Upbound vs Crossplane: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
Choosing between Upbound and Crossplane comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
By Toolradar Team · Last updated February 28, 2026 · Methodology
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Upbound
Empower infrastructure and platform teams with intelligent control planes for the AI era.
Best for you if:
- • You need container orchestration features specifically
- • Provides intelligent control planes for AI-native infrastructure.
- • Built on Kubernetes and Crossplane for declarative infrastructure management.
Crossplane
Build cloud infrastructure using Kubernetes
Best for you if:
- • You want the higher-rated option (8.2/10 vs 0.0/10)
- • You need something completely free
- • You need ci/cd features specifically
- • Crossplane is an open-source control plane for building cloud-native platforms
- • It enables teams to provision and manage cloud infrastructure using Kubernetes-native APIs
| At a Glance |  Upbound | |
|---|---|---|
Price | Free + Paid | Free |
Best For | Container Orchestration | CI/CD |
Rating | —/100 | 82/100 |
| Feature | Upbound | Crossplane |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Free |
| Editorial Score | — | 82 |
| Community Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Total Reviews | 0 | 0 |
| Community Upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Categories | Container OrchestrationInfrastructure as Code | CI/CDContainer Orchestration |
How Upbound and Crossplane Compare
Upbound
Empower infrastructure and platform teams with intelligent control planes for the AI era.
Free tier available
Crossplane
Build cloud infrastructure using Kubernetes
Free · 82/100 score
Upbound is a container orchestration tool. Crossplane is in ci/cd.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Crossplane is free. Upbound is freemium.
Go with: Crossplane
Want the highest-rated option?
Crossplane scores 82/100. Upbound is unrated.
Go with: Crossplane
Value user reviews?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: Crossplane
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Upbound is freemium. Crossplane is free. Go with Crossplane if free matters most.
What's your use case?
Upbound is a container orchestration tool. Crossplane is in ci/cd. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Not all tools have been rated yet.
Key Takeaways
Crossplane
- Higher score: 82/100 vs unrated
- Completely free
- Our pick for this comparison
Upbound
- Better fit for container orchestration
The Bottom Line
Crossplane (82/100) is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Upbound or Crossplane better?
Crossplane scores 82/100 in our evaluation. Upbound is freemium and Crossplane is free.
What are Upbound and Crossplane used for?
Upbound: Empower infrastructure and platform teams with intelligent control planes for the AI era.. Crossplane: Build cloud infrastructure using Kubernetes.
What does Upbound cost vs Crossplane?
Upbound is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Crossplane is completely free. Visit their websites for detailed pricing.