Kubernetes vs Harvester – Finding the Ideal Infrastructure Solution
Nov 25th, 2025 | 6 min read
Table Of Contents
- Kubernetes - Understanding Container Orchestration
- Harvester - Virtualization & Containerization
- Kubernetes vs Harvester - Comparing Their Roles in Infrastructure
- Running Postgres on Kubernetes vs Harvester
- How Simplyblock Optimizes Storage for Both Kubernetes & Harvester
- Get the Ideal Solution for Your Infrastructure Needs
- See other comparisons :
- Questions and answers
Kubernetes and Harvester are both powerful platforms, but they serve different purposes. Kubernetes is a leading container orchestration tool, designed to automate and scale containerized applications. Harvester, on the other hand, combines virtualization and container management in a hyper-converged platform.
As companies seek more efficient solutions, understanding when to use each can optimize your infrastructure. In this comparison, we’ll break down what makes Kubernetes and Harvester unique, and how Simplyblock advances both for high-performance, scalable storage.
Kubernetes – Understanding Container Orchestration
Kubernetes is an open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It ensures high availability and reliability by managing complex containerized workloads across clusters.
Kubernetes is the foundation for managing cloud-native applications, enabling efficient resource management and streamlined operations in dynamic environments. It’s a must-have for teams looking to scale applications in modern infrastructure.
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Core Capabilities of Kubernetes
Kubernetes simplifies container management, ensuring your apps run efficiently at scale.
- Automatically schedules containers for optimal performance
- Restarts containers if they fail to maintain availability
- Scales applications based on demand automatically
- Distributes traffic efficiently across containers
How Kubernetes Works
Kubernetes organizes containers into Pods, making deployment and management across clusters easier.
- Containers run in Pods, which are grouped into clusters
- Automates the deployment and scaling of applications
- Ensures persistent storage for containerized apps
- Controls communication between containers for security
Why Kubernetes is Essential for Modern Infrastructure
Kubernetes is ideal for cloud-native applications, especially those with complex microservice architectures.
- Manages complex microservice architectures efficiently
- Supports deployments across hybrid and multi-cloud environments
- Optimizes resource usage for cost-effective scaling
- Streamlines CI/CD pipeline integration for faster releases
Harvester – Virtualization & Containerization
Harvester is an open-source hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) platform designed to simplify the management of virtual machines and containerized workloads. It integrates compute, storage, and networking into a unified platform, making it ideal for organizations that need to manage both traditional VMs and containers in one solution.
Harvester combines the power of virtualization with the flexibility of Kubernetes for seamless management of hybrid environments.
Core Capabilities of Harvester
Harvester offers robust capabilities to streamline the management of both VMs and containers.
- Integrates compute, storage, and networking into a single platform
- Simplifies the deployment of Kubernetes clusters on virtualized infrastructure
- Supports the creation and management of virtual machines alongside containers
- Enables scalability for both virtualized and containerized workloads
How Harvester Works
Harvester uses a combination of KVM (for VMs) and Kubernetes (for containers) to create a unified, efficient infrastructure.
- Uses KVM for virtualization to manage VMs
- Deploys Kubernetes clusters with integrated storage solutions
- Combines virtualized and containerized workloads into one environment
- Manages networking, storage, and compute resources in a unified way
Why Harvester is a Game-Changer for Hybrid Environments
Harvester is ideal for organizations looking for an all-in-one platform to manage both VMs and containers in hybrid environments.
- Supports both virtualization and containerization in a single platform
- Simplifies the management of hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments
- Reduces infrastructure complexity by integrating multiple layers
- Provides a cost-effective solution for managing traditional and cloud-native applications
Kubernetes vs Harvester – Comparing Their Roles in Infrastructure
Kubernetes and Harvester serve different purposes but can work together in modern IT environments. Below are the key differences:
| Category | Kubernetes | Harvester |
| Primary Purpose | Container orchestration for microservices | Hyper-converged infrastructure managing VMs and containers |
| Layer of Stack | Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) | Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) |
| Core Components | Pods, Nodes, Deployments, Services | KVM, Kubernetes, VMs, Persistent Storage |
| Deployment Models | Cloud-native, Hybrid, On-prem | Bare Metal, Hybrid, On-prem |
| Best For | Containerized applications and microservices | Hybrid environments needing VM and container management |
| Scalability | Scalable containerized workloads across clusters | Scalable VMs and container workloads |
| Typical Use Cases | Cloud-native apps, CI/CD, microservices | Hybrid cloud, VM management, container orchestration |
Running Postgres on Kubernetes vs Harvester
Running Postgres on Kubernetes offers scalability and flexibility within containerized environments, while Harvester provides a unified approach to managing both virtual machines and containers, making it ideal for hybrid cloud setups.
If Postgres is the main workload you care about, it’s often easier to treat it as a platform rather than something you hand-roll on top of your virtualization choice. Vela is a Postgres platform by Simplyblock that runs on Kubernetes, providing high-performance PostgreSQL with built-in automation, backups, and scaling.
How Simplyblock Optimizes Storage for Both Kubernetes & Harvester
Simplyblock provides high-performance, scalable NVMe storage that seamlessly integrates with both Kubernetes and Harvester environments.
Whether you’re running containerized applications or managing virtual machines alongside containers, Simplyblock offers a unified storage layer that ensures reliability, speed, and scalability.
Optimized Storage for Kubernetes
- Seamlessly integrates with Kubernetes for persistent volume management
- Ensures high-throughput storage for stateful applications
- Simplifies dynamic provisioning of storage resources
- Works across on-prem, hybrid, and cloud environments
Optimized Storage for Harvester
- Supports both virtual machines and containers with flexible storage scaling
- Advances VM performance with high-speed NVMe storage
- Simplifies storage management in hybrid cloud setups
- Reduces complexity by unifying storage for VMs and containers
Why Simplyblock is Ideal for Both
- Offers hardware-agnostic, software-defined storage for flexibility
- Delivers NVMe performance over standard Ethernet infrastructure
- Reduces operational overhead with simplified management
- Provides a single, consistent storage layer across Kubernetes and Harvester
Get the Ideal Solution for Your Infrastructure Needs
Selecting between Kubernetes, Harvester, or both depends on your specific use cases.
- Choose Kubernetes if you’re managing containerized applications and need scalability.
- Harvester is best when you need to manage both VMs and containers in a hybrid environment.
For maximum flexibility, combining both platforms ensures efficient management. Simplyblock’s high-performance storage integrates seamlessly, providing a unified solution across both environments for fast, reliable, and scalable storage.
See other comparisons :
Take a look at how these platforms measure up.
- VMware vs Kubernetes
- Kubernetes vs OpenStack
- OpenShift vs Harvester
- Proxmox vs Harvester
- VMware vs Harvester
Questions and answers
Kubernetes is an open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It ensures high availability and reliability by managing workloads across clusters, making it ideal for cloud-native applications and microservices architectures.
Harvester is an open-source hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) platform that integrates virtualization and containerization. It combines compute, storage, and networking into one platform and is designed to manage both virtual machines (VMs) and containerized workloads in a unified environment.
Kubernetes is the best choice if you’re focusing solely on containerized applications, especially if you need scalability and microservices management. Harvester, however, is better if you need to manage both VMs and containers in a hybrid or multi-cloud environment.
Yes, Kubernetes and Harvester can be used together. Harvester supports Kubernetes for container orchestration while also managing virtual machines in hybrid environments, making it ideal for organizations looking to consolidate both containerized and virtualized workloads.
Simplyblock provides high-performance storage with NVMe-over-TCP integration, which works seamlessly across both Kubernetes and Harvester environments. This integration ensures fast, reliable, and scalable storage for containerized applications and virtual machines alike.