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Multus CNI review

Free#17 of 27 in Container Networking Software

A free, open-source layer for adding and coordinating multiple pod network interfaces.

7.3/10Editor score
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Multus CNI7.3 Visit Multus CNI

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Multus CNI is a free, open-source CNI meta-plugin for Kubernetes environments that need multi-homed pods, secondary network attachments, or specialized networking combinations. It invokes other CNI plugins to attach multiple network interfaces, while NetworkAttachmentDefinition custom resources and pod annotations define additional networks. Multus supports Kubernetes on Linux nodes and self-hosted clusters, making it a focused option for teams managing their own Kubernetes networking rather than a general-purpose container networking service.

Its main strength is integration breadth. Multus can coordinate with Flannel, Weave, Calico, Cilium, OVN-Kubernetes, DHCP, and Macvlan, and it supports default network configuration through delegates or clusterNetwork. Deployment options include Kubernetes DaemonSets, binaries, containers, and source builds. Teams can choose a thin plugin or a thick deployment; the latter includes multus-daemon and multus-shim components. This flexibility suits clusters that need to combine a default network with additional interfaces or specialized network attachments.

Multus is deliberately a coordination layer, so its scope has clear boundaries. Network policies, egress controls, encryption, and multi-cluster routing are not documented as native Multus features and may depend on the delegated CNI plugins. It also requires a default Kubernetes network plugin, adding an architectural dependency to deployment planning. Choose Multus when multiple pod interfaces and CNI coordination are the priority. Consider another approach when native policy, egress, encryption, or multi-cluster routing capabilities are the central requirement.

Multus CNI pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Attaches multiple network interfaces to Kubernetes pods
    • Works with Flannel, Weave, Calico, Cilium, and OVN-Kubernetes
    • Supports thin and thick deployment modes
  • Where it doesn't
    • Requires a default Kubernetes network plugin
    • Native network policies and egress controls are not documented
    • Designed for Kubernetes on Linux nodes and self-hosted clusters

Multus CNI fact sheet, pricing and score →

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