Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Encore vs Okteto

Encore logo

Encore

Cloud

Automated infrastructure for humans and agents

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Okteto logo

Okteto

Developer Tools

Runs production-like development environments on your own Kubernetes cluster

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Encore limited language support (TypeScript and Go only); Okteto two of the three plans publish no price at all, with no currency and no billing period stated anywhere, so any budget above five seats requires a sales conversation before you can even compare it with an alternative.
  • They diverge on capability: Encore covers Local development environment, Okteto covers Cluster development environments.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Encore and Okteto actually diverge.

Attributes where Encore and Okteto differ
AttributeEncoreOkteto
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, CLILinux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Kubernetes, Web
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools

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

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 Encore

  • Local development environment
  • Infrastructure automation
  • Cloud deployment
  • Self-service operations
  • Distributed tracing

Only in Okteto

  • Cluster development environments
  • File synchronisation
  • Development containers
  • Environment catalogue
  • Bring your own cloud

Both cover

  • Preview environments

What people use each for

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

Encore

  • Building microservices with database provisioningnot Okteto
  • Creating feature branch preview environmentsnot Okteto
  • Deploying TypeScript and Go backends to AWS/GCPnot Okteto

Okteto

  • A microservices estate where no developer can run the full dependency graph on a laptopnot Encore
  • Giving each pull request a working environment reviewers can click rather than describenot Encore
  • Letting coding agents build and test against real databases and queues instead of mocksnot Encore
  • Removing a fleet of local Kubernetes installations that drift from production and produce false test resultsnot Encore

Where each one falls short

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

Encore

  • Limited language support (TypeScript and Go only)
  • Pro tier requires per-member subscription pricing
  • Additional resource costs beyond subscription for AWS/GCP provisioning

Okteto

  • Two of the three plans publish no price at all, with no currency and no billing period stated anywhere, so any budget above five seats requires a sales conversation before you can even compare it with an alternative.
  • The Apache-2.0 CLI is restricted to the development section of the manifest, so build services, user management and observability all require the commercial platform and the open licence provides very little continuity insurance.
  • The last disclosed funding round is a 15 million US dollar Series A from February 2022 with nothing announced since, and the contributor base is dominated by company employees, which is concentrated risk for something embedded in every developer daily loop.
  • You must bring and pay for the Kubernetes cluster, so node cost, capacity planning and version upgrades stay with your platform team on top of the licence fee.
  • The 2026 repositioning towards AI agents means the classic developer inner loop is no longer what the marketing leads with, so a buyer purchasing that use case should confirm roadmap commitment rather than assume it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Encore

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 2 free dev environments
    • 1M distributed tracing events/month
    • 7-day log retention
  • Pro$49/month
    • Unlimited free dev environments
    • 20M tracing events/month
    • 30-day log retention
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Enterprise security and compliance
    • SSO/SAML
    • Custom RBAC

Okteto

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 5 seats included
    • Self-hosted deployment into your own cluster
    • Community support
  • Scale$undefined/year
    • Contact sales, no price, currency or billing period published
    • More seats and environments than Starter
    • Self-hosted deployment
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Contact sales, no price published
    • Bring your own cloud deployment
    • Available through Google Cloud and AWS marketplaces

Which should you pick?

Choose Encore if

  • You need local development environment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want infrastructure automation.
Encore review

Choose Okteto if

  • You need cluster development environments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Kubernetes, Web.
  • You also want file synchronisation.
Okteto review

Questions people ask

Is Encore or Okteto better?
Neither clearly leads. Encore starts at Free and Okteto at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Encore or Okteto?
Encore starts at Free and Okteto at Free.
Does Encore or Okteto run on more platforms?
Encore runs on Web, CLI. Okteto runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Kubernetes, Web.
Can I use Encore for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Encore best used for?
Encore is most often used for building microservices with database provisioning, creating feature branch preview environments, deploying typescript and go backends to aws/gcp. Of those, building microservices with database provisioning and creating feature branch preview environments are not what Okteto is typically brought in for.
What can Encore do that Okteto cannot?
Encore covers Local development environment, Infrastructure automation, Cloud deployment, Self-service operations. Okteto covers Cluster development environments, File synchronisation, Development containers, Environment catalogue. Both handle Preview environments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Encore: What happens after the free tier?

The Pro plan costs $49/member/month plus usage charges of $2.50 per resource and $99 per AWS/GCP environment.

Source
Okteto: Is Okteto open source?

The CLI is Apache-2.0, but the README states it supports only the development section of the manifest. Everything operationally interesting, including builds, user management and observability, is in the commercial platform.

Encore: Do I own my infrastructure?

Yes, Encore deploys infrastructure in your own AWS or GCP cloud account, so you maintain complete control and avoid vendor lock-in.

Source
Okteto: What does it cost?

Only the free Starter tier with five seats is published. Scale and Enterprise are both contact sales, with no price, currency or billing period disclosed on the pricing page.

Okteto: Do I need my own Kubernetes cluster?

Yes. Okteto installs into a cluster you provide and pay for, so capacity, upgrades and node costs remain your responsibility in addition to the licence.

Okteto: How is this different from running Kubernetes locally?

Environments run against the same managed databases, queues and service mesh as production, so a class of failures that only appears in a real cluster is caught before merge rather than after deploy.

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