Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Cilium vs Deno Deploy

Cilium logo

Cilium

Cloud

eBPF-based networking, observability and security for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Deno Deploy logo

Deno Deploy

Cloud

Serverless JavaScript at the edge

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cilium requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments; Deno Deploy smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations
  • They diverge on capability: Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cilium and Deno Deploy actually diverge.

Attributes where Cilium and Deno Deploy differ
AttributeCiliumDeno Deploy
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsKubernetes, LinuxCloud/Web
FoundedUnknown2021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cilium

  • eBPF datapath
  • Identity-based policy
  • Hubble observability
  • Sidecar-free mesh

Only in Deno Deploy

  • Edge Functions
  • Deno KV
  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Global Distribution
  • Zero Config Deploy
  • Git Integration
  • Instant Rollbacks
  • Web Standard APIs

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cilium

  • Kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based CNI performance degradesnot Deno Deploy
  • Network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile IP rulesnot Deno Deploy
  • Seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is droppingnot Deno Deploy

Deno Deploy

  • API endpointsnot Cilium
  • Edge functionsnot Cilium
  • Static sitesnot Cilium
  • Real-time appsnot Cilium

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cilium

  • Requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments
  • eBPF is genuinely hard to debug when it misbehaves, and the skill is rare on most teams
  • Broad scope — CNI, policy, mesh, observability — means the learning curve covers several domains at once

Deno Deploy

  • Smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations
  • Less mature than established serverless platforms; newer company and platform
  • 1GB deployment size limit may restrict larger applications
  • 512MB memory limit lower than some competitors for memory-intensive workloads
  • Smaller user base and community compared to Lambda or Netlify

Pricing, plan by plan

Cilium

Free
  • CiliumFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Deno Deploy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M requests/month
    • 100GB outbound bandwidth
    • 50ms CPU time per request
  • Pro$20/month
    • Unlimited requests
    • 5GB KV storage
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Cilium if

  • You need ebpf datapath.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux.
  • You also want identity-based policy.
Cilium review

Choose Deno Deploy if

  • You need edge functions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud/Web.
  • You also want deno kv.
Deno Deploy review

Questions people ask

Is Cilium or Deno Deploy better?
Neither clearly leads. Cilium starts at Free and Deno Deploy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cilium or Deno Deploy?
Cilium starts at Free and Deno Deploy at Free.
Does Cilium or Deno Deploy run on more platforms?
Cilium runs on Kubernetes, Linux. Deno Deploy runs on Cloud/Web.
Can I use Cilium for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cilium best used for?
Cilium is most often used for kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based cni performance degrades, network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile ip rules, seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is dropping. Of those, kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based cni performance degrades and network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile ip rules are not what Deno Deploy is typically brought in for.
What can Cilium do that Deno Deploy cannot?
Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Identity-based policy, Hubble observability, Sidecar-free mesh. Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions, Deno KV, Automatic HTTPS, Global Distribution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cilium: Is Cilium free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-graduated. Isovalent sells an enterprise distribution and support.

Deno Deploy: What does Deno Deploy's free tier include?

Deno Deploy free tier includes 1 million requests per month, 100 GB of outbound bandwidth, 50 milliseconds of CPU time per request, 50 custom domains, 1 GiB of KV storage, and up to 5 team members.

Source
Cilium: What does eBPF change?

It lets Cilium run packet-processing programs inside the kernel instead of relying on iptables rule chains, which behave poorly as the number of services grows.

Deno Deploy: What are Deno Deploy's Pro plan features and pricing?

Deno Deploy Pro costs $20/month and removes request limits, increases KV storage to 5GB, and includes priority support. Additional storage beyond 5GB costs $0.75/GiB.

Source
Cilium: Does Cilium replace a service mesh?

It can cover much of what a mesh does without sidecars, though full mesh feature sets still favour Istio or Linkerd.

Deno Deploy: What are the deployment size and memory limits for Deno Deploy?

The total size of all files within a deployment (source files and static files) should not exceed 1 gigabyte. Applications have a maximum memory allocation of 512MB.

Source
Deno Deploy: Does Deno Deploy support TypeScript natively?

Yes. Deno Deploy runs TypeScript natively with zero-configuration TypeScript support. Code can be written in TypeScript or JavaScript and runs on the same V8 engine.

Source
Deno Deploy: What security features does Deno Deploy provide?

Deno Deploy features an opt-in permission system to mitigate supply chain attacks. Permissions can be explicitly granted for file, network, and environment access, running code securely by default.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Cilium

More on Deno Deploy

Keep looking

Other head to heads