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Syself Autopilot vs Nutanix: Which Is Right for Your Kubernetes?

NKP is software you license, install and run, built for hardware you own. On Hetzner, which NKP does not list, you would also install and patch the OS on every server. Syself Autopilot, a managed service run by Syself, does that work in your Hetzner account.

Nutanix

What it is
Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP) is software you license and install to create and upgrade Kubernetes clusters.1517
Who does the work
You install it, run its management cluster and start each upgrade. On Hetzner you also install and patch the OS on each server and add Hetzner’s cloud controller and storage driver. Nutanix support answers tickets around the clock.171820
Where it runs
It runs on Nutanix’s own hypervisor, VMware, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and machines you prepare yourself. Hetzner is not on the list.17

What it is
Syself Autopilot is fully managed Kubernetes for Hetzner. Syself builds its own parts for it: Syself Linux, KubeGate, the provisioner and the controllers that heal and upgrade nodes.322104 Your applications run on standard upstream Kubernetes.1
Who does the work
Syself builds and patches the node OS and sets up the servers in your Hetzner account.310 It upgrades Kubernetes, the network plugin and the Hetzner integration together, in releases tested on real clusters.211 Syself Autopilot includes support from the Syself team.9 You decide when to upgrade.
Where it runs
On Hetzner Cloud and bare-metal servers in your own Hetzner account, so the servers and the data stay yours.1

What you get with Syself Autopilot

Which One Fits You?

Tick what applies. The reasons to choose Nutanix are on this list too.

What applies to you?
Nutanix · 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 Nutanix at a Glance

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

Who runs the clustersNutanix You; Nutanix provides the software and support1720Syself Autopilot Syself runs the management side and the cluster lifecycle; you run the workloads5
Where it runsNutanix Nutanix’s own hypervisor, VMware vSphere, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and machines you prepare17Syself Autopilot Hetzner Cloud and bare-metal servers, in your own Hetzner account1
Hetzner serversNutanix Not a listed platform; you create each machine and install its OS, then NKP installs Kubernetes over SSH1718Syself Autopilot Syself checks the disks and installs Syself Linux from the Hetzner rescue system before first boot, so a booting node downloads and configures nothing10
Operating systemNutanix A Nutanix-built image on its own hypervisor; on machines you prepare, the OS you install and patch151718Syself Autopilot Syself Linux: read-only and replaced rather than patched, so every node stays the same. A security team tracks each CVE, checks whether your clusters are exposed and ships the fix in a tested release; support is included3
Kubernetes upgradesNutanix Rolling upgrades you start with the NKP command-line tool17Syself Autopilot Tested updates every week, listed in the Version Hub; you trigger one and Syself drains, removes and replaces each node, with no rollback212
Hardening and CVE fixesNutanix On Hetzner you bring, harden and patch your own OS image; NKP Insights in Ultimate scans clusters for CIS findings and drift182515Syself Autopilot Control plane and kubelet hardened to the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark; an SBOM and VEX verdicts for every release, and a release with an overdue CVE does not ship72426
Databases and VMsNutanix Virtual machines and containers on one platform, with Nutanix’s own storage and database services15Syself Autopilot Databases on bare-metal NVMe under an operator such as CloudNativePG; VMs inside the cluster with KubeVirt, and Kata Containers to run pods in micro VMs131421
SupportNutanix 24x7 technical support; a priority-1 response target of 1 hour, or 30 minutes on Mission Critical20Syself 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 agencies9
PriceNutanix A license for 1 to 5 years, per worker core or vCPU1516Syself Autopilot A platform fee plus a usage-based fee tied to your infrastructure spend, not to nodes or clusters; price your servers in the pricing calculator9

NKP Starter runs only on Nutanix’s own hypervisor, Pro adds other environments, Ultimate adds managing clusters across clouds.15 Syself Linux and rescue-system provisioning are available from release 1.36.310

Who Does the Work of Running Kubernetes

Every setup covers the same layers: servers, OS, Kubernetes and in-cluster components. See which jobs stay with you on Hetzner.

Nutanix NKP, self-run

9 of 14 jobs left to you, 5 shared

fully managed, on your servers

0 of 14 jobs left to you, 5 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
  • Create and set up new cloud servers On NKP’s pre-provisioned path you install the OS on each machine before NKP installs Kubernetes.18 Syself builds each node in the rescue system with everything on disk, so boot does not depend on the internet or a registry.10
    Nutanix You
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Bring bare-metal servers into a cluster Hetzner has no server types or instant delivery for bare metal, so renting is the only manual step. Syself Autopilot then checks its disk, installs Syself Linux and joins it to the cluster. With NKP you install the OS yourself.1018
    Nutanix You
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Replace a Hetzner Cloud server that fails NKP cannot order a replacement Hetzner server. Syself reboots a failing cloud node and replaces it if it doesn’t recover.4
    Nutanix You
    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
    Nutanix You
    Syself Autopilot Shared
  • Operating system Install it, patch it and keep every node the same
  • Patch the operating system and follow its CVEs On NKP’s pre-provisioned path the OS is yours to patch.18 Syself ships tested updates every week, with OS fixes in a new Syself Linux image; 1.36 v7 updated the kernel, containerd and runc.6328
    Nutanix You
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Keep every node the same Syself Linux is read-only and replaced rather than patched, so nodes don’t drift apart.3 On NKP’s pre-provisioned path, keeping machines alike is your job.18
    Nutanix You
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Kubernetes Install, configure and upgrade the components
  • Decide when to upgrade Neither moves a cluster to a new version on its own.17 Syself ships tested updates every week, and the Version Hub shows what changed, what got fixed and where security stands; you choose when each cluster moves.226
    Nutanix You
    Syself Autopilot Shared
  • Roll every node to the new version Kubernetes ships a minor version about three times a year.29 Both replace nodes one at a time. With NKP you run each upgrade, including the management cluster’s.17 With Syself Autopilot you trigger it, and Syself drains, removes and replaces each node on its own.6 PodDisruptionBudgets stay yours.11
    Nutanix Shared
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Replace a control-plane node Syself replaces control-plane machines one at a time, so etcd keeps its majority.6 On NKP’s pre-provisioned path NKP does not create machines, so you install and prepare each replacement first.18
    Nutanix Shared
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Test each platform update before it ships On NKP’s pre-provisioned path the OS image and machines are yours, so that mix is yours to test.18 Syself tests the node OS, Kubernetes and cluster components together on real clusters per release.11
    Nutanix Shared
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Inside the cluster The network plugin, the Hetzner integration and storage
  • Install and upgrade the network plugin, Hetzner integration and storage NKP sets up the network plugin.18 On Hetzner, the cloud controller and storage driver are yours to install and upgrade.1718 A Cluster Stack pins, tests and upgrades all of them together; in 1.36 v7, Cilium moved to 1.20.2.228
    Nutanix Shared
    Syself Autopilot Syself
  • Day to day Backups, access, logs and the workloads
  • Back up clusters and volumes NKP Pro and Ultimate ship Velero, and you run it.1517 Syself recreates a lost cluster from its Cluster object and your manifests in Git, so there is no etcd snapshot to restore. Volume data is yours to back up, for example with Velero.8
    Nutanix Shared
    Syself Autopilot Shared
  • Run the databases and services Syself Autopilot ships the storage and documents operators such as CloudNativePG.13 You run the databases, or an agency runs them for you in your cluster. With NKP they are yours too.
    Nutanix You
    Syself Autopilot Shared
  • Lock down access, networking and logs Syself hardens the control plane and kubelet to the CIS Benchmark.7 Nodes check certificates on every connection behind a default-deny firewall.27 You can limit API server IPs and add OIDC.2223
    Nutanix You
    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 cost money on top of your Hetzner servers. With NKP you install it, patch every machine and run each upgrade.1718 The Syself Autopilot fee covers that work, release testing and support from the Syself team.911

Nutanix NKP, self-run
License, per worker core or vCPU
Per core
License term
1–5 years
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

NKP licenses count worker nodes only, including the management cluster’s workers. Nutanix doesn’t publish a list price.16

With the help of Syself, we are able to run our Kubernetes on Hetzner without effort. Problems of any kind are always solved quickly and reliably by their team.

Stefan Viol

Head of DevOps, LanguageTooler

Questions Teams Ask Before Choosing

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

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 first.

Run the Numbers Talk to Us

Sources

  1. 1. What is Syself Autopilot?
  2. 2. What is a Cluster Stack?
  3. 3. Syself Linux: an immutable, verifiable node OS
  4. 4. Node health monitoring and self-healing
  5. 5. Syself docs: management and workload clusters
  6. 6. Syself docs: cluster upgrades
  7. 7. Syself docs: ownership and shared responsibility
  8. 8. Syself docs: backup and disaster recovery
  9. 9. Syself pricing and support plans
  10. 10. Fast node provisioning from the rescue system
  11. 11. How Syself tests a Cluster Stack release
  12. 12. Syself docs: maintenance prechecks and no rollback
  13. 13. Syself docs: choose storage (databases on local NVMe)
  14. 14. Syself docs: run virtual machines with KubeVirt
  15. 15. NKP datasheet: editions, licensing, support
  16. 16. Nutanix software options and licensing
  17. 17. Nutanix Bible: Nutanix Kubernetes Platform
  18. 18. Nutanix developer blog: pre-provisioned NKP installation
  19. 19. NKP Metal announcement
  20. 20. Nutanix product support programs
  21. 21. Syself docs: run in the secure (Kata) runtime
  22. 22. Syself docs: restrict API server access
  23. 23. Syself docs: configure OIDC
  24. 24. Syself docs: support channels and CVE patch windows
  25. 25. Nutanix blog: NKP security and NKP Insights
  26. 26. Syself docs: security evidence per release
  27. 27. Syself docs: zero trust on public networks
  28. 28. Syself Version Hub: release 1.36 v7
  29. 29. Kubernetes release cycle
  30. 30. Syself docs: run it yourself or with help