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Products Compute Instances Managed Kubernetes DBaaS Object Storage Block Storage GPU Servers
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Marketplace
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Resources Documentation API Integration Support
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Hosted & Managed Kubernetes

Scalable, On-demand Kubernetes Clusters

Confidently deploy, scale, and host your containerized applications in Europe. Exoscale’s Scalable Kubernetes Service (SKS) gives you a production ready environment without the operational overhead.
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Simplify Kubernetes operations with Exoscale


Managing Kubernetes on your own can be complex, time consuming, and resource-intensive. That’s why Exoscale offers a fully managed Kubernetes service (SKS: Scalable Kubernetes Service), so you can focus on building applications, not maintaining infrastructure. With automated upgrades of the control plane, seamless networking integration, and robust security controls, our Kubernetes solutions handle the operational burden for you.


Designed for European businesses, it’s hosted in privacy focused and GDPR compliant Exoscale data centers and easily connects with the entire Exoscale ecosystem. Whether you’re just starting with containers or scaling a multi-cloud strategy, Exoscale delivers a secure, reliable, and developer friendly Kubernetes platform.

Managed or Self-Managed Kubernetes – what’s the difference?

While they’re closely related, Kubernetes as a Managed Service, and self managed Kubernetes, highlight different aspects of how the service can be delivered and used.

Term What does it mean? Who does what?
Managed Kubernetes The provider operates and maintains key components of the cluster (usually the control plane) You manage your apps and possibly the worker nodes
Self Managed Kubernetes Kubernetes cluster you fully deploy and operate You manage everything on the infrastructure of your choice.
Effortless Setup and Maintenance

Effortless Setup and Maintenance

Spin up fully managed Kubernetes clusters in less than 2 minutes without the operational complexity of managing control planes.

European Hosting

European Hosting

Hosted in privacy-focused European data centers, your workloads benefit from GDPR compliance, data sovereignty, and low-latency access.

Seamless Ecosystem Integration

Seamless Ecosystem Integration

Connect easily with Exoscale services like Object Storage, Compute Instances, and Private Networks with native support and minimal setup.

Secure by Design

Secure by Design

Clusters are provisioned with minimal exposure by default, and you retain full control over authentication, network policies, and role-based access. Comprehensive Kubernetes Audit ensures visibility into user and system actions.

Automatic Scaling

Automatic Scaling

Add or remove nodes on demand with Karpenter and autoscaling features, ensuring your clusters stay efficient and you only pay for the resources you use.

Transparent Pricing

Transparent Pricing

No surprises—just simple, usage-based pricing with two flexible plans, billed by the second.

Kubernetes solutions designed for real world workloads

Accelerate Innovation

Turn ideas into production faster, from proof of concept to live workloads in days, not months. Exoscale SKS gives your teams the agility to build, test, and scale without complexity.

Production-Ready, Minus the Overhead

Run fully managed Kubernetes clusters that are reliable from day one. Focus on delivering business value while Exoscale handles the infrastructure.

Freedom to Integrate

Keep full control of your stack with open, vendor-neutral Kubernetes. Bring your preferred CI/CD, monitoring, and observability tools, Exoscale SKS integrates smoothly into your existing DevOps workflows.

SKS Features

Combine Managed Kubernetes with...

…other Exoscale products. Easily compatible with Compute Instances, Block Storage, or DBaaS.

Compute Instances

Compute Instances

Flexible virtual machines optimized for general-purpose, memory-intensive, CPU bound applications or GPU workloads. Combine with your Kubernetes workloads to scale efficiently across all use cases.

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Block Storage

Block Storage

Attach flexible, high performance volumes to your VM instances for persistent data, fast I/O, and scalable capacity. Ideal for databases, log storage, and container environments.

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Managed Databases

Managed Databases

Launch fully managed databases that connect directly to your compute instances. DBaaS is end to end encrypted and ready in minutes—perfect for applications running on virtual machine instances.

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Simple, transparent SKS pricing

With Exoscale, you only pay for what you use—no hidden fees, no surprises. You’re billed by the second, so you stay in control of your budget while scaling flexibly. Our Managed Kubernetes service in Europe is available in two clear options:

  • Starter Cluster is perfect for early-stage development, testing, or small-scale workloads. It’s free and includes access to core tools like the CLI, API, Terraform integration, managed control plane, and auto-upgrades of the control plane with the latest patch version available.

  • Pro Cluster delivers the reliability and resilience needed for production environments, including everything from Starter plus High Availability control plane, etcd backups for cluster state, and SLA. Karpenter, our real-time autoscaling feature, is fully included with the PRO Cluster — helping you optimize performance and costs automatically on Exoscale’s European cloud.

Product Details Price ({{ currency | uppercase }})
Starter Cluster no SLA FREE
Pro Cluster 99.95 % SLA {{ prices['sks']['pro_cluster'][currency] | number:8 }}

CNCF Certified Kubernetes

Continuous Conformance Compatibility

Exoscale’s Scalable Kubernetes Service (SKS) is officially certified by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) through the Certified Kubernetes Conformance Program. Every SKS version released by Exoscale successfully passes CNCF conformance tests, ensuring continuous compatibility, adherence to industry standards, and full support for required Kubernetes APIs.

Get started with Hosted & Managed Kubernetes today

Whether you’re just starting or scaling mission-critical workloads, we’re here to help you get the most out of your Kubernetes solution. Get in touch with our team today—we’ll guide you through the best setup for your needs and answer all your questions.

Contact us

Explore more Exoscale services

Expand your infrastructure with services that boost availability, optimize performance, and provide expert support for all your workloads. Exoscale offers everything you need to scale your projects successfully.

GPU Cloud Computing

GPU Cloud Computing

Built for compute-heavy workloads like machine learning, data processing, and scientific simulations. Easily integrate GPU nodes into your Kubernetes clusters for accelerated performance where it matters most.

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Support Plans

Support Plans

Get the help you need to run your infrastructure with confidence through flexible support plans, designed to provide expert guidance, faster response times, and dedicated assistance tailored to your business.

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Get started with our Hosted & Managed Kubernetes tutorials

Discover step by step guides to help you deploy, manage, and scale your Kubernetes solutions by Exoscale.

Discover step by step guides to help you deploy, manage, and scale your Kubernetes solutions by Exoscale.

Get Started in Minutes

Launch your first Kubernetes cluster in minutes by using our step by step guide, designed to help you run container workloads quickly and easily.
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Practical Kubernetes How-To Guides

Master Kubernetes on Exoscale with hands-on guides covering deployment tips, cluster management, scaling, and real-world best practices.
How-To Guides

Master Kubernetes with our Workshops

Enhance your skills with our comprehensive self-paced workshops: Get started with the core concepts, learn to deploy applications, or prepare for the CKA Exam. Join our Slack channel to get support and stay connected.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Hosted & Managed Kubernetes

What is Managed Kubernetes?

Managed Kubernetes refers to a service where the cloud provider handles the operational aspects of running Kubernetes, such as managing the control plane, performing upgrades, ensuring high availability, and handling security patches.

How much does SKS cost?

Exoscale offers two pricing tiers: a Starter Cluster, which includes free hosting of the control plane and is perfect for testing, and a Pro Cluster, that includes a 99.95% SLA, making it ideal for production workloads. The price of the Pro Cluster can be found here.

Does a SKS cluster come with additional tooling?

SKS is a vanilla Kubernetes. It does not come with additional tooling installed. We let the users select the components and controllers they want to install instead (Monitoring stack, GitOps tools, Security solutions, etc.).

What is the difference between self-managed Kubernetes and Managed Kubernetes?

With self-managed Kubernetes, you’re responsible for installing, configuring, upgrading, and securing the entire Kubernetes stack, including the control plane and worker nodes. In contrast, Managed Kubernetes—like Exoscale’s SKS—offloads those tasks to the provider, saving you time and reducing operational complexity.

Does Exoscale provide learning resources and community support for Kubernetes solutions?

Yes. Exoscale offers comprehensive tutorials and workshops to help you learn at your own pace. For additional help and direct contact, visit the workshops page and join our Slack community.

Could you help me prepare for the Kubernetes CKA certification?

Yes. There is a dedicated workshop for that exact purpose at Exoscale Kubernetes learning platform. It covers the official CKA curriculum and offers many exercises.