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LKE: Managed Kubernetes Engine

Deploy and manage containers on Kubernetes without the complexity or overhead

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Run Kubernetes. Not the control plane.

Deploy, manage, and scale containerized applications without worrying about control plane uptime, node failures, or version upgrades. LKE gives developers a CNCF-certified, production-ready Kubernetes environment on Akamai Cloud built for simplicity, performance, and control.

LKE is built for builders

Managed control plane included

Skip control plane ops. Deploy fast with a managed, CNCF-certified control plane at no extra cost.

Transparent, predictable pricing

Know exactly what you pay for. Transparency for your worker node, load balancer, and storage needs — no hidden fees.

Use your existing tools

Automate your way with the Linode API, CLI, and Terraform provider that plug into your CI/CD workflows.

Secure and reliable by default

Stay resilient. LKE can monitor, back up, and restore clusters automatically for continuous uptime.

How it works: Pick your tier

LKE: Start simple and free LKE-Enterprise: Scale with confidence
Free control plane Dedicated HA control plane
Up to 250 nodes Up to 500 nodes
Calico CNI Cilium CNI (better performance)
Standard NodeBalancers (Load Balancer) Premium NodeBalancers, VPC isolation, and enhanced security
Solutioned for: Start-ups, dev/test, small production Solutioned for: Large production, AI workloads multi-team, compliance

LKE for platform engineers

Govern with guardrails using labels, taints, RBAC, and version policies to standardize clusters. Automate everything with API, CLI, and Terraform integrations that support fleet management and GitOps. Stay flexible by choosing your preferred CNI.

LKE for developers

Bring your stack with Helm, Operators, and the broader CNCF ecosystem. Focus on code while LKE manages control-plane operations, maintenance, and recovery so you can ship features faster.

*See Promotion Redemption Rules and Conditions

Key features

Manage Kubernetes easily, stay secure, scale instantly, and pay only for what you use

Fast to deploy

Get a production-ready Kubernetes cluster in minutes. No complex setup, no control plane management, no YAML.

Open and portable

CNCF-certified and upstream compatible. Your manifests, Helm charts, and tooling just work: no lock-in, no surprises.

Optimized for performance and scale

Support for node pools, autoscaling, GPU-ready clusters, and workload scheduling optimized for predictable performance.

Features

  • Spin up production-ready clusters in minutes using Cloud Manager, CLI, or API
  • Add or remove nodes automatically as workloads change, with built-in data encryption for every node pool
  • Add NodeBalancers when you need them, or upgrade for advanced routing and higher throughput
  • Access the Kubernetes Dashboard directly on LKE (non-Enterprise) for quick visibility and hands-on control
  • Enjoy 40 Gbps inbound bandwidth and free inbound transfer — built for high-traffic, low-latency apps
  • Get VPC isolation and enhanced network security on LKE-Enterprise to meet compliance and multi-tenant requirements
  • Keep clusters aligned with the latest Kubernetes releases through automated, zero-downtime version updates
  • Handle everything from dev/test to production-grade, multi-team, or AI workloads up to 5,000 pods per cluster
  • Choose your CNI: Calico on LKE for simplicity or Cilium on LKE-Enterprise for performance and observability

No surprise bills when you scale

Transparent pricing: pay only for nodes, storage, and load balancers. Control plane free; HA from $60/cluster.

See LKE pricing

Customer Stories

Eyevinn Revolutionized Open Source Deployment

The consultancy powered its innovative open source platform and sustainable revenue-sharing model with Akamai Cloud.

Read customer story

MTI Streamlined Operations in the Cloud

Used Akamai cloud computing services to enhance IT infrastructure and slash costs.

Read customer story

SharePlay Optimizes Gaming Experiences

The live-streaming platform gained high performance and low latency while reducing costs by migrating from AWS to Akamai.

Read customer story

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

LKE offers shared control plane clusters for small to mid-scale workloads. LKE-E provides a dedicated HA control plane, private networking, and SLA-backed reliability for production workloads.

Kubernetes versions: See latest available versions

API: Full Kubernetes API compatibility

Regions: Availability

Compute: Shared, Dedicated, High Memory, GPU

Storage: Persistent volumes via Block Storage

Networking: 40 Gbps inbound, free ingress

Yes. You can migrate existing clusters using the same Kubernetes version and manifests.

LKE-Enterprise includes a 99.9% SLA on the control plane and worker nodes. LKE provides best-effort uptime with standard Akamai support.

Yes: your costs begin and end with the resources you deploy (nodes, storage, load balancers). But if you choose the HA control plane, there is a cost associated with it.

Cilium provides secure pod networking, with network policies available in both tiers, and VPC isolation in LKE-Enterprise.

The latest stable and one previous minor version are available. Automated upgrades are included.

See if you qualify for up to US$5,000 in cloud credits

We’re here to help you with large-scale deployments, migrations, app optimization, architecture assessments, security and reliability audits, and much more. For support or account issues, please visit our support page.