Is Syself Autopilot an Edka alternative?

Yes, with a different focus. Edka sets up k3s with Flannel or Cilium and an app and database dashboard on top. Syself Autopilot runs upstream Kubernetes on Syself Linux and manages the layers underneath, tested together on Hetzner Cloud and bare metal.

Can I run Kubernetes on Hetzner bare metal with Edka?

As workers, from the Standard plan: Edka installs Debian 13 and joins each server over a vSwitch, with the control plane on Hetzner Cloud. A beta Satellite cluster runs on one dedicated server, without HA or etcd backups. Syself Autopilot can run the control plane on bare metal too. Bare metal gives more cores per euro, no per-gigabyte traffic charges and room for KubeVirt VMs.

How do upgrades compare?

On both, you decide when. Edka installs OS updates daily, but the rest of patching stays with you: tracking CVEs, backing up, testing Kubernetes and add-on updates and rolling them out to every node, at least monthly. Syself ships tested updates every week; you trigger one and Syself moves all of it together, one node at a time, with no rollback.

Can I run databases inside the cluster instead of a managed service?

On both. Edka installs PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey and ClickHouse and manages them from its dashboard. On Syself Autopilot you run an operator such as CloudNativePG, or an agency runs it for you in your cluster.

Does either one lock me in?

On both, the servers and data stay in your Hetzner account, and Edka can be detached with one click. Syself Autopilot runs upstream Kubernetes, so your manifests, Helm charts and data move to any conformant cluster; the node OS, KubeGate and controllers stay behind.

Edka has a free plan. Why pay for Syself Autopilot?

Edka’s plans run from free to Enterprise from €500 a month. On Edka you apply each add-on update, and Edka publishes no test process for the whole stack. On Syself Autopilot the OS, Kubernetes and cluster components move together in releases that pass more than 400 tests on real clusters. Syself charges a platform fee plus a usage-based fee tied to your infrastructure spend; try the pricing calculator.

Who does the migration and the 24/7 on-call?

Edka Enterprise includes 24/7 support, a custom uptime SLA and migration help. Syself’s team or agencies and integrators migrate you. Premium Support adds 24/7 cover under a custom SLA.

Syself Autopilot vs Edka: Which Is Right for Your Kubernetes on Hetzner?

Both put the cluster in your own Hetzner account. Edka gives you k3s and an app and database dashboard; you back up before each upgrade and apply add-on updates. Syself Autopilot, run by Syself, keeps the servers, OS, Kubernetes and cluster components current in tested releases.

What it is: Edka sets up k3s clusters in your own Hetzner account, with a dashboard for apps, databases, AI agents, observability and add-ons on top.¹⁹²¹²⁸
Who does the work: Edka Digital S.L., in Barcelona, runs the dashboard; it launched as a public beta in August 2025.¹⁹²⁹ You back up before each Kubernetes upgrade, apply add-on updates and secure the cluster after setup.²²²³⁴¹
Where it runs: Cloud clusters keep the control plane on Hetzner Cloud servers, and dedicated servers join as workers only.²⁵ A Satellite cluster, in beta, turns one server you own into a single-node k3s cluster that you upgrade yourself.³⁸

What it is: A separate managed Kubernetes service for Hetzner: upstream Kubernetes on Syself Linux, shipped with the in-cluster components as one tested release.¹²³ It replaces failing cloud nodes and tells you what broke when bare-metal hardware fails.⁴
Who does the work: Syself builds Syself Linux, sets up your cloud and bare-metal servers and upgrades everything in one tested Cluster Stack release.¹²³¹² Syself Autopilot includes support from the Syself team.¹¹³⁴
Where it runs: Control plane and workers can run on Hetzner Cloud or bare-metal servers in your own Hetzner account.¹¹³

Which One Fits You?

Tick what applies. The answer includes the needs where Edka is the better choice.

Edka · 0Syself Autopilot · 0

Tick what applies to you

The answer updates as you go. Every need on the list counts, including the ones that point away from us.

Syself Autopilot vs Edka at a Glance

One short fact per side for each theme, each linked to its source.

Theme	k3s + app platform	fully managed, on your servers
Delivery model	Edka Dashboard that sets up and manages clusters in your Hetzner account; detach it and the cluster keeps running¹⁹	Syself Autopilot Fully managed Kubernetes run from Syself’s management cluster; if that is unreachable, your cluster keeps running¹
Kubernetes	Edka k3s with embedded etcd; Flannel or Cilium, fixed at creation²¹	Syself Autopilot Upstream Kubernetes in a tested Cluster Stack release that pins the OS, Kubernetes and in-cluster components²
Control plane	Edka One or three Hetzner Cloud servers; a dedicated server only as a single-node Satellite cluster, in beta²¹²⁵³⁸	Syself Autopilot Hetzner Cloud or bare-metal servers, one or three, in your account¹³
Bare metal	Edka Workers only; Debian 13 written with installimage, RAID 1, 10 to 20 minutes per server; Standard plan and up²⁵²⁰	Syself Autopilot Control plane and workers, no vSwitch needed; Syself checks the disks and installs Syself Linux from the rescue system, so the node boots with nothing to download¹²⁷³⁷
Node OS	Edka Debian 13 by default, or Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04; security updates installed in place daily²¹²²	Syself Autopilot Syself Linux: about 350 MB, read-only, checked block by block, replaced rather than patched. A security team tracks each CVE, checks whether your clusters are exposed and ships the fix in a tested release; support is included³
Kubernetes upgrades	Edka The dashboard shows the next version; you start the upgrade after taking a backup²³²²	Syself Autopilot Tested updates every week, listed in the Version Hub; you trigger one and Syself drains, removes and replaces each node, with no rollback⁵²
Release testing	Edka No test process published²²	Syself Autopilot More than 400 tests on real clusters, including every supported upgrade path; a cluster can only use a release that passed⁶
Node repair	Edka Warning when nodes are not ready; automatic replacement not described²³	Syself Autopilot Cloud nodes rebooted, then replaced if they don’t recover; bare-metal nodes rebooted, and Syself tells you what broke when the hardware is at fault⁴
Security fixes	Edka Nodes install OS security updates daily and can reboot in a maintenance window; a Vulnerabilities tab lists node, Kubernetes and image CVEs³⁹⁴⁰	Syself Autopilot Hardened to the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark; each release ships an SBOM and a VEX verdict per node-image CVE, and a release with an overdue CVE does not ship³⁶³⁵³⁴
In-cluster components	Edka Curated add-ons preconfigured for Hetzner; each update applied separately²⁷²³	Syself Autopilot Network plugin, Hetzner integration, DNS and storage pinned in the release and upgraded together²
Databases and apps	Edka PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey and ClickHouse through operators, app deployments and runners in the dashboard²⁶²⁷	Syself Autopilot Standard operators; you run them, or an agency runs them for you in your cluster¹⁵
Recovering a lost cluster	Edka Encrypted etcd snapshots to Edka-managed storage, kept 7, 30 or 90 days by plan²⁴	Syself Autopilot Recreated from its Cluster object and your manifests in Git; no etcd backup needed. Data comes back from your own backups¹⁰
Support	Edka Email in 2 business days on Standard, email and chat in 8 business hours on Pro, 24/7 on Enterprise; 99.5% uptime SLA on paid plans²⁰	Syself Autopilot Support from the Syself team on business days included with Syself Autopilot; Premium Support with a custom SLA and 24/7 cover; migration by Syself or agencies¹¹³⁴
Price	Edka Free plan; €80 or €250 a month; Enterprise from €500 a month, plus your Hetzner bill²⁰	Syself Autopilot A platform fee plus a usage-based fee tied to your infrastructure spend, not to nodes or clusters; request a 14-day trial without limits or a free plan for one cluster of up to 5 nodes of any size, no vCPU cap, bare metal included¹¹

Edka’s plans and features are changing quickly; check edka.io for the current offer. Syself Linux and bare-metal installs from the rescue system are available from release 1.36.³⁷

Who Does the Work of Running Kubernetes

Every Kubernetes setup on Hetzner has to cover four layers, plus day-to-day operations. See which jobs you keep with each one.

k3s + app platform

4 of 13 jobs left to you, 8 shared

fully managed, on your servers

0 of 13 jobs left to you, 6 shared

Each segment is one job. Point at it to see which job it is, or click it to read why.

Left to you Shared Handled by the vendor, or not needed

Servers Create, provision and replace the machines
Replace a server that fails Syself Autopilot reboots a failing cloud node and replaces it from a fresh image if it doesn’t recover.⁴ Edka shows a warning; its docs don’t describe automatic replacement.²³

Edka You
Syself Autopilot Syself
Add servers when workloads grow Edka autoscales cloud node pools you enable it on, not bare-metal pools.²²²⁵ On Syself Autopilot you change a replica count, or install the Cluster Autoscaler, which then scales through Syself.¹⁷

Edka Edka
Syself Autopilot Shared
Bring a bare-metal server into the cluster Hetzner has no server types or instant delivery for bare metal, so renting is the only manual step. Edka installs Debian 13 and joins it as a worker over a vSwitch.²⁵ Syself builds the node in the rescue system, so it boots with nothing to download, needs no vSwitch and can serve the control plane.¹²³⁷¹³

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Syself
Handle a failing bare-metal server Syself reboots the node and, when the hardware is at fault, tells you what broke so you can open the Hetzner ticket. Hetzner has no API for tickets, so that step stays with you.⁴ Edka’s docs don’t describe what happens when a running server fails.²⁵

Edka You
Syself Autopilot Shared
Operating system Install it, patch it and keep every node the same
Keep every node identical Syself Linux is read-only and replaced, never patched, so nodes can’t drift.³ Edka nodes are patched in place by daily security updates.²²

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Syself
Know about and patch OS CVEs Syself checks each CVE against the release’s SBOM and ships fixes in a new tested release.⁸³⁴³⁵ Edka installs OS updates daily, lists open CVEs per node and can reboot nodes in a maintenance window.³⁹⁴⁰

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Syself
Kubernetes Install, configure and upgrade the components
Keep Kubernetes and the platform up to date Syself ships tested updates every week and lists each one in the Version Hub: what changed, what got fixed and where security stands. You decide when on both; on Syself you trigger the update, and it drains, removes and replaces each node on its own.⁵ Edka asks you to back up and check custom resources first.²² Removed-API checks and PodDisruptionBudgets stay yours.⁶

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Syself
Test each platform update before it ships Syself tests every release on real clusters; it tests its own stack, not your manifests.⁶ Edka pins the k3s version it validates and publishes no test process for the whole stack.³⁸²²

Edka You
Syself Autopilot Syself
Inside the cluster The network plugin, the Hetzner integration and storage
Upgrade the network plugin, Hetzner controller and storage driver together They move with the Cluster Stack on Syself Autopilot.² On Edka you apply each add-on update yourself.²³

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Syself
Run databases inside the cluster Edka installs the operators and gives you a UI; backups go to your bucket.²⁶ Syself ships the storage and documents CloudNativePG.³¹ You run the databases, or an agency runs them for you in your cluster.¹⁵¹⁸

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Shared
Day to day Backups, access, logs and the workloads
Back up application data Syself documents CloudNativePG with point-in-time restore and Velero for volumes.³¹¹⁰ The data is yours. Edka’s etcd backups don’t include volume data.²⁴

Edka You
Syself Autopilot Shared
Get help around the clock Edka includes 24/7 support and a custom uptime SLA on Enterprise, from €500 a month.²⁰ Syself Autopilot includes support from the Syself team on business days; Premium Support adds a custom SLA and 24/7 cover.¹¹³⁴

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Shared
Lock down access, networking and logs Edka encrypts Secrets and offers roles, logs, metrics and a Cilium host firewall.²¹³⁰²⁷ Syself runs a host firewall and can limit the API to trusted IPs.³⁷³²³³ RBAC, SSH, etcd encryption, network policies and logs stay yours.⁹³⁴⁴⁴

Edka Shared
Syself Autopilot Shared

On every option, Syself Autopilot included, you still back up workloads and data, run monitoring and alerting, and set access, encryption and network policies. See what you own and what Syself manages.

What Each One Costs

Both run on the same Hetzner servers in your account, so the server bill is the same. Edka charges a plan fee, or none on the free plan. Syself charges a platform fee plus a usage-based fee tied to your infrastructure spend, not to nodes or clusters.

k3s + app platform

Free plan, one non-HA cluster up to 24 vCPUs: €0
a month, Standard: 2 clusters, HA, bare-metal pools: €80
a month, Pro: 4 clusters: €250

fully managed, on your servers

What Syself runs for you

Servers, OS, Kubernetes and cluster components
Releases tested on real clusters, with SBOM and VEX
Support from the Syself team

Platform fee Usage-based fee

Usage-based fee tied to your infrastructure spend, not to nodes or clusters.

Estimate your price or tell us about your setup for a tailored price

Request a 14-day trial without limits or a free plan for one cluster of up to 5 nodes of any size, no vCPU cap, bare metal included.

Your servers Billed separately by your cloud or bare-metal provider

Edka prices exclude VAT; yearly billing gives two months free, and extra clusters on Standard and Pro cost €60 a month.²⁰

Questions Teams Ask Before Choosing

Short answers, each linked to Edka’s and Syself’s documentation.

: Yes, with a different focus. Edka sets up k3s with Flannel or Cilium and an app and database dashboard on top.¹⁹²¹ Syself Autopilot runs upstream Kubernetes on Syself Linux and manages the layers underneath, tested together on Hetzner Cloud and bare metal.¹²
: As workers, from the Standard plan: Edka installs Debian 13 and joins each server over a vSwitch, with the control plane on Hetzner Cloud.²⁵²⁰ A beta Satellite cluster runs on one dedicated server, without HA or etcd backups.³⁸ Syself Autopilot can run the control plane on bare metal too.¹³ Bare metal gives more cores per euro, no per-gigabyte traffic charges and room for KubeVirt VMs.¹⁶¹⁴
: On both, you decide when. Edka installs OS updates daily, but the rest of patching stays with you: tracking CVEs, backing up, testing Kubernetes and add-on updates and rolling them out to every node, at least monthly.²²²³⁴² Syself ships tested updates every week; you trigger one and Syself moves all of it together, one node at a time, with no rollback.⁶⁵
: On both. Edka installs PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey and ClickHouse and manages them from its dashboard.²⁶ On Syself Autopilot you run an operator such as CloudNativePG, or an agency runs it for you in your cluster.¹⁵
: On both, the servers and data stay in your Hetzner account, and Edka can be detached with one click.¹⁹ Syself Autopilot runs upstream Kubernetes, so your manifests, Helm charts and data move to any conformant cluster; the node OS, KubeGate and controllers stay behind.¹¹⁵
: Edka’s plans run from free to Enterprise from €500 a month.²⁰ On Edka you apply each add-on update, and Edka publishes no test process for the whole stack.²³²² On Syself Autopilot the OS, Kubernetes and cluster components move together in releases that pass more than 400 tests on real clusters.²⁶ Syself charges a platform fee plus a usage-based fee tied to your infrastructure spend; try the pricing calculator.¹¹
: Edka Enterprise includes 24/7 support, a custom uptime SLA and migration help.²⁰ Syself’s team or agencies and integrators migrate you.¹¹¹⁸ Premium Support adds 24/7 cover under a custom SLA.³⁴

Other Comparisons

Running on Hetzner, or Planning To?

Request a 14-day trial without limits on your own Hetzner account or a free plan for one cluster of up to 5 nodes of any size. You can price your servers in the pricing calculator before you talk to anyone.

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Syself Autopilot vs Edka: vs Which Is Right for Your Kubernetes on Hetzner?