Best Amazon VPC CNI Alternatives in 2026
The top Amazon VPC CNI alternatives are Cilium, Calico Open Source and Antrea: 15 container networking software our editors would look at instead of Amazon VPC CNI, in our ranking order.
Amazon VPC CNI: A native AWS networking plugin for Kubernetes clusters running on Amazon infrastructure. Where it falls short: network policy support must be enabled before use.
Switching from Amazon VPC CNI? For most container networking software buyers the best Amazon VPC CNI alternative is Cilium, built for broad Kubernetes networking and observability.
Why People Look for an Amazon VPC CNI Alternative
- Network policy support must be enabled before use
- Designed around AWS VPC, EC2, ENIs, and EKS
- Its scope centers on AWS-native Kubernetes networking
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallCilium9.4
Broad Kubernetes networking and observability
Visit Cilium - Best free optionCilium9.4
Has a free plan
Visit Cilium
All 15 Amazon VPC CNI Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forBroad Kubernetes networking and observability
- Better than Amazon VPC CNI:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.2
A broad open-source networking and observability layer for Kubernetes environments.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Cilium -
Best forFree, full-featured Kubernetes networking
- Better than Amazon VPC CNI:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.2
A free, broad Kubernetes networking stack with policy, encryption, and multi-cluster support.
- Multi-cluster networking
- Encryption in transit
- Egress control
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Calico -
Best forAdvanced policy and multi-cluster networking
- Better than Amazon VPC CNI:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.2
A strong open-source choice for advanced Kubernetes networking, policy, and visibility.
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Antrea -
Best forFeature-rich Linux and Windows clusters
- Better than Amazon VPC CNI:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.2
A feature-rich, free CNI for Kubernetes clusters spanning Linux and Windows.
- Encryption in transit
- Egress control
- CNI plugin
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit OVN-Kubernetes -
Best forMulti-tenant Kubernetes and VM networking
- Better than Amazon VPC CNI:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.2
A broad self-hosted CNI for multi-tenant Kubernetes and KubeVirt networking.
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Kube-OVN -
Best forEnterprise Kubernetes security and networking
- Better than Amazon VPC CNI:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 8.2
A broad Kubernetes networking and security suite for enterprises operating complex clusters.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Tigera -
Best forEnterprise Cilium networking for self-hosted clusters
- Better than Amazon VPC CNI:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 8.2
A self-hosted Cilium platform for policy-controlled Kubernetes networking and visibility.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Cisco -
Best forAzure Kubernetes Service networking
A free, open-source CNI for flexible AKS networking and policy control.
- Encryption in transit
- Egress control
- CNI plugin
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Azure CNI -
Best forBGP-based Kubernetes networking
A broad open-source Kubernetes networking stack for BGP-based cluster designs.
- Egress control
- CNI plugin
- Network policies
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Kube-router -
Best forStraightforward Kubernetes cluster networking
A free, focused CNI for straightforward Kubernetes cluster networking.
- Encryption in transit
- CNI plugin
- Network policies
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Flannel -
Best forComplex multi-interface IPAM environments
A broad Kubernetes networking layer for complex multi-interface and RDMA environments.
- Multi-cluster networking
- Encryption in transit
- Egress control
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Spiderpool -
Best forFree cross-cluster Kubernetes connectivity
A free open-source layer for connecting Pods and Services across Kubernetes clusters.
- Multi-cluster networking
- Encryption in transit
- Egress control
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Submariner -
Best forVMware-centered Kubernetes networking
A VMware-focused Kubernetes networking layer with policy, visibility, and troubleshooting controls.
- Multi-cluster networking
- Egress control
- CNI plugin
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Broadcom -
Best forManaged multicloud Kubernetes traffic governance
Centralized multicloud Kubernetes traffic governance without replacing the CNI.
- Multi-cluster networking
- Egress control
- Network policies
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Aviatrix -
Best forMulti-interface Linux Kubernetes networking
A focused, free open-source choice for complex Pod networking on Linux.
- CNI plugin
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit DANM
Amazon VPC CNI Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Amazon VPC CNI?
Cilium: #1 in our Container Networking Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A broad open-source networking and observability layer for Kubernetes environments.
Is there a free alternative to Amazon VPC CNI?
Yes. Cilium, Calico Open Source, Antrea, OVN-Kubernetes and Kube-OVN have a free plan or a free tier (11 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Amazon VPC CNI alternatives?
Network policy support must be enabled before use; Designed around AWS VPC, EC2, ENIs, and EKS; Its scope centers on AWS-native Kubernetes networking.
How do I switch from Amazon VPC CNI?
Export your data from Amazon VPC CNI (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Amazon VPC CNI.
How to Switch from Amazon VPC CNI
- Export your data from Amazon VPC CNI (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Amazon VPC CNI.
Amazon VPC CNI vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | CNI plugin | Network policies | Egress control | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Amazon VPC CNI | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 1 | Cilium | Free | 9.4 | ||||
| 2 | Calico Open Source | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 3 | Antrea | Free | 9.0 | ||||
| 4 | OVN-Kubernetes | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 |
| 5 | Kube-OVN | Yes | Free | 8.6 | |||
| 6 | Calico Enterprise | No | 8.5 | ||||
| 7 | Isovalent Enterprise for Cilium | 8.4 | |||||
| 8 | Azure CNI | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.1 |
| 9 | Kube-router | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 10 | Flannel | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 11 | Spiderpool | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 12 | Submariner | Yes | Free | No | No | Yes | 7.7 |
| 13 | VMware NSX Container Plugin | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | ||
| 14 | Aviatrix Kubernetes Firewall | No | No | Yes | Yes | 7.5 | |
| 15 | DANM | Yes | Free | Yes | 7.4 |
Head-to-Head
- Amazon VPC CNI vs Cilium
- Amazon VPC CNI vs Calico Open Source
- Amazon VPC CNI vs Antrea
- Amazon VPC CNI vs OVN-Kubernetes
- Amazon VPC CNI vs Kube-OVN
- Amazon VPC CNI vs Calico Enterprise
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update