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Software · head to head

Linode vs Nomad

Linode logo

Linode

Software

Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nomad logo

Nomad

Software

Flexible workload orchestration

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud; Nomad nomad 1.7.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • They diverge on capability: Linode covers Compute instances, Nomad covers Container orchestration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Linode and Nomad actually diverge.

Attributes where Linode and Nomad differ
AttributeLinodeNomad
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliLinux, Windows, Mac, Cloud
Founded20032015

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 Linode

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

Only in Nomad

  • Container orchestration
  • Job scheduling
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Auto-scaling
  • Service discovery
  • Rolling deployments
  • Monitoring integration
  • High availability

Both cover

  • Kubernetes
  • Terraform
  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Linode

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

Nomad

  • Scheduling containers, binaries, Java and VM workloads on the same clusternot Linode
  • Running an orchestrator with a single binary and no external dependenciesnot Linode
  • Batch and edge workload scheduling across multiple datacentresnot Linode

Where each one falls short

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

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

Nomad

  • Nomad 1.7.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Nomad to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions
  • Each version converts to MPL 2.0 only four years after that version is published
  • Resource quotas, Sentinel policies and audit logging sit in a Governance and Policy add-on module that is separate from the Enterprise base platform package
  • Multi-region deployments, multiple Vault namespaces and Nomad Autopilot advanced server management require Nomad Enterprise

Pricing, plan by plan

Linode

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

Nomad

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Workload orchestration
    • Multi-cloud
    • Flexible scheduling

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Nomad if

  • You need container orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want job scheduling.
Nomad review

Questions people ask

Is Linode or Nomad better?
Neither clearly leads. Linode starts at Free and Nomad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Linode or Nomad?
Linode starts at Free and Nomad at Free.
Does Linode or Nomad run on more platforms?
Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli. Nomad runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
Can I use Linode for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Linode best used for?
Linode is most often used for running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans, managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account, hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regions. Of those, running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans and managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account are not what Nomad is typically brought in for.
What can Linode do that Nomad cannot?
Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Managed database. Nomad covers Container orchestration, Job scheduling, Multi-cloud support, Auto-scaling. Both handle Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes.
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