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Cloud · head to head

Cilium vs OVHcloud

Cilium logo

Cilium

Cloud

eBPF-based networking, observability and security for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OVHcloud logo

OVHcloud

Cloud

Advanced cloud services for businesses

From
€3.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cilium has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cilium requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments; OVHcloud public Cloud pricing table lists a scheduled price change with a column labeled Price on April 1, 2026, showing current rates are promotional and set to change on that date
  • They diverge on capability: Cilium covers eBPF datapath, OVHcloud covers Public Cloud.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cilium and OVHcloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Cilium and OVHcloud differ
AttributeCiliumOVHcloud
Starting priceFree€3.5/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsKubernetes, LinuxLinux, Windows, Api, Cli
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: 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 OVHcloud

  • Public Cloud
  • Private Cloud
  • Bare Metal Servers
  • Managed Kubernetes
  • Object Storage
  • Block Storage
  • Load Balancers
  • Databases

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 OVHcloud
  • Network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile IP rulesnot OVHcloud
  • Seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is droppingnot OVHcloud

OVHcloud

  • Managed Kubernetes container orchestration for cloud-native applicationsnot Cilium
  • Virtual machine instances with customizable CPU, RAM, and IOPSnot Cilium
  • Object storage with S3-compatible API for scalable data archivalnot Cilium
  • Managed databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and ClickHousenot Cilium
  • Private network connectivity with vRack for multi-AZ isolationnot 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

OVHcloud

  • Public Cloud pricing table lists a scheduled price change with a column labeled Price on April 1, 2026, showing current rates are promotional and set to change on that date
  • Free network traffic and free Object Storage API calls exclude the Asia-Pacific region

Pricing, plan by plan

Cilium

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

OVHcloud

€3.5/month
  • Public Cloud Starter$3.5/month
    • 1 vCPU
    • 1 GB RAM
    • 10 GB storage
  • Bare Metal$49/month
    • Dedicated hardware
    • High performance
    • Full control

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 OVHcloud if

  • You need public cloud.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want private cloud.
OVHcloud review

Questions people ask

Is Cilium or OVHcloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Cilium starts at Free and OVHcloud at €3.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cilium or OVHcloud?
Cilium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cilium and €3.5/month for OVHcloud.
Does Cilium or OVHcloud run on more platforms?
Cilium runs on Kubernetes, Linux. OVHcloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
Can I use Cilium for free?
Yes. Cilium has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OVHcloud starts at €3.5/month.
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 OVHcloud is typically brought in for.
What can Cilium do that OVHcloud cannot?
Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Identity-based policy, Hubble observability, Sidecar-free mesh. OVHcloud covers Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Bare Metal Servers, Managed Kubernetes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cilium: Is Cilium free?

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

OVHcloud: How does OVHcloud charge for cloud services?

OVHcloud offers pay-as-you-go pricing for compute, storage, and bandwidth. Specific per-unit costs are accessed through the pricing calculator on the vendor site.

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.

OVHcloud: Are there savings plans for OVHcloud services?

OVHcloud mentions savings plan options on its services pages, but pricing discounts and commitment terms are not detailed on the homepage.

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.

OVHcloud: What is the cost of OVHcloud zero inter-AZ fees?

OVHcloud advertises zero inter-AZ (availability zone) fees for data transfers within its network. Monthly subscription rates for individual services are not published on the vendor homepage.

Source
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