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Head-to-head · Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software

Canonical MAAS vs Metal³

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Canonical MAAS #1 in Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Canonical
Metal³ #6 in Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software 7.7/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Metal³

Canonical MAAS leads on 0 checks, Metal³ on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCanonical MAAS · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Canonical MAAS

Canonical MAAS scores higher on our rubric for bare metal as a service (bmaas) software: 9.4 against 7.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

Canonical MAAS is the better fit for teams automating bare-metal fleets at scale. Metal³ is the better fit for kubernetes-centric bare-metal clusters.

  • Canonical MAAS fits best

    Teams automating bare-metal fleets at scale

  • Metal³ fits best

    Kubernetes-centric bare-metal clusters

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Side by side

Feature Canonical MAAS 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Metal³ 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.7
Ranking #1 in Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software #6 in Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software
Best for Teams automating bare-metal fleets at scale Kubernetes-centric bare-metal clusters
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $30/device/yr Open source
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Linux Linux
Support Phone, Tickets, Docs · 24/7 Community, Docs
Integrations 5 integrations 6 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Canonical MAAS 0/3 · Metal³ 0/3
Lifecycle automation Not checked yet Not checked yet
OS imaging Not checked yet Not checked yet
Network configuration Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Provisioning method Not checked yet Not checked yet
Deployment model Not checked yet Not checked yet
Hypervisor support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Automates discovery, commissioning, deployment, allocation, and release
  • Combines BMC power control with DHCP, DNS, IPAM, VLAN, and subnet management
  • Supports varied storage layouts, OS images, and HA region and rack controllers
  • Automates host enrollment, discovery, imaging, BIOS, RAID, and firmware
  • Integrates Kubernetes Cluster API with Ironic, Redfish, IPMI, and iDRAC
  • Adds disk cleaning, power and boot control, remediation, and rolling upgrades
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment places infrastructure operations with your team
  • Paid support costs scale per managed machine each year
  • Standalone support eligibility requires Ubuntu Pro for controllers
  • Linux and self-hosted deployment limit platform choices
  • Full workflows depend on Kubernetes, Ironic, and hardware interfaces
  • Support is centered on community channels and documentation
Our verdict

Canonical MAAS is open-source infrastructure software for discovering, commissioning, deploying, and managing physical servers. It is aimed at infrastructure teams, data-center operators, DevOps engineers, and organizations running server…

Read the review →

Metal³ is an open-source Kubernetes application for enrolling, provisioning, and managing physical servers. It is aimed at teams running on-premises Kubernetes infrastructure, testing environments, and high-performance computing labs.…

Read the review →
  1. Canonical MAASBare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Metal³Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software 7.7Open source

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Canonical MAAS — where it wins

    • Automates discovery, commissioning, deployment, allocation, and release
    • Combines BMC power control with DHCP, DNS, IPAM, VLAN, and subnet management
    • Supports varied storage layouts, OS images, and HA region and rack controllers

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment places infrastructure operations with your team
    • Paid support costs scale per managed machine each year
    • Standalone support eligibility requires Ubuntu Pro for controllers

  • Metal³ — where it wins

    • Automates host enrollment, discovery, imaging, BIOS, RAID, and firmware
    • Integrates Kubernetes Cluster API with Ironic, Redfish, IPMI, and iDRAC
    • Adds disk cleaning, power and boot control, remediation, and rolling upgrades

    Where it doesn't

    • Linux and self-hosted deployment limit platform choices
    • Full workflows depend on Kubernetes, Ironic, and hardware interfaces
    • Support is centered on community channels and documentation
  • Canonical MAAS9.4/10 · Free plan

    A broad toolkit for automating physical-server lifecycles, with optional per-machine support.

    Visit CanonicalFull verdict →
  • Metal³7.7/10 · Open source

    A Kubernetes-native control plane for physical servers, strongest for self-hosted cluster teams.

    Visit Metal³Full verdict →

More comparisons

All bare metal as a service (BMaaS) software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update