Pro Tips
The Best Bare Metal Options for Running Kubernetes Clusters
Rackdog Team
Choosing the best bare metal option for a Kubernetes cluster means assembling the stack that fits the workload your team is running.
Suitable bare metal servers, a Kubernetes distribution or platform, and the supporting components necessary to keep your cluster reliable and easy to manage are all critical to building the best solution for your needs.
There’s no single blueprint for running a Kubernetes cluster on bare metal. You can lease servers from a provider, deploy your own hardware, or use a managed solution. On top of that hardware, you can choose from several Kubernetes distributions and platforms based on your team’s expertise and preferred operating model.
Each approach offers a different balance of control and operational responsibility.
If you’re exploring options for running a Kubernetes cluster on bare metal, this guide will help you understand the main infrastructure options, leading bare metal providers, and Kubernetes software choices. We’ll also show how these pieces can be combined for a few common use cases.
What is the best bare metal option for Kubernetes?
Running a Kubernetes cluster on bare metal starts with deciding where the physical servers will come from and who will maintain them.
For most teams without their own established data center operations, leasing servers from a bare metal provider offers the most practical balance.
In this model, often referred to as bare metal cloud or bare metal as a service, the provider handles the hardware management for you. You retain control over the operating system, Kubernetes stack, applications, and workloads running on the servers.
Organizations that need complete hardware ownership may prefer on-premises or colocated servers. Teams looking to reduce cluster-management work can instead consider a managed Kubernetes solution running on bare metal.
Infrastructure option | Best for | Main tradeoff |
Bare metal provider | Production teams that want dedicated servers without owning hardware | Limited to the provider’s available hardware, locations, networking, and pricing model |
Owned on-premises hardware | Organizations requiring full physical control | Highest infrastructure responsibility |
Colocated hardware | Teams that want to procure and own hardware custom to their needs without operating a facility | Slower procurement and scaling |
Managed Kubernetes on bare metal | Teams seeking less cluster-management responsibility | Less control and potentially higher costs |
What to look for in a bare metal provider for your Kubernetes cluster
If you opt to lease servers for your bare metal Kubernetes cluster, you want to make sure you choose a provider that makes cluster nodes easy to provision, connect, recover, and scale.
As you evaluate providers, consider the following criteria:
Infrastructure automation: Verify that a provider offers API and Terraform support for provisioning, rebuilding, and removing servers.
Private networking: Look for private connectivity between cluster nodes with enough capacity for internal traffic.
Workload-appropriate hardware: Look for server configurations with the CPU, memory, storage, and GPU capacity required by your workloads.
Remote management: IPMI or KVM access lets your team troubleshoot, reinstall, and restart servers remotely.
Support: Look for responsive technical support and clear procedures for resolving hardware, network, or connectivity issues.
Predictable networking costs: Compare port speeds, included bandwidth, and egress charges.
Location availability: Choose locations close to users, data sources, or connected infrastructure.
For more on the provider evaluation process, you can read our guide to choosing a bare metal provider, as well as our overview of the best bare metal providers for modern infrastructure teams.
Best bare metal providers for Kubernetes clusters
The best provider depends on your workload, desired level of automation, and how much of the Kubernetes lifecycle your team wants to manage. In general, providers with strong uptime guarantees, easy provisioning, and suitable server configurations can all provide a solid foundation.
Below is an overview of the top bare metal providers for running Kubernetes clusters:
Provider | Best for | Kubernetes model | Key capabilities |
Rackdog | High-bandwidth clusters with predictable infrastructure costs | Deploy and manage your preferred distribution or platform on dedicated servers | API and Terraform provisioning, private VLANs, IPMI/KVM, unmetered bandwidth |
Latitude.sh | Reducing initial Kubernetes setup work | Deploy your preferred stack on bare metal or use Latitude Kubernetes Service (LKS) to provision an RKE2 cluster | Automated cluster creation and MetalLB load-balancer IPs |
OVHcloud | Choosing from a broad dedicated server catalog | Deploy and manage your preferred distribution or platform on dedicated servers | Extensive hardware selection and vRack private networking |
1. Rackdog: Best for high-bandwidth Kubernetes clusters
Rackdog is a top choice for Kubernetes workloads that require dedicated performance and move large amounts of data. Rackdog offers bare metal servers across 12+ locations with private VLANs, API and Terraform support, and full IPMI/KVM access.
All Rackdog bare metal servers come with unmetered bandwidth and no egress fees, making infrastructure costs more predictable for high-traffic applications. Teams retain control over the operating system and Kubernetes stack, allowing them to deploy the distribution or platform that fits their requirements.
2. Latitude.sh: Best for preconfigured Kubernetes clusters
Latitude.sh offers automated bare metal infrastructure alongside a Kubernetes service that provisions RKE2 clusters on dedicated servers.
Latitude Kubernetes Service (LKS) configures the control-plane and worker nodes, provides kubeconfig access, and includes load-balancer IPs announced through MetalLB. Customers remain responsible for workloads and most day-two operations.
This service makes Latitude.sh a good fit for teams that want help establishing the cluster without giving up control of Kubernetes.
3. OVHcloud: Best for a broad dedicated server catalog
OVHcloud offers a large catalog of dedicated servers for general-purpose, storage-heavy, GPU, and high-performance workloads. Its vRack service provides private networking between compatible servers and other OVHcloud services.
OVHcloud is best suited to teams that prioritize hardware selection and geographic availability and are prepared to configure and manage their own Kubernetes environment.
Best Kubernetes distributions and platforms for bare metal
After choosing the physical infrastructure, the next decision is how Kubernetes will be installed and managed across the servers.
It’s possible to deploy upstream Kubernetes (the official open-source project rather than a vendor-packaged distribution) using kubeadm. This is the least opinionated approach and offers considerable flexibility, but it also requires more manual setup and ongoing management.
For many teams, vendor-packaged distributions and platforms provide a more practical starting point by packaging Kubernetes with tested defaults and lifecycle tooling.
A Kubernetes distribution combines Kubernetes with an installation method, configuration defaults, and an upgrade process. A Kubernetes platform adds broader tools for managing clusters and operating applications.
The table below compares several common Kubernetes deployment and management options:
Option | Best for | What to know |
kubeadm | Teams that want upstream Kubernetes and maximum control | Provides cluster bootstrapping rather than a complete distribution, leaving more setup and lifecycle work to your team |
Talos Linux | Immutable, API-driven Kubernetes infrastructure | Replaces a traditional Linux OS and removes SSH, shell access, and package management |
RKE2 | Security-focused enterprise clusters | Packages Kubernetes with security-focused defaults and a defined upgrade process |
K3s | Edge sites and resource-constrained environments | Reduces the footprint and setup complexity of Kubernetes |
MicroK8s | Smaller clusters and Canonical environments | Uses a simple, snap-based installation with optional add-ons |
Red Hat OpenShift | Enterprises wanting an integrated application platform | Provides extensive tooling but introduces greater cost and operational complexity |
Rancher Manager | Centrally managing multiple clusters | Manages Kubernetes clusters but does not replace the distribution running on them |
Distributions and platforms can sometimes be combined, as they serve different purposes. For example, an organization could run some clusters on RKE2 and others on K3s, then manage all of them through Rancher Manager for centralized control.
The best choice depends on how much flexibility your team needs and how much of the Kubernetes lifecycle it wants to manage itself.
Best bare metal Kubernetes setups by workload
In truth, there’s no universal bare metal Kubernetes stack that is best for every deployment.
However, understanding how infrastructure and Kubernetes software can be combined for a few common use cases can help you grasp the logic behind choosing a particular server configuration, distribution, or platform.
High-bandwidth applications: Rackdog bare metal with RKE2 or Talos
For high-bandwidth workloads common in industries like adtech and gaming, a Kubernetes cluster needs servers that provide sufficient network capacity without making data transfer costs unpredictable.
In this case, bare metal servers with unmetered bandwidth, as Rackdog offers, would be a preferable choice for keeping infrastructure costs stable as the volume of outbound traffic grows.
On top of this infrastructure layer, RKE2 can provide a security-focused Kubernetes foundation on a conventional Linux operating system. Alternatively, Talos would suit teams that want an immutable, API-managed operating system to reduce configuration drift across cluster nodes.
AI and GPU workloads: GPU bare metal with RKE2 or OpenShift
AI training and inference workloads require GPU bare metal servers with sufficient local storage and fast communication between nodes. You also need compatible GPU drivers and a Kubernetes device plugin so Kubernetes can detect each GPU and assign it to workloads.
RKE2 is a flexible choice for teams that want to assemble and control their own AI infrastructure. Alternatively, OpenShift may be better suited to larger enterprises that want a broader platform with integrated security and operational tooling.
Edge deployments: Smaller bare metal nodes with K3s and Rancher Manager
Edge deployments often run across smaller servers in multiple locations, making resource efficiency and remote management important. K3s fits this model because it packages Kubernetes into a lightweight distribution with lower resource requirements.
Organizations operating many edge clusters can add Rancher Manager for centralized access and lifecycle management. This combination provides lightweight Kubernetes at each site with a broader platform for managing the distributed environment.
Supporting components for bare metal Kubernetes
A usable production cluster requires more than just servers. Pods need a way to communicate, external traffic needs a path into the cluster, and stateful applications need somewhere to preserve data. Additionally, a team needs tools for monitoring the environment and recovering from failures.
Managed cloud Kubernetes services often connect these functions to the provider’s own services. On bare metal, however, your team has greater responsibility to decide how each function will be handled (though some distributions and platforms include or integrate certain components).
The table below shows the main functions to account for and common tools used to provide them.
Component | Purpose | Common options |
Cluster networking | Connects pods and applies network policies | Cilium or Calico |
Load balancing | Exposes Kubernetes services outside the cluster | MetalLB, Cilium BGP, kube-vip, or an external load balancer |
Persistent storage | Preserves application data when pods move or restart | Rook/Ceph, Longhorn, local volumes, or external storage |
Ingress | Routes application traffic into the cluster | NGINX, Traefik, or HAProxy |
Monitoring and recovery | Tracks cluster health and protects cluster data | Prometheus, centralized logging, etcd backups, and volume backups |
These supporting components are easy to overlook when comparing infrastructure and Kubernetes software, but they’re critical to building a reliable production cluster.
How to choose the best bare metal Kubernetes stack
The best bare metal Kubernetes stack starts with the requirements of the workload and the capabilities of the team operating it.
First, determine the hardware and network capacity the applications need. Then decide whether to lease, own, or colocate the servers and how much of the Kubernetes lifecycle your team wants to manage.
From there, select a distribution or platform that fits your preferred operating model. Make sure the final architecture also accounts for cluster networking, storage, traffic management, and recovery.
For teams that want dedicated infrastructure without owning and maintaining the physical hardware, Rackdog provides a high-performance bare metal foundation with predictable pricing and no egress fees.
Get in touch with our team to discuss a bare metal solution for your Kubernetes deployment. We can help assess your workload requirements and design a custom infrastructure solution built around your cluster.