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Crossplane

Open-source framework for cloud-native control planes.

Open Source

About Crossplane

Crossplane is an innovative open-source framework designed to empower organizations in building custom control planes for managing both applications and infrastructure. Unlike traditional cloud management solutions that limit users to predefined APIs and services, Crossplane allows developers to create tailored APIs that suit their unique orchestration needs. By extending the capabilities of Kubernetes, Crossplane provides a robust foundation for orchestrating not just containerized applications but also a wide array of infrastructure resources across multiple cloud providers. This adaptability is critical in today's multi-cloud environments, where organizations strive for flexibility and efficiency. The technology behind Crossplane is built on Kubernetes, which means it inherits the reliability, scalability, and security that Kubernetes is known for. This foundation enables Crossplane to facilitate complex orchestration tasks while ensuring that policies, permissions, and other governance features are encapsulated within custom APIs. This design empowers teams to offer self-service capabilities to their users without requiring them to possess deep infrastructure expertise, thereby fostering a more agile development environment. One of the significant benefits of Crossplane is its extensibility. Organizations can leverage a library of components and providers to quickly assemble their platforms, allowing for faster time-to-market for new services. The community-driven nature of Crossplane means that users can tap into a wealth of shared knowledge and resources, making it easier to find solutions and collaborate on new features. Whether you need to manage cloud resources, databases, or other services, Crossplane's extensible architecture allows for seamless integration of new capabilities. Crossplane is particularly beneficial for platform engineering teams looking to streamline their operations. By enabling the creation of custom control planes, organizations can tailor their cloud management strategies to better fit their specific workflows and business requirements. This level of customization is crucial in a world where one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short of meeting diverse organizational needs. As a result, Crossplane not only enhances operational efficiency but also empowers teams to innovate more freely. In summary, Crossplane represents a paradigm shift in how organizations can manage their cloud resources and applications. By leveraging the power of Kubernetes and offering a customizable framework for control plane development, Crossplane enables organizations to build platforms that are as unique as their business models. With its strong community support and commitment to open-source principles, Crossplane is poised to become an essential tool for any organization looking to optimize its cloud-native operations.

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Crossplane Key Features

Custom Control Planes

Crossplane allows organizations to build custom control planes tailored to their specific needs. This feature enables the creation of unique APIs and services that align with an organization's operational requirements, facilitating a more personalized and efficient management of applications and infrastructure.

Kubernetes Extension

By extending Kubernetes capabilities, Crossplane provides a robust foundation for orchestrating not just containerized applications but any infrastructure resource. This feature leverages Kubernetes' reliability and security, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), to manage diverse resources seamlessly.

Declarative API Design

Crossplane enables the design of declarative APIs that are tailored to specific orchestration needs. This feature allows developers to encapsulate policies, permissions, and guardrails, promoting self-service capabilities without requiring deep infrastructure expertise.

Provider Extensibility

Crossplane's architecture supports extensibility through Providers, which allow it to orchestrate new types of applications and infrastructure. This feature ensures that users can expand Crossplane's capabilities to meet evolving technological demands.

Configuration Flexibility

Configurations in Crossplane enable the exposure of new APIs, allowing for the customization and extension of its functionality. This feature is crucial for organizations looking to adapt Crossplane to their unique operational workflows.

Community-Driven Development

As an open-source project under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Crossplane benefits from a vibrant community that contributes to its continuous improvement. This feature ensures that Crossplane remains vendor-neutral and evolves with the latest industry standards.

Integration with Cloud-Native Tools

Crossplane integrates smoothly with most popular cloud-native tools, thanks to its Kubernetes foundation. This feature enhances its interoperability, making it easier for organizations to incorporate Crossplane into their existing cloud-native ecosystems.

Security and Reliability

Built on Kubernetes, Crossplane inherits its battle-hardened security features, such as RBAC, ensuring a secure and reliable orchestration environment. This feature is critical for organizations that prioritize security in their infrastructure management.

Self-Service Enablement

Crossplane empowers users to self-service by encapsulating complex infrastructure operations behind simple, custom APIs. This feature reduces the need for deep technical expertise, allowing teams to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure management.

Platform Engineering Support

Crossplane is designed to support platform engineering by enabling the creation of platforms similar to those of cloud providers. This feature allows organizations to build their own APIs and services, fostering innovation and operational efficiency.

Crossplane Pricing Plans (2026)

Open Source

Free /N/A
  • Full access to all features
  • Community support
  • Continuous updates and improvements
  • No formal support options, reliance on community resources

Crossplane Pros

  • + Highly customizable, allowing organizations to build tailored solutions that fit their unique needs.
  • + Strong community support, providing access to shared resources, knowledge, and best practices.
  • + Seamless integration with Kubernetes, leveraging its reliability and security features.
  • + Empowers self-service capabilities, reducing the need for specialized infrastructure expertise.
  • + Supports multi-cloud strategies, enabling organizations to manage resources across various providers effectively.
  • + Extensible architecture allows for rapid addition of new features and capabilities.

Crossplane Cons

  • May require a learning curve for teams unfamiliar with Kubernetes or cloud-native concepts.
  • Community-driven development can lead to inconsistencies in documentation and support resources.
  • Performance may vary depending on the complexity of the control plane being built.
  • Limited out-of-the-box features compared to some commercial alternatives, requiring more setup and configuration.

Crossplane Use Cases

Enterprise Cloud Management

Large enterprises use Crossplane to manage complex, multi-cloud environments. By creating custom control planes, they achieve seamless orchestration across different cloud providers, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs.

DevOps Automation

DevOps teams leverage Crossplane to automate infrastructure provisioning and management. This use case enables continuous integration and delivery pipelines, accelerating software development cycles and improving deployment reliability.

Hybrid Cloud Orchestration

Organizations with hybrid cloud strategies use Crossplane to unify the management of on-premises and cloud resources. This scenario ensures consistent policy enforcement and resource management across diverse environments.

Custom Platform Development

Tech companies utilize Crossplane to develop custom platforms that provide unique services to their clients. By building tailored APIs, they differentiate their offerings and enhance customer satisfaction.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Crossplane supports Infrastructure as Code practices by enabling declarative API design. This use case allows IT teams to version control their infrastructure configurations, improving change management and reducing errors.

Self-Service IT Operations

IT departments implement Crossplane to empower non-technical teams with self-service capabilities. This scenario reduces the operational burden on IT staff and accelerates service delivery across the organization.

Cloud-Native Application Management

Software development teams use Crossplane to manage cloud-native applications efficiently. By extending Kubernetes, they orchestrate application lifecycles, ensuring scalability and resilience in production environments.

Policy-Driven Resource Management

Organizations adopt Crossplane to enforce policy-driven resource management. This use case ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies, enhancing governance and risk management.

What Makes Crossplane Unique

Custom Control Plane Creation

Crossplane's ability to create custom control planes sets it apart, allowing organizations to tailor their infrastructure management to specific needs, unlike competitors with predefined solutions.

Kubernetes Foundation

Built on Kubernetes, Crossplane inherits its robust security and reliability features, providing a solid foundation for orchestrating diverse resources beyond just containers.

Open Source and Community-Driven

As an open-source project under the CNCF, Crossplane benefits from a vibrant community that ensures continuous innovation and vendor neutrality, differentiating it from proprietary solutions.

Extensibility and Flexibility

Crossplane's architecture supports extensibility through Providers and Configurations, allowing users to expand its capabilities and adapt it to their unique operational workflows.

Self-Service Enablement

By encapsulating complex operations behind simple APIs, Crossplane empowers self-service, reducing the need for deep technical expertise and fostering innovation across teams.

Who's Using Crossplane

Enterprise Teams

Enterprise teams use Crossplane to manage large-scale, multi-cloud environments, achieving greater control and efficiency in their infrastructure operations.

DevOps Engineers

DevOps engineers leverage Crossplane to automate infrastructure provisioning and management, streamlining CI/CD pipelines and enhancing deployment reliability.

Platform Engineers

Platform engineers utilize Crossplane to build custom platforms with tailored APIs, enabling their organizations to offer unique services and improve operational efficiency.

Cloud Architects

Cloud architects use Crossplane to design and implement hybrid cloud strategies, ensuring consistent resource management across on-premises and cloud environments.

IT Operations Teams

IT operations teams implement Crossplane to provide self-service capabilities to non-technical users, reducing the operational load and accelerating service delivery.

Software Development Teams

Software development teams use Crossplane to manage cloud-native applications, leveraging its Kubernetes extension to ensure scalability and resilience.

How We Rate Crossplane

8.3
Overall Score
Crossplane provides a powerful and flexible solution for cloud-native control planes, balancing customization with usability.
Ease of Use
8.3
Value for Money
9
Performance
8.7
Support
6.7
Accuracy & Reliability
9
Privacy & Security
8.8
Features
7.9
Integrations
7.5
Customization
8.8

Crossplane vs Competitors

Crossplane vs Terraform

While both Crossplane and Terraform are used for managing cloud infrastructure, Crossplane extends Kubernetes capabilities and provides a more integrated approach to application management.

Advantages
  • + Custom control planes for tailored solutions
  • + Seamless integration with Kubernetes
Considerations
  • Terraform has a more mature ecosystem and broader community support.

Crossplane Frequently Asked Questions (2026)

What is Crossplane?

Crossplane is an open-source framework that allows organizations to build custom control planes for managing applications and infrastructure, extending Kubernetes capabilities.

How much does Crossplane cost in 2026?

Crossplane is an open-source tool and is free to use, with no licensing costs.

Is Crossplane free?

Yes, Crossplane is free to use under the Apache 2.0 license, making it accessible for organizations of all sizes.

Is Crossplane worth it?

Crossplane provides significant value by enabling organizations to create tailored control planes, improving operational efficiency and flexibility.

Crossplane vs alternatives?

Crossplane offers unique customization and extensibility compared to alternatives, which often provide more rigid structures.

Can Crossplane manage resources across multiple clouds?

Yes, Crossplane is designed to orchestrate resources across various cloud providers, supporting multi-cloud strategies.

How does Crossplane enhance self-service capabilities?

By encapsulating complex policies and permissions within custom APIs, Crossplane allows users to provision and manage resources independently.

What types of resources can Crossplane manage?

Crossplane can manage a wide range of resources, including cloud infrastructure, databases, and external services.

How does Crossplane ensure security?

Crossplane inherits Kubernetes' security features, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), to manage permissions effectively.

What is the community like around Crossplane?

Crossplane has a vibrant community that contributes to its development, providing support and sharing best practices among users.

Crossplane on Hacker News

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Crossplane Company

Founded
2023
3.0+ years active

Crossplane Quick Info

Pricing
Open Source
Upvotes
0
Added
January 18, 2026

Crossplane Is Best For

  • Platform Engineers
  • DevOps Professionals
  • Cloud Architects
  • Compliance and Governance Teams
  • Software Development Teams

Crossplane Integrations

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