Choose your setup

KSail separates what Kubernetes you run (the distribution) from where its nodes run (the provider). You pick both in ksail.yaml; the workflow (init → create → update → delete) is identical regardless of choice. This page helps you choose. For the exhaustive compatibility grid, see the Support Matrix.

Pick by goal

Your goal	Start with	Why
Learn Kubernetes / general local dev	Vanilla (Kind)	Unmodified upstream Kubernetes, fastest to start, needs only Docker locally; also runs as kubeadm on Hetzner
Fast inner loop & CI/CD	K3s (K3d)	Lightweight, batteries-included, quick to create and tear down; also runs as native K3s on Hetzner
Production-grade / secure / immutable	Talos	API-driven immutable OS; runs on Docker, Hetzner, or Omni
Isolate teams or feature branches cheaply	VCluster	Virtual clusters inside one host — low overhead, strong isolation
Scale-test controllers or the API server	KWOK	Simulates thousands of nodes with near-zero resource cost
Managed Kubernetes on AWS	EKS	Managed control plane on AWS, created and managed with eksctl from a declarative eks.yaml spec
Managed Kubernetes on Google Cloud	GKE	Managed control plane on Google Cloud, declarative gke.yaml spec
Managed Kubernetes on Azure	AKS	Managed control plane on Azure, declarative aks.yaml spec

Distributions at a glance

Distribution	Tool	Best for	Providers
Vanilla	Kind (local), kubeadm (Hetzner)	Upstream Kubernetes, learning, local dev	Docker, Kubernetes, Hetzner
K3s	K3d (local), native K3s (Hetzner)	Lightweight dev & CI/CD	Docker, Kubernetes, Hetzner
Talos	Talos	Immutable, secure, production	Docker, Kubernetes, Hetzner, Omni
VCluster	Vind	Multi-tenancy, feature branches, CI isolation	Docker, Kubernetes
KWOK	kwokctl	Simulation, scale & controller testing	Docker, Kubernetes
EKS	eksctl	Managed Kubernetes on AWS	AWS
GKE	Google Cloud SDK	Managed Kubernetes on Google Cloud	GCP
AKS	Azure SDK	Managed Kubernetes on Azure	Azure

Providers at a glance

The provider decides where nodes actually run. Most distributions default to Docker (local containers). Vanilla, K3s and Talos also run on Hetzner Cloud servers, and Talos on nodes managed through Omni.

Provider	Runs nodes as	Use it for
Docker	Local Docker containers	The default for all local distributions
Kubernetes (Nested)	Pods in an existing cluster	Running clusters inside a cluster — no Docker on the host
Hetzner	Hetzner Cloud servers	Affordable real cloud clusters (Talos, K3s, Vanilla)
Omni (Sidero)	Talos nodes via Sidero Omni	Managing Talos through the Omni SaaS
AWS	Managed EKS	Managed Kubernetes on Amazon Web Services
GCP	Managed GKE	Managed Kubernetes on Google Cloud
Azure	Managed AKS	Managed Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure

How distribution and provider combine

# ksail.yaml — Talos on Docker locally…
spec:
  cluster:
    distribution: Talos
    provider: Docker

# …and the same distribution on Hetzner for production
spec:
  cluster:
    distribution: Talos
    provider: Hetzner

Keeping the distribution constant across environments (e.g. Talos locally and in production) maximizes fidelity. See the Reference Architecture for a worked local-plus-production setup, and the Support Matrix for every supported combination.