Softwr

Software · head to head

Consul vs Linode

Consul logo

Consul

Software

Service discovery, networking, and security

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Linode logo

Linode

Software

Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Consul namespaces, admin partitions and other multi tenancy controls are Consul Enterprise only; Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
  • They diverge on capability: Consul covers Service discovery, Linode covers Compute instances.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Consul and Linode actually diverge.

Attributes where Consul and Linode differ
AttributeConsulLinode
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, CloudWeb, Api, Cli
Founded20142003

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

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 Consul

  • Service discovery
  • Health checking
  • Key/value store
  • Multi-datacenter
  • DNS interface
  • Service mesh
  • Load balancing
  • Configuration management

Only in Linode

  • Compute instances
  • Object storage
  • Block storage
  • Managed database
  • Load balancers
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks
  • Ansible

Both cover

  • Kubernetes
  • Terraform
  • Docker
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Consul

  • Service discovery and health checking across dynamic infrastructurenot Linode
  • Running a service mesh with mutual TLS between servicesnot Linode
  • Distributed key value configuration storage for applicationsnot Linode

Linode

  • Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot Consul
  • Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Consul
  • Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot Consul

Where each one falls short

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

Consul

  • Namespaces, admin partitions and other multi tenancy controls are Consul Enterprise only
  • Audit logging, OIDC authentication and FIPS 140-2 builds require Consul Enterprise, so compliance driven deployments cannot use the free edition
  • Automated backups, redundancy zones, read replicas and automated server upgrades are Enterprise only
  • Long Term Support releases are Enterprise only, so community users must upgrade to stay supported
  • Service mesh and advanced traffic management sit in the Premium Enterprise tier above Standard Enterprise
  • HashiCorp does not publish a Consul rate on its pricing page, which lists per resource prices for Terraform instead

Linode

  • linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
  • Charges accrue for any service on the account even when it is powered off, because RAM and network capacity stay reserved; only deleting the service stops billing
  • Network transfer beyond the monthly allotment is billed from $0.005 per GB and the rate varies by region
  • The Akamai Cloud pricing landing page shows no rates and directs visitors to regional pricing pages or sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Consul

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Service discovery
    • Health checking
    • KV store

Linode

Free
  • Nanode 1GB$5/month
    • 1GB RAM
    • 1 vCPU
    • 25GB SSD
  • Linode 4GB$20/month
    • 4GB RAM
    • 2 vCPU
    • 80GB SSD

Which should you pick?

Choose Consul if

  • You need service discovery.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want health checking.
Consul review

Choose Linode if

  • You need compute instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage.
Linode review

Questions people ask

Is Consul or Linode better?
Neither clearly leads. Consul starts at Free and Linode at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Consul or Linode?
Consul starts at Free and Linode at Free.
Does Consul or Linode run on more platforms?
Consul runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud. Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Consul for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Consul best used for?
Consul is most often used for service discovery and health checking across dynamic infrastructure, running a service mesh with mutual tls between services, distributed key value configuration storage for applications. Of those, service discovery and health checking across dynamic infrastructure and running a service mesh with mutual tls between services are not what Linode is typically brought in for.
What can Consul do that Linode cannot?
Consul covers Service discovery, Health checking, Key/value store, Multi-datacenter. Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Managed database. Both handle Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker, Cloud deployment.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Consul

More on Linode

Keep looking

Other head to heads