS

  • Choose if you want serverless functions on Kubernetes

What the data shows

On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.

  • Only Knative has a published user rating (4.3/5 from 80 reviews); OpenFaaS has none we can show.
  • Both have a free plan.

Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Knative and OpenFaaS compare in 2026?

On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Knative has a published user rating (4.3/5 from 80 reviews); OpenFaaS has none we can show. Both have a free plan.

What are Knative and OpenFaaS used for?

Knative: Serverless containers on Kubernetes. OpenFaaS: Serverless functions on Kubernetes.

What does Knative cost vs OpenFaaS?

Knative is free. OpenFaaS is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 18, 2026.

What's the main difference between Knative and OpenFaaS?

Knative's main strength: serverless on Kubernetes. OpenFaaS's main strength: open source serverless.

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