Best KEDA Alternatives in 2026
The top KEDA alternatives are Alibaba Cloud Auto Scaling, Scaleway Instance Groups and Amazon Elastic Container Service: 15 auto scaling software our editors would look at instead of KEDA, in our ranking order.
KEDA: A free, cloud-agnostic Kubernetes component for scaling applications and batch jobs from events. Where it falls short: requires a self-hosted kubernetes deployment.
Switching from KEDA? For most auto scaling software buyers the best KEDA alternative is Alibaba Cloud Auto Scaling, built for alibaba Cloud users scaling instance groups.
Why People Look for a KEDA Alternative
- Requires a self-hosted Kubernetes deployment
- Scaling depends on supported event sources or configured triggers
- Support channels are community-based
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAlibaba Cloud Auto Scaling9.1
Alibaba Cloud users scaling instance groups
Visit Alibaba Cloud Auto Scaling - Best free optionAlibaba Cloud Auto Scaling9.1
Has a free plan
Visit Alibaba Cloud Auto Scaling
All 15 KEDA 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 forAlibaba Cloud users scaling instance groups
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 7.8
A free Alibaba Cloud service for scaling ECS and ECI instance groups.
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forScaleway users scaling virtual machine groups
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A focused autoscaler for Scaleway VM groups, with CPU and RAM targets and load-balancer updates.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Scaleway -
Best forAWS teams scaling container services
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
AWS container orchestration with service and cluster autoscaling across several compute options.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon ECS -
Best forTeams needing managed Kubernetes on AWS
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
Managed AWS Kubernetes with node scaling, Auto Mode, and broad AWS integrations.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon EKS -
Best forSmall teams scaling DigitalOcean Kubernetes nodes
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A managed Kubernetes service with node-pool autoscaling, billed by worker node.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit DigitalOcean -
Best forScaleway users running demand-based containers
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A focused fit for Scaleway workloads that need demand-based container scaling, including scale-to-zero.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Scaleway -
Best forTeams managing autoscaling in self-hosted Kubernetes
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A free, self-hosted Kubernetes platform that includes horizontal pod autoscaling.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Kubernetes -
Best forTeams already deploying apps on Heroku
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A managed dyno platform with clear scaling tiers, pipelines, and deployment controls.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Heroku -
Best forAzure teams monitoring virtual-machine capacity
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A broad Azure and hybrid VM monitoring service, but not a listed autoscaling tool.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Azure Monitor -
Best forAzure Kubernetes teams configuring pod networking
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
Free AKS networking with policy and egress controls, but not an autoscaler.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Microsoft -
Best forGKE teams needing Kubernetes backups and restores
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A GKE-focused backup service with scheduled protection and cross-cluster restores.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forGoogle Cloud users scaling managed instance groups
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A Google Cloud feature for scaling managed instance groups to match changing demand.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forAWS users scaling multiple resource types
- Better than KEDA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.8
A free AWS service for coordinating scaling across supported resource types.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit AWS -
Best forMulti-cloud Kubernetes teams optimizing node capacity
Automates Kubernetes node and workload optimization across four public clouds.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit CAST AI -
Best forEnterprise teams optimizing Kubernetes workloads
A broad Kubernetes optimizer for teams aligning workload performance with cloud cost.
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit ScaleOps
KEDA Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to KEDA?
Alibaba Cloud Auto Scaling: #1 in our Auto Scaling Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.1 out of 10. A free Alibaba Cloud service for scaling ECS and ECI instance groups.
Is there a free alternative to KEDA?
Yes. Alibaba Cloud Auto Scaling, Scaleway Serverless Containers, Kubernetes, Azure CNI and AWS Auto Scaling have a free plan or a free tier.
Why do people look for KEDA alternatives?
Requires a self-hosted Kubernetes deployment; Scaling depends on supported event sources or configured triggers; Support channels are community-based.
How do I switch from KEDA?
Export your data from KEDA (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 KEDA.
How to Switch from KEDA
- Export your data from KEDA (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 KEDA.
KEDA vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | KEDA | Yes | Free | 7.8 |
| 1 | Alibaba Cloud Auto Scaling | Yes | Free | 9.1 |
| 2 | Scaleway Instance Groups | 7.9 | ||
| 3 | Amazon Elastic Container Service | No | 7.9 | |
| 4 | Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service | No | $0.10/unit usage-based | 7.9 |
| 5 | DigitalOcean Kubernetes | No | $12/unit/mo | 7.9 |
| 6 | Scaleway Serverless Containers | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 7 | Kubernetes | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 8 | Heroku | No | $5/unit/mo | 7.9 |
| 9 | Azure Monitor | No | 7.9 | |
| 10 | Azure CNI | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 11 | Backup for GKE | No | $0.04/GB/mo | 7.9 |
| 12 | Google Cloud autoscaler | No | 7.9 | |
| 13 | AWS Auto Scaling | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 14 | CAST AI | 7.1 | ||
| 15 | ScaleOps | No | 7.0 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update