Comparisons with Other Solutions
This document compares Elasti with other popular serverless and scale-to-zero solutions in the Kubernetes ecosystem.
Knative
Overview
Knative is a comprehensive platform for deploying and managing serverless workloads on Kubernetes. It provides a complete serverless experience with features like scale-to-zero, request-based autoscaling, and traffic management.
Key Differences
- Complexity: Knative is a full-featured platform that requires significant setup and maintenance. Elasti is focused solely on scale-to-zero functionality and can be added to existing services with minimal configuration.
- Integration: Knative requires services to be deployed as Knative services. Elasti works with existing Kubernetes deployments and Argo Rollouts without modification.
- Learning Curve: Knative has a steeper learning curve due to its many concepts and components. Elasti follows familiar Kubernetes patterns with simple CRD-based configuration.
OpenFaaS
Overview
OpenFaaS is a framework for building serverless functions with Docker and Kubernetes, making it easy to deploy serverless functions to any cloud or on-premises.
Key Differences
- Purpose: OpenFaaS is primarily designed for Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) workloads. Elasti is built for existing HTTP services.
- Architecture: OpenFaaS requires functions to be written and packaged in a specific way. Elasti works with any HTTP service without code changes.
- Scaling: OpenFaaS uses its own scaling mechanisms. Elasti integrates with existing autoscalers (HPA/KEDA) while adding scale-to-zero capability.
KEDA HTTP Add-on
Overview
KEDA HTTP Add-on is an extension to KEDA that enables HTTP-based scaling, including scale-to-zero functionality.
Key Differences
- Request Handling:
- KEDA http add-on inserts itself in the http path and handles requests even when the service has been scaled up.
- Elasti takes itself out of the http path once the service has been scaled up.
- Integration:
- KEDA HTTP Add-on requires KEDA installation and configuration.
- Elasti can work standalone or integrate with KEDA if needed.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature |
Elasti |
Knative |
OpenFaaS |
KEDA HTTP Add-on |
| Scale to Zero |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Works with Existing Services |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
| Resource Footprint |
Low |
High |
Medium |
Low |
| Setup Complexity |
Low |
High |
Medium |
Medium |
When to Choose Elasti
Elasti is the best choice when you:
- Need to add scale-to-zero capability to existing HTTP services
- Want to ensure zero request loss during scaling operations
- Prefer a lightweight solution with minimal configuration
- Need integration with existing autoscalers (HPA/KEDA)