Overview

Krossboard is a Kubernetes usage analytics platform for teams that need to understand resource consumption across clusters and plan capacity. It is strongest for operators who want a self-hosted, namespace-level view with API and CSV access; its free core is broad, but cloud discovery and support require an Enterprise plan.

Key features

Krossboard combines clusters configured through one or more KUBECONFIG files, then reports usage for namespaces, nodes, and clusters across minute, hour, day, and month views. That range can help teams investigate short-lived changes as well as track longer-term capacity patterns. Namespace allocation granularity suits teams assigning usage within a cluster, while cost forecasting adds a planning view.

CSV export makes the analytics portable to other analysis workflows. Each deployed instance also provides a REST API alongside its UI, which is useful for teams that need programmatic access. The Kubernetes Operator deploys and manages instances as pods, fitting organizations that want to run the service within Kubernetes.

Normal operation requires read-only access to Kubernetes metrics and core APIs. Enterprise managed-cluster autodiscovery covers AKS, EKS, and GKE, but also requires read-only cloud IAM permissions; configuring deployment access requires cloud administration permissions. Those cloud privileges and setup steps are worth weighing against the benefit of automated discovery.

Pricing

Krossboard's Always Free plan costs 0.00 EUR per free and includes unlimited clusters, core analytics, and CSV export. It is a substantial starting point for teams that can configure clusters themselves and do not need support. The trade-off is clear: managed-cluster discovery and support are excluded.

Enterprise uses custom pricing and is billed On-demand. It keeps unlimited clusters and adds managed-cluster discovery plus one year of access to maintained versions for bug and security fixes. This is the fit for teams that need discovery and a defined maintenance period.

Enterprise Advanced is also custom pricing and billed On-demand. It includes unlimited clusters and managed-cluster discovery, with up to three years of support and specific onboarding support. That longer support window may suit teams that need help getting deployed and maintained; teams without those requirements can avoid a paid tier.

Platforms

Krossboard is offered as a web interface and API, and can be self-hosted. The Operator-based Kubernetes deployment makes it a natural candidate for teams already managing workloads through Kubernetes, while the access model means self-hosting does not eliminate the need to review permissions.

Who it's for

Krossboard fits platform, infrastructure, and FinOps teams that need multi-cluster usage reporting, namespace-level allocation, forecasting, or exportable data without a per-cluster cap on the free plan. It is less compelling for teams that require managed-cluster discovery, cloud-permission setup, or vendor support but cannot justify custom-priced plans. Its maker, 2Alchemists SAS, is based in Toulouse, France; the privacy notice says it complies with GDPR and uses Google Analytics cookies on its site.

Pros and cons

Pros: The free plan allows unlimited clusters and includes analytics and CSV export, so teams can begin with a broad multi-cluster scope at no charge.
Pros: Namespace, node, and cluster reporting at several time scales, plus forecasting, addresses both allocation and capacity-planning needs.
Pros: A REST API and self-hosted Operator deployment support teams that want programmatic access and Kubernetes-managed instances.
Cons: Managed AKS, EKS, and GKE discovery is unavailable on the free plan and requires cloud IAM access on Enterprise plans.
Cons: The free plan includes no support; the paid plans are custom priced, and their maintenance and support periods are bounded.
Cons: Deployment access configuration requires cloud administration permissions, an important operational consideration for teams with tightly restricted privileges.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Kubernetes Cost Management Software.

Consider KubeAdapt if a free allowance capped at the first 100 vCPU across the account, with no credit card and email support, better matches your needs; it also offers a free trial. PerfectScale is another free-plan option, capped at 200 vCPU per month while allowing unlimited clusters, nodes, and pods, and it has a free trial.

If an open-source option is the priority, Klustercost is free under the GPL-3.0 License. KubeLedger is free for internal self-hosted use, with source code available, but cannot be sold as a managed service.

Varcio Kubernetes Cost Management may suit a team willing to pay for a defined entry tier: Explorer costs 49.00 USD per month, billed monthly, for one workspace, one user, one account on one cloud provider, and 30 days of spend history; Kubernetes detectors are unavailable in that plan.

Randoli Cost Management for Kubernetes is an alternative for teams seeking enterprise features such as volume commitments, custom Entra ID or Okta group mapping, audit logs, dedicated support, and on-premises or air-gapped deployment. For cloud-resource rate optimization or cost visibility and allocation, consider nOps.

Atmosly Kubernetes Cost Optimization is another freemium option; its Personal plan is free forever and limited to one cluster, one cloud account, one seat, one project, two environments, and 10 applications.

Verdict

Choose Krossboard if your team wants self-hosted, multi-cluster Kubernetes usage analytics, namespace-level allocation, forecasting, and exports without paying for the core feature set. Its unlimited-cluster free tier is the strongest reason to start here. Look elsewhere if managed-cluster discovery or support is essential and custom-priced Enterprise plans do not fit your requirements.

	IBM Kubecost	Krossboard
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	api, self-hosted, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Budget alerts	Yes	—
Allocation granularity	—	namespace
Cost forecasting	—	Yes

IBM Kubecost vs Krossboard

IBM Kubecost

Krossboard