Reviewed by the Softwares.com Editorial Team · Last updated June 2026 · How we rate
Key facts
- Vendor
- Amazon Web Services
- Pricing
- Open source — Free
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- Self Hosted, Api
- Best for
- Devops, Platform Engineers
- Editor rating
- 4.5 / 5
- Founded
- 2021
- Headquarters
- Seattle, USA
What is Karpenter?
Karpenter is a development it tool from Amazon Web Services. An open-source Kubernetes node provisioner that launches right-sized compute just-in-time in response to pending pods, improving utilization and cutting cost.
Karpenter uses open source pricing and offers a free tier you can start on without a credit card. Free.
It's best suited to devops, platform engineers and runs on Self Hosted, Api.
Standout strengths include fast just-in-time scaling, better bin-packing and cost, flexible instance selection. Worth weighing: aws-centric maturity, newer than cluster-autoscaler.
Karpenter pricing
Pros
- Fast just-in-time scaling
- Better bin-packing and cost
- Flexible instance selection
Cons
- AWS-centric maturity
- Newer than cluster-autoscaler
Karpenter vs alternatives
Ready to try Karpenter?
Start free and see if it fits your workflow.
Work at Amazon Web Services? Claim this listing to keep it accurate.
Related software
MoreRelated guides
Related terms
User reviews
No user reviews yet. Be the first to review Karpenter.
Frequently asked questions
What is Karpenter?
An open-source Kubernetes node provisioner that launches right-sized compute just-in-time in response to pending pods, improving utilization and cutting cost.
How much does Karpenter cost?
Karpenter is open-source-priced. It has a free tier.
Does Karpenter have a free trial?
Karpenter offers a free tier rather than a time-limited trial.
What platforms does Karpenter support?
Karpenter is available on Self Hosted, Api.