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Head-to-head · Container Networking Software

Cilium vs Calico Open Source

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Cilium #1 in Container Networking Software 9.4/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Cilium
Calico Open Source #2 in Container Networking Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Calico

Cilium leads on 0 checks, Calico Open Source on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCilium · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Calico Open Source
  • Most featuresCalico Open Source · 5 of 5

Cilium scores higher on our rubric for container networking software: 9.4 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

Cilium is the better fit for broad Kubernetes networking and observability. Calico Open Source is the better fit for free, full-featured Kubernetes networking.

  • Cilium fits best

    Broad Kubernetes networking and observability

  • Calico Open Source fits best

    Free, full-featured Kubernetes networking

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Cilium 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Calico Open Source 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.2
Ranking #1 in Container Networking Software #2 in Container Networking Software
Best for Broad Kubernetes networking and observability Free, full-featured Kubernetes networking
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Free plan
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Linux Linux, Windows
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 6 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cilium 0/5 · Calico Open Source 5/5
CNI plugin Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Network policies Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Egress control Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Multi-cluster networking Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Encryption in transit Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms Not checked yet Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, OpenStack, virtual machines, bare metal
Our review
Pros
  • eBPF-based networking with Layer 3 through Layer 7 policies
  • Hubble provides network and security observability
  • Integrates with Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, Prometheus, and Grafana
  • Free and open source with CNI networking and policy enforcement
  • Supports eBPF, nftables, iptables, Windows, and VPP data planes
  • Adds WireGuard, cluster mesh, and Whisker traffic observability
Cons
  • Focused on Linux container platforms such as Kubernetes and Docker
  • Its broad feature set spans networking, security, APIs, and observability
  • Self-hosted and hybrid deployments require platform-level ownership
  • Its breadth may exceed the needs of simpler Kubernetes deployments
  • Requires self-hosted operation across supported infrastructure
  • Advanced capabilities can add architectural and operational complexity
Our verdict

Cilium is open-source networking and security software for application services running on Linux container platforms, including Kubernetes and Docker. It is aimed at teams that need one layer for container networking, load balancing,…

Read the review →

Calico Open Source is an open-source container networking and security platform maintained by Tigera. It is designed for teams running Kubernetes or other CNI-compatible orchestrators that need networking, policy enforcement, encryption,…

Read the review →
  1. CiliumContainer Networking Software 9.4Open source
  2. Calico Open SourceContainer Networking Software 9.2Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Cilium — where it wins

    • eBPF-based networking with Layer 3 through Layer 7 policies
    • Hubble provides network and security observability
    • Integrates with Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, Prometheus, and Grafana

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on Linux container platforms such as Kubernetes and Docker
    • Its broad feature set spans networking, security, APIs, and observability
    • Self-hosted and hybrid deployments require platform-level ownership

  • Calico Open Source — where it wins

    • Free and open source with CNI networking and policy enforcement
    • Supports eBPF, nftables, iptables, Windows, and VPP data planes
    • Adds WireGuard, cluster mesh, and Whisker traffic observability

    Where it doesn't

    • Its breadth may exceed the needs of simpler Kubernetes deployments
    • Requires self-hosted operation across supported infrastructure
    • Advanced capabilities can add architectural and operational complexity
  • Cilium9.4/10 · Open source

    A broad open-source networking and observability layer for Kubernetes environments.

    Visit CiliumFull verdict →
  • Calico Open Source9.2/10 · Free plan

    A free, broad Kubernetes networking stack with policy, encryption, and multi-cluster support.

    Visit CalicoFull verdict →

More comparisons

All container networking software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update