Top 5 Platform9 alternatives: Finding the right private cloud solution

Platform9 handles private cloud infrastructure well, but your organization might have specific needs that require considering other approaches.

You might need more granular control over your Kubernetes environments, prioritize integrated development workflows, or prefer self-managed solutions over SaaS models.

The private cloud space offers several alternatives, each designed to address different requirements around developer experience, operational control, enterprise features, or cost structures.

Understanding these options can help you find the approach that best aligns with your organization's current priorities and future goals.

Before we do a detailed comparison, see how these platforms compare across the key features you need for private cloud deployments.

Platform9’s Private Cloud Director turns your existing infrastructure into a managed private cloud. It provides a SaaS control plane to manage both virtual machines and Kubernetes clusters on your own hardware, with features similar to VMware’s vMotion and DRS.

It’s often used as a middle ground between traditional virtualization and cloud-native platforms, allowing teams to run VMs and containers side-by-side.

Platform9 also includes tools like vJailbreak to support migrations from VMware environments, which some teams have explored following recent pricing changes in the ecosystem.

Even with Platform9's strengths, several factors drive teams to consider other options:

1. SaaS dependency concerns: Some organizations aren't comfortable with external management of their private cloud control plane, especially in regulated industries or highly security-conscious environments.
2. Limited customization: Platform9's managed approach means less flexibility compared to self-managed solutions. If you need deep customization of your Kubernetes environment or want to integrate specific tools, the abstraction layer can feel restrictive.
3. Developer experience gaps: While Platform9 handles infrastructure well, teams building modern applications often need more integrated development workflows like built-in CI/CD, preview environments, and developer-friendly deployment processes.
4. Pricing model mismatch: The per-node subscription model might not align with your usage patterns, especially if you're looking for more predictable costs or usage-based pricing.

Before going into specific options, consider what matters most for your environment:

1. Management philosophy: Do you want something fully managed like Platform9, or are you willing to take on more operational responsibility for greater control and customization?
2. Workload focus: Are you primarily managing VMs, containers, or a mix? Some alternatives are better at one but compromise on the other.
3. Integration requirements: How important is seamless integration with your existing tools, CI/CD systems, and development workflows?
4. Deployment flexibility: Do you need multi-cloud support, or are you comfortable with on-premises-only solutions?
5. Team expertise: How much Kubernetes and infrastructure management knowledge does your team have? Some alternatives require significant operational expertise.
6. Growth trajectory: Are you scaling up container adoption, or do you need to maintain significant VM workloads long-term?

Let’s look at some of the alternatives, each addressing different aspects of what Platform9 provides:

Northflank takes a different approach from Platform9’s infrastructure-first model by putting developer experience, flexibility, and modern application needs at the center.

It’s a full-stack platform built around managed Kubernetes, designed for speed, security, and scale - regardless of being an agile startup or an enterprise modernizing complex infrastructure.

What makes it different: Northflank combines comprehensive developer tooling with enterprise-grade capabilities. You get built-in CI/CD, preview environments, secure runtimes, and observability out of the box - all while retaining full control over your infrastructure through multi-cloud, bring-your-own-cloud (BYOC), and multi-cluster support.

Here’s what stands out about Northflank:

• Developer-first design: Pipelines, Git-based deploys, preview environments, and GitOps workflows built-in
• Enterprise readiness: Role-based access control (RBAC), secure and isolated runtimes, audit logging, and compliance support
• AI & GPU support: Run AI workloads with GPU-enabled containers and scale compute based on usage
• Flexible deployment: Deploy to Northflank’s managed cloud or use your own AWS, GCP, Azure, Civo, or Oracle accounts (BYOC)
• Multi-cluster management: Centralized control and visibility across environments
• Observability & monitoring: Built-in logging, monitoring, and alerting with no setup required
• Integrated platform: Deploy services, jobs, cron tasks, and databases all from a unified interface
• No vendor lock-in: Full workload portability and open standards support
• Transparent pricing: Usage-based pricing with a generous free tier - no upfront commitments

Best for: Enterprises and fast-moving teams who want a secure, developer-friendly platform with modern infrastructure capabilities (without sacrificing control, flexibility, or observability).

OpenShift is an enterprise-grade Kubernetes platform with additional security, development tools, and operational capabilities built on top of upstream Kubernetes.

Key strengths:

• Enterprise security: Built-in image scanning, policy enforcement, and compliance tools
• Comprehensive platform: Includes everything from development tools to operational monitoring
• Multi-cloud flexibility: Runs consistently across different infrastructure environments

Best for: Large enterprises with strict security and compliance requirements, organizations wanting a comprehensive application platform, and teams with dedicated platform engineering resources.

See Best OpenShift alternatives: finding the right Kubernetes platform

Rancher focuses on multi-cluster Kubernetes management, giving you centralized control over multiple Kubernetes environments across different locations and cloud providers.

Key strengths:

• Multi-cluster management: Centralized governance and operations across multiple clusters
• Open-source foundation: No vendor lock-in with community support
• Infrastructure agnostic: Works with any Kubernetes-compatible infrastructure
• Policy management: Centralized security policies and RBAC across clusters

Best for: Organizations running multiple Kubernetes clusters, teams needing centralized cluster governance, and environments spanning multiple clouds or locations.

Limitations: Requires more operational expertise than Platform9, less focus on traditional VM workloads, and more complex initial setup.

See 7 Best Rancher alternatives in 2025

If you're evaluating Platform9 because of VMware pricing changes but aren't ready to leave the VMware ecosystem entirely, Tanzu offers an enterprise application platform that integrates with existing VMware infrastructure.

Key strengths:

• VMware integration: Deep integration with existing vSphere environments
• Application focus: Tools for modernizing applications and development workflows
• Enterprise features: Comprehensive security, networking, and operational tools
• Support structure: Enterprise-grade support from VMware/Broadcom

Best for: Organizations heavily invested in VMware infrastructure, enterprises undergoing application modernization, and teams needing comprehensive platform engineering solutions.

See 7 Top VMware Tanzu alternatives for DevOps in 2025

KubeSphere offers an open-source alternative that provides a comprehensive Kubernetes platform with built-in DevOps, monitoring, and multi-tenancy features.

Key strengths:

• Complete platform: DevOps, monitoring, logging, and alerting built-in
• Multi-tenancy: Native support for isolated environments and teams
• Cost-effective: Open-source with no licensing fees
• Modular architecture: Install only the components you need

Best for: Budget-conscious organizations, teams with a high level of Kubernetes expertise, and environments where self-management is preferred over managed services.

Your choice depends on your team’s goals and expertise. OpenShift suits enterprises with strict compliance needs, Rancher helps with multi-cluster control, and Tanzu fits VMware-heavy environments. KubeSphere is suitable for budget-conscious teams, but it requires more management.

If you're looking for a developer-focused platform that reduces overhead while supporting enterprise features, Northflank is the most comprehensive alternative. Book a demo or try the free tier.