Kro: Kubernetes Infrastructure Management

Kro delivers a revolutionary, open-source approach to Kubernetes resource orchestration—empowering you to create powerful abstractions, simplify complex deployments, and manage infrastructure without the vendor lock-in, expensive licensing, or operational overhead of proprietary platform solutions.

Website: https://kro.run/

Why Choose Kro?

In a landscape dominated by expensive platform engineering tools and complex infrastructure management solutions, Kro stands out with a radically different approach:

• Kubernetes-Native Built specifically for Kubernetes, Kro leverages native CRDs and controllers to create powerful abstractions without external dependencies or proprietary APIs.
• Zero Vendor Lock-In Your infrastructure definitions remain portable, open-source, and under your complete control—no proprietary formats or forced cloud provider dependencies.
• Collaborative Innovation Developed jointly by AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft, Kro represents unprecedented industry collaboration to solve real Kubernetes challenges.
• Effortless Resource Orchestration Transform complex multi-resource deployments into simple, reusable components with automatic dependency management and intelligent ordering.
• Cost-Free Forever No licensing fees, no per-node charges, no subscription tiers. All functionality is available under the Apache 2.0 license with active community development.
• Platform Engineering Simplified Create custom APIs for your organization without writing complex controller code or maintaining custom operators.

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Spotlight on Key Features

1. ResourceGraphDefinition (RGD) Power

• Define complex resource groups as single, manageable units • Automatic dependency resolution and deployment ordering • CEL expressions for dynamic configuration and conditionals • Built-in status aggregation and health monitoring

2. Custom API Creation

• Generate new Kubernetes APIs without writing controller code • Expose only the parameters your teams need to configure • Hide infrastructure complexity behind simple, intuitive interfaces • Version and manage your custom resources like native Kubernetes objects

3. Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Ready

• Works with any Kubernetes distribution (EKS, GKE, AKS, on-premises) • Integrate with cloud provider operators (ACK, KCC, ASO) • Manage both Kubernetes-native and cloud resources together • No cloud vendor dependencies or proprietary APIs

4. Enterprise-Grade Governance

• Enforce organizational standards and compliance policies • Control what teams can and cannot modify • Built-in validation and security boundaries • Audit trails for all resource group changes

5. Developer Experience Focus

• Simple YAML interfaces for complex infrastructure • Self-service capabilities for development teams • Consistent deployment patterns across environments • Reduced time-to-production for new applications

Kro vs. Proprietary Platform Solutions

How does Kro compare to expensive, closed-source infrastructure management platforms? Here's a side-by-side look:

Beyond the Feature Matrix

• No Subscription Fatigue: Use Kro forever without monthly fees or per-resource charges that scale with your infrastructure growth.
• No Proprietary APIs: Your resource definitions work with standard Kubernetes tooling and can be migrated between clusters freely.
• No Forced Upgrades: Control when and how you upgrade, without vendor-imposed timelines or breaking changes.
• No Data Hostage: Your infrastructure code remains yours, exportable and portable to any Kubernetes environment.

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Getting Started in Minutes

Kro is designed for rapid deployment and immediate productivity:

🐳 Helm Installation (Recommended)

export KRO_VERSION=$(curl -sL \
    https://api.github.com/repos/kro-run/kro/releases/latest | \
    jq -r '.tag_name | ltrimstr("v")')

helm install kro oci://public.ecr.aws/kro/kro \
  --namespace kro \
  --create-namespace \
  --version=${KRO_VERSION}

🚀 Create Your First Resource Group

apiVersion: kro.run/v1alpha1
kind: ResourceGraphDefinition
metadata:
  name: web-app
spec:
  schema:
    apiVersion: v1alpha1
    kind: WebApp
    spec:
      name: string
      image: string | default="nginx"
      replicas: integer | default=3

🌐 Try the Live Examples

Explore comprehensive examples at kro.run/examples

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Real-World Success Stories

"Kro eliminated our need for a $50,000/year platform engineering solution. Our teams can now deploy complex applications with simple YAML files, and we maintain complete control over our infrastructure." — Sarah, Platform Engineering Lead

"The automatic dependency management in Kro saved us weeks of troubleshooting deployment ordering issues. Our multi-service applications deploy reliably every time." — Marcus, DevOps Engineer

"Moving from Terraform Cloud to Kro cut our monthly infrastructure tooling costs by 80% while giving us better Kubernetes integration." — Jennifer, Cloud Architect

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Practical Applications

Platform Engineering at Scale

Build organization-wide standards for application deployment, security policies, and infrastructure patterns—all without expensive platform engineering tools.

Multi-Cloud Orchestration

Deploy consistent application stacks across AWS EKS, Google GKE, and Azure AKS using the same resource definitions and deployment patterns.

Developer Self-Service

Empower development teams with simple interfaces to complex infrastructure, reducing tickets to platform teams while maintaining governance.

Legacy Migration

Gradually modernize existing infrastructure by wrapping legacy deployment patterns in Kro resource groups, enabling incremental adoption.

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Join the Kro Community

With over 2,200 GitHub stars and backing from major cloud providers, Kro represents the future of Kubernetes resource management:

• Contribute Code: Help shape the project's direction via GitHub
• Join Discussions: Connect with the community on Kubernetes Slack (#kro)
• Share Use Cases: Showcase your Kro implementations and patterns
• Provide Feedback: Help prioritize features and improvements

Community Meeting

• When: Every other Wednesday at 9AM PT
• Where: Zoom meeting (check GitHub for links)
• What: Development updates, use case discussions, Q&A

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Final Thoughts

Your infrastructure management shouldn't be held hostage by expensive licensing, vendor lock-in, or proprietary platforms. Kro represents a new era of Kubernetes resource orchestration: open, collaborative, powerful, and truly yours. Whether you're building internal developer platforms, managing multi-cloud deployments, or simplifying complex application architectures, Kro offers a compelling alternative that puts you back in control.

The unprecedented collaboration between AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft behind this project signals a fundamental shift toward open, standardized approaches to platform engineering. Don't let proprietary solutions limit your infrastructure's potential.

Ready to transform your Kubernetes experience? Explore kro.run or dive into the code on GitHub.