Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Terway review

Free#26 of 27 in Container Networking Software

A focused, free CNI for teams running Kubernetes workloads on Alibaba Cloud.

6.3/10Editor score
Visit Terway
Terway6.3 Visit Terway

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Terway is an open-source Container Network Interface plugin for Alibaba Cloud Kubernetes Service (ACK). It assigns Alibaba Cloud VPC-native elastic network interface addresses to Pods and supports shared and exclusive ENI modes for Pod IP allocation. The product is intended for teams operating Kubernetes workloads on Alibaba Cloud infrastructure, particularly where direct VPC connectivity and Alibaba Cloud networking controls matter more than broad multi-cloud portability.

The plugin itself is free and open source. Its networking scope includes Kubernetes NetworkPolicy support, IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack networking, direct VPC connectivity without VXLAN encapsulation, and IP prefix mode for higher Pod density. Trunk ENI also supports per-Pod static IP, vSwitch, and security-group configuration. eBPF-based DataPath V2 traffic acceleration adds a focused performance option for supported deployments. These capabilities make Terway suited to teams that want Pod networking to align closely with Alibaba Cloud VPC constructs rather than rely on an overlay-first design.

Platform fit is the key decision point. Terway is built around Alibaba Cloud ACK, VPC, and ENI networking, with support covering Alibaba Cloud Linux 3/4, ContainerOS, and Ubuntu. That focus can simplify the networking model for Alibaba Cloud operators, but it makes the product a poor match for teams seeking a provider-neutral CNI or a deployment centered on other cloud platforms. NetworkPolicy support also needs careful planning because it is documented for shared ENI mode, while exclusive ENI mode does not support it. Choose Terway for Alibaba Cloud-native Kubernetes networking; consider an alternative when portability across cloud environments is the primary requirement.

Terway pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Native VPC and ENI networking with shared or exclusive ENI modes
    • Supports NetworkPolicy, dual-stack IPv4/IPv6, and eBPF acceleration
    • Per-Pod IP, vSwitch, and security-group configuration with Trunk ENI
  • Where it doesn't
    • Its strongest fit is limited to Alibaba Cloud ACK environments
    • NetworkPolicy support applies to shared ENI mode, not exclusive ENI mode
    • Alibaba Cloud infrastructure and ACK resources incur separate charges

Terway fact sheet, pricing and score →

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.

Last updated · How we research and update