Softwr

Testing · head to head

k6 vs Kameleoon

k6 logo

k6

Testing

Load testing tool with JavaScript tests on a Go runtime, now owned by Grafana Labs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kameleoon logo

Kameleoon

Testing

A/B testing and feature experimentation with a hybrid client and server-side engine

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only k6 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: k6 tests run on a JavaScript engine embedded in Go rather than on Node.js, so npm packages, Node built-ins and existing shared test utilities generally do not work without being bundled to plain JavaScript, and often not even then.; Kameleoon no rate card is published. Reported entry pricing around several hundred euros a month for the limited prompt-based tier comes from third parties rather than Kameleoon, so any budget you build before contacting sales is a guess.
  • They diverge on capability: k6 covers JavaScript test scripts, Kameleoon covers Visual A/B test editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which k6 and Kameleoon actually diverge.

Attributes where k6 and Kameleoon differ
Attributek6Kameleoon
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Testing).

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 k6

  • JavaScript test scripts
  • Thresholds and checks
  • Protocol coverage
  • Browser module
  • Executors
  • xk6 extensions
  • Metrics output
  • Kubernetes operator

Only in Kameleoon

  • Visual A/B test editor
  • Server-side experimentation
  • Feature flags
  • Anti-flicker engine
  • AI personalisation
  • EU data hosting
  • Shared audiences
  • Statistics options

What people use each for

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

k6

  • Gating a deployment pipeline on a threshold such as 95th percentile latency under a defined arrival ratenot Kameleoon
  • Generating tens of thousands of requests per second from a small number of machines without a load generator fleetnot Kameleoon
  • Testing gRPC and WebSocket services with the same tooling and thresholds used for HTTP endpointsnot Kameleoon
  • Correlating a load test against existing dashboards for an organisation already running Grafana and Prometheusnot Kameleoon

Kameleoon

  • A European retailer whose legal team requires EU-hosted experimentation data and has ruled out US-only vendorsnot k6
  • A team running both marketing page tests and product feature rollouts that wants one results engine rather than two disagreeing onesnot k6
  • A media site where client-side flicker on a test variant is visibly damaging the reading experiencenot k6
  • An organisation re-tendering experimentation after Optimizely or VWO pricing changes and wanting an independent European vendornot k6

Where each one falls short

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

k6

  • Tests run on a JavaScript engine embedded in Go rather than on Node.js, so npm packages, Node built-ins and existing shared test utilities generally do not work without being bundled to plain JavaScript, and often not even then.
  • The open source binary runs on a single machine, so distributed load requires the Kubernetes operator or the cloud service, and the operator is infrastructure your team has to run and debug.
  • The AGPL-3.0 licence on the core requires legal review at any company that intends to embed k6 in a product it distributes or offers as a service, which is a slower path than a permissively licensed tool.
  • There is no result storage in the open source tool, so trend history means standing up Prometheus, InfluxDB or Grafana Cloud before load testing produces anything comparable over time.
  • Since the Grafana Labs acquisition the roadmap serves the Grafana observability stack, so a buyer choosing k6 as a standalone tool should expect the standalone experience to receive less investment than the cloud and dashboard integration.
  • Grafana Cloud billing is by virtual user hour, so a long soak test at modest concurrency costs far more than its peak load suggests, and cost planning has to be done in virtual user hours rather than in test runs.

Kameleoon

  • No rate card is published. Reported entry pricing around several hundred euros a month for the limited prompt-based tier comes from third parties rather than Kameleoon, so any budget you build before contacting sales is a guess.
  • Web experimentation, feature experimentation and personalisation are licensed as separate capabilities, so the unified platform story costs materially more than the entry configuration most buyers are first quoted.
  • The partner and agency ecosystem is concentrated in France and continental Europe; a buyer in North America or Asia will find fewer implementation specialists and less community knowledge than for Optimizely or VWO.
  • The integration catalogue is smaller than the market leaders, so a stack built on less common analytics or CDP tooling may need custom work that a larger vendor would cover natively.
  • Client-side visual testing still carries the structural problems of the approach, including performance cost and single-page-application fragility; the anti-flicker engine reduces the symptom but does not remove the dependency on the DOM staying stable.

Pricing, plan by plan

k6

Free
  • k6 OSSFree
    • AGPL-3.0 licence
    • Full test engine, no virtual user limits
    • Runs on one machine unless distributed yourself
  • Grafana Cloud free tierFree
    • Includes a monthly allowance of virtual user hours
    • Hosted test results and dashboards
    • Shared with the rest of the Grafana Cloud free tier
  • Grafana Cloud k6$undefined/month
    • Billed by virtual user hours consumed
    • Load generation from multiple regions
    • Retained test history and comparison

Kameleoon

On request
  • Kameleoon$undefined/year
    • Priced on monthly tested users and features licensed
    • Web experimentation, feature experimentation and personalisation licensed separately
    • Free trial of the prompt-based experimentation feature, with data not retained afterwards

Which should you pick?

Choose k6 if

  • You need javascript test scripts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want thresholds and checks.
k6 review

Choose Kameleoon if

  • You need visual a/b test editor.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want server-side experimentation.
Kameleoon review

Questions people ask

Is k6 or Kameleoon better?
Neither clearly leads. k6 starts at Free and Kameleoon at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, k6 or Kameleoon?
k6 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for k6 and On request for Kameleoon.
Does k6 or Kameleoon run on more platforms?
k6 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Kameleoon runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use k6 for free?
Yes. k6 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kameleoon starts at On request.
What is k6 best used for?
k6 is most often used for gating a deployment pipeline on a threshold such as 95th percentile latency under a defined arrival rate, generating tens of thousands of requests per second from a small number of machines without a load generator fleet, testing grpc and websocket services with the same tooling and thresholds used for http endpoints, correlating a load test against existing dashboards for an organisation already running grafana and prometheus. Of those, gating a deployment pipeline on a threshold such as 95th percentile latency under a defined arrival rate and generating tens of thousands of requests per second from a small number of machines without a load generator fleet are not what Kameleoon is typically brought in for.
What can k6 do that Kameleoon cannot?
k6 covers JavaScript test scripts, Thresholds and checks, Protocol coverage, Browser module. Kameleoon covers Visual A/B test editor, Server-side experimentation, Feature flags, Anti-flicker engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

k6: Can I use npm packages in a k6 test?

Usually not. Scripts run on a Go-embedded JavaScript engine with no Node.js runtime, so packages depending on Node built-ins fail and pure JavaScript libraries must be bundled first.

Kameleoon: Does Kameleoon publish pricing?

No. Pricing depends on monthly tested users and which capabilities you licence, and requires a sales conversation.

k6: Is k6 free?

The core tool is free under AGPL-3.0 with no virtual user limits. Grafana Cloud k6 is a paid service billed by virtual user hours, with a free monthly allowance.

Kameleoon: Can I keep data in the EU?

Yes. EU hosting and a GDPR-first consent model are among the main reasons European buyers shortlist it.

k6: Does the Grafana acquisition affect the open source tool?

The tool remains open source and maintained, but investment is directed at making it a data source for Grafana, so standalone use is supported rather than prioritised.

Kameleoon: Does it do feature flags as well as A/B tests?

Yes, through server-side SDKs, sharing audiences and results with the visual testing side.

k6: Can k6 replace a browser testing tool?

No. The browser module measures page-level metrics under load, but functional browser testing belongs in Playwright or a similar tool.

Kameleoon: How does it compare with Optimizely?

Similar capability at a smaller scale. Kameleoon's advantages are European data residency and an independent vendor; Optimizely's are ecosystem size and partner availability.

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