Rancher Desktop
Rancher Desktop is an open source Kubernetes distribution that runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. It allows developers to quickly set up a local Kubernetes cluster on their desktop for testing and development purposes.
kubernetes
container-orchestration
local-development
Rancher Desktop: Open Source Kubernetes Distribution
Run a local Kubernetes cluster on macOS, Windows, or Linux for testing and development with Rancher Desktop, an open source solution.
What is Rancher Desktop?
Rancher Desktop is an open source Kubernetes distribution designed to run on desktop operating systems like macOS, Windows and Linux. It enables developers to easily deploy fully-featured Kubernetes clusters on their local workstations for testing, development and learning purposes.
Some key features of Rancher Desktop include:
- Single downloadable binary that sets up a Kubernetes cluster on the desktop within minutes
- Support for latest upstream Kubernetes releases as well as Rancher's hardened Kubernetes distribution called K3s
- Integrated container registry and image repository for managing Docker images
- Command line tool called Rancher Desktop CLI for automating cluster operations
- Compatibility with other popular CLIs like kubectl, helm and k9s
- Ability to deploy clusters to cloud providers from the desktop
- Plugin architecture to extend functionality of the distribution
Overall, Rancher Desktop makes it simple for developers and Kubernetes administrators to have a local Kubernetes testing environment on their desktop machines for rapid development and iteration. Its intuitive user interface abstracts away cluster complexities enabling users to focus on application development and deployment.
Rancher Desktop Features
Features
- Runs a single-node Kubernetes cluster locally
- Supports Kubernetes versions 1.23 to 1.25
- Includes Docker Desktop for managing containers
- Integrates with VS Code for debugging
- Supports deploying apps from source code
- Includes Rancher tools like Rancher kubectl and RKE
- Runs on macOS, Windows and Linux
Pricing
- Open Source
- Free
Pros
Easy Kubernetes setup without needing a cloud provider
Fast testing and development of Kubernetes apps
Integrates Kubernetes with local development tools
Open source and free to use
Cons
Limited to a single node, not a full Kubernetes cluster
Less stable than a hosted Kubernetes provider
Requires local resources unlike a cloud cluster
Lacks advanced Kubernetes features like load balancing
Official Links
The Best Rancher Desktop Alternatives
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