SeeRepo
Draw my repo

k3s vs vcluster

k3s and vcluster share 10 technologies: net/http, etcd, k8s.io/apiserver, github.com/sirupsen/logrus, Kubernetes, k8s.io/klog/v2, Prometheus, github.com/go-logr/logr, k8s.io/kubelet, and go.uber.org/zap. Both are written in Go.

Read it as markdown

What they share and what sets them apart

k3s-io

k3s

Lightweight Kubernetes

Go34.4kRead on November 7, 2026, at commit dca306cWhat is k3s built with?

Only in k3s

In common

loft-sh

vcluster

vCluster creates tenant clusters: fully isolated environments delivered as managed Kubernetes, or as the foundation for Slurm, Ray, Run:ai and inference clusters. Each gets its own API server, CRDs and RBAC, and runs on an existing cluster or standalone on bare metal. CNCF Certified Kubernetes.

Go11.4kRead on November 12, 2026, at commit c5e9027What is vcluster built with?

Only in vcluster

Side by side

SizeLines written by people and agents, without generated ones; code files, without tests.
k3s61,448 lines written244 code files
vcluster141,753 lines written554 code files
Who writes itA commit counts as AI's when it carries its signature: a Co-Authored-By line, its author name or the merge of its branch.
k3s0.1% of its commits signed by AIWith Claude Code
vcluster1.3% of its commits signed by AIWith Claude Code and Cursor
ActivityFrom GitHub and its history, on the day SeeRepo read it.
k3sLast push November 7, 20263,674 commits34,351 stars
vclusterLast push November 11, 20263,174 commits11,378 stars
TestsThe files that test the code, and the share of code files a test imports.
k3s107 test files33.2% of its code files have a test that imports them
vcluster257 test files39.4% of its code files have a test that imports them

Frequently asked questions

Which is bigger, k3s or vcluster?
vcluster, with 141,753 lines written; k3s has 61,448.

The proof: loft-sh/vcluster's code at commit c5e9027

Which has more GitHub stars, k3s or vcluster?
k3s, with 34,351 stars; vcluster has 11,378.

The proof: k3s-io/k3s on GitHub

Which has more tests, k3s or vcluster?
vcluster, with 257 test files; k3s has 107.

The proof: loft-sh/vcluster's code at commit c5e9027

Which was updated more recently, k3s or vcluster?
vcluster: its last push was on November 11, 2026, and k3s's on November 7, 2026.

The proof: loft-sh/vcluster's commits on GitHub

Which has more commits signed by AI, k3s or vcluster?
vcluster: an AI signed 1.3% of its commits, with Claude Code and Cursor; in k3s, 0.1%.

The proof: the commits each tool signed in loft-sh/vcluster

See inside your code, today.

Paste your repo and see it drawn, part by part: a medium one in under a minute.

Free, no account.

Or look inside SeeRepo's own →