Compare open source and free tiers
vCluster is available as open source under the Apache 2.0 license and in several product tiers with additional features. This page explains the difference between the open source (OSS) and Free tiers, how licensing works, and how to activate the Free tier.
Overview​
vCluster Open Source is the foundation of the project. It provides full-stack tenant isolation with dedicated Kubernetes control planes, resource syncing, and multiple backing stores. OSS requires no license and no Platform connectivity.
vCluster Free tier adds capabilities on top of OSS at no cost, including embedded etcd, Private Nodes, custom resource syncing, sync patches, and HostPath Mapper. The Free tier requires connecting to the vCluster Platform for license validation but needs no credit card.
Beyond the Free tier, paid Enterprise tiers (Dev, Prod, Scale) add features like sleep mode, external databases, SSO, audit logging, FIPS compliance, and air-gapped deployments. For pricing details, see the vCluster Pricing page.
Documentation pages show tier badges in the sidebar: FREE (black) requires Platform activation, ENTERPRISE (orange) requires a paid license. Pages without badges are OSS features available to everyone.
Feature comparison by license plan​
This table compares the vCluster license plans, Free, Dev, Prod, and Scale. It does not show open source features, which do not need a license or a Platform connection.
Free, Dev, Prod, and Scale are vCluster Platform license plans. Open source does not need a license or a Platform connection. See Compare open source and free tiers.
How licensing works​
The Free tier requires connecting your cluster to the vCluster Platform for license validation. The Platform handles all license management automatically. You don't need to manually configure license keys.
Licensing has two parts. The license described below enables a feature, and the Pro image (ghcr.io/loft-sh/vcluster-pro, the chart default) contains the code that runs it. The open source image (ghcr.io/loft-sh/vcluster-oss) compiles these features out entirely. A Pro image without an attached license crashloops with a "vCluster pro feature" error that seems like a paywall but is really a configuration problem. See Resolve Pro feature license errors.
License validation flow​
License validation happens at the Platform level, not within individual clusters:
-
Platform retrieves license: The vCluster Platform periodically contacts the Loft License API (
admin.loft.sh) to retrieve and validate its license. This determines which features are available across all connected clusters. -
Cluster connects to Platform: Each cluster authenticates with the Platform using an access key stored in a Kubernetes Secret. The Platform then provides license information to the cluster.
-
Features are enabled: Based on the Platform's license tier (Free, Dev, Prod, or Scale), the cluster enables the appropriate features.
The Platform requires outbound HTTPS access to admin.loft.sh for license retrieval. Clusters only need connectivity to the Platform, not to the external license API. For air-gapped environments, see the air-gapped installation guide.
What happens during validation​
When a cluster starts or reconnects to the Platform:
- The cluster reads its access key from the configured Secret (defaults to
vcluster-platform-api-keyin the cluster's namespace) - It establishes a secure connection to the Platform
- The Platform validates the access key and returns the current license status
- The cluster enables or disables features based on the license tier
For details on configuring the access key, see Platform API Key configuration.
Graceful degradation​
A cluster that was previously licensed and then loses Platform connectivity does not stop functioning. A control plane that's already running keeps the features it already had enabled, since it doesn't poll the Platform. A Pro image that has never received a license Secret at all crashloops at startup instead. See How licensing works and Resolve Pro feature license errors.
License checks only happen at control plane startup and when its platform credentials Secret changes, not on a timer. If license validation fails at one of those points:
- Temporary connectivity issues: The control plane falls back to its cached feature list. That cache lives in a Secret in the host namespace and stays valid for 7 days.
- Expired or invalid license, with no usable cache: The control plane exits instead of starting unlicensed, the same way a Pro image with no license Secret does.
- No Platform connection: Clusters deployed without Platform connectivity operate as OSS from the start.
Activate the free tier​
Activate the vCluster Free tier using these steps:
Prerequisites​
- A Kubernetes cluster (control plane cluster) where you'll deploy clusters
- kubectl installed and configured
- The vCluster CLI installed
Step 1: Install the vCluster Platform​
Install the vCluster Platform in your Kubernetes cluster. See the Platform installation guide for detailed instructions. No credit card is required for the Free tier.
Step 2: Connect your cluster​
After installing the Platform, connect existing clusters or create new ones.
For existing clusters:
# Log in to the Platform
vcluster platform login
# Add an existing vCluster to the Platform
vcluster platform add vcluster my-vcluster
For new clusters, create them through the Platform UI or CLI - Free tier features are automatically enabled.
Step 3: Deploy with Free tier features​
When creating clusters through the Platform, Free tier features like embedded etcd are automatically available:
# Use embedded etcd (Free tier feature)
controlPlane:
backingStore:
etcd:
embedded:
enabled: true
Deploy your cluster:
vcluster create my-vcluster --values vcluster.yaml
Step 4: Verify Free tier activation​
Check that your cluster is connected and licensed in the Platform UI, or use the CLI:
# List clusters managed by Platform
vcluster platform list vclusters
You should see your cluster listed with the Free tier license status.
Frequently asked questions​
Is the Free tier really free?​
Yes, the Free tier is completely free. Creating a vCluster Platform account is required, but no credit card or payment is necessary.
Can OSS be used in production?​
Yes, vCluster OSS is production-ready and deployed by platform teams worldwide. Paid tiers add high availability, external database support, SSO, audit logging, and enterprise support — capabilities that larger-scale platform deployments typically require.
What happens if a Free tier license expires?​
Free tier licenses don't expire as long as the Platform account remains active. If connectivity issues prevent license validation, clusters keep running on their cached feature list, which stays valid for 7 days.
Can you upgrade from Free to a paid tier?​
Yes, upgrades are possible at any time from the vCluster Platform account settings. Existing clusters don't need to be redeployed, but they don't pick up the new tier on a timer either. A cluster reads its features when its control plane starts and whenever its platform credentials Secret changes. Restart the control plane to apply a new tier to an already-running cluster. See How licensing works.
Does OSS require platform connectivity?​
No, vCluster OSS operates completely independently without requiring any connection to the vCluster Platform. Only Free and paid tiers require Platform connectivity for license validation.