Cloudfleet vs. Google GKE Enterprise
A comparison of two different approaches to hybrid Kubernetes - Google’s multi-cloud management platform formerly known as Anthos versus a unified, multi-cloud native platform with Cloudfleet
A comparison of two different approaches to hybrid Kubernetes - Google’s multi-cloud management platform formerly known as Anthos versus a unified, multi-cloud native platform with Cloudfleet
Google GKE Enterprise (formerly known as Anthos) is Google Cloud’s hybrid and multi-cloud Kubernetes management platform. It extends GCP fleet management, policy enforcement, and service mesh capabilities to clusters running on Google Cloud, on-premises (via Google Distributed Cloud), and attached third-party clusters. GKE Enterprise is designed for organizations that want a consistent GCP management experience across multiple environments.
Cloudfleet takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of projecting a single cloud provider’s management plane onto external infrastructure, Cloudfleet provides a single, unified Kubernetes cluster that natively spans all your environments. This architectural difference eliminates cluster federation complexity, removes dependency on any single hyperscaler, and provides a fully managed experience without requiring deep expertise in any specific cloud provider’s ecosystem.
Google GKE Enterprise is Google Cloud’s enterprise Kubernetes platform that extends GKE management capabilities beyond Google Cloud. Originally launched as Anthos in 2019, it was rebranded to GKE Enterprise in August 2023 and further consolidated in September 2025. GKE Enterprise includes fleet management for logical grouping of clusters, Config Sync for GitOps-driven configuration, Policy Controller for compliance enforcement, and Cloud Service Mesh (managed Istio) for traffic management. Deployment options include GKE on Google Cloud, Google Distributed Cloud for bare metal and VMware environments, and attached clusters for registering existing third-party Kubernetes clusters.
Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) is the on-premises component of GKE Enterprise, available for bare metal and VMware environments. It allows organizations to run GKE-compatible clusters in their own data centers with management through the Google Cloud console. However, GDC clusters still require a Connect Agent to maintain a persistent outbound connection to Google Cloud, and pricing for on-premises vCPUs is four times higher than cloud vCPUs ($0.03288/vCPU/hour versus $0.00822/vCPU/hour).
Multi-cloud was the original promise of Anthos. Google launched GKE on AWS and GKE on Azure to allow organizations to run native GKE clusters on competing clouds. However, Google deprecated both GKE on AWS and GKE on Azure in March 2025, with full shutdown scheduled for March 2027. The replacement, “GKE attached clusters,” simply registers existing EKS or AKS clusters with GCP fleet management rather than deploying native GKE clusters on those platforms. This is a fundamentally different and more limited proposition that still ties all management, monitoring, and policy enforcement to Google Cloud. Cloudfleet, by contrast, provides a single cluster that natively spans any combination of cloud providers and on-premises infrastructure without requiring any individual provider’s management plane as the central hub.
Deploying GKE Enterprise involves configuring the Connect Agent on each cluster to establish a persistent outbound TLS connection to Google Cloud, setting up fleet memberships, configuring Config Sync repositories, deploying Policy Controller constraints, and optionally enabling Cloud Service Mesh. Each component adds configuration surface area, and the tight integration with GCP services (Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Logging, Cloud Build) means teams need significant GCP expertise to operate effectively. As one PeerSpot reviewer noted, “The initial setup is not easy, with nothing being truly easy in the Google Anthos world.”
Cloudfleet eliminates this setup complexity. As a fully managed service, Cloudfleet handles the entire lifecycle of the platform, from control plane provisioning to node management, networking, security patching, and upgrades. There is no Connect Agent to maintain, no fleet membership to configure, and no dependency on any single cloud provider’s tooling. Teams can deploy clusters spanning multiple clouds and on-premises locations using standard Kubernetes APIs, without needing specialized expertise in any particular cloud provider.
GKE Enterprise pricing is layered and can be difficult to predict. Cloud clusters cost $0.00822/vCPU/hour ($6/vCPU/month), while on-premises clusters cost four times more at $0.03288/vCPU/hour ($24/vCPU/month). Hyperthreading doubles the vCPU count, effectively doubling costs. Google Cloud support is billed separately, ranging from free (documentation only, no technical support) to $15,000/month for Premium support with a dedicated technical account manager. Historically, Anthos required a minimum $10,000/month commitment per 100 vCPUs with a one-year term, hidden behind a sales contact form.
Cloudfleet’s pricing is transparent and consumption-based. The Basic tier is free for clusters up to 24 vCPUs. The Pro tier starts at $79/month and includes the first 24 vCPUs, high availability, and end-to-end support with SLAs. There are no separate support charges, no per-vCPU multipliers for on-premises nodes, and no minimum commitments. Connected on-premises nodes are priced at $4.95/vCPU/month. This predictable model makes it straightforward to forecast and control infrastructure costs as you scale.
When comparing GKE Enterprise and Cloudfleet, the key differences center on architectural approach, operational burden, provider independence, and total cost. GKE Enterprise excels within the Google Cloud ecosystem but creates dependencies that limit flexibility. Cloudfleet provides a provider-agnostic platform that delivers comparable enterprise capabilities without locking you into any single hyperscaler.
| Features |
|
|
|---|---|---|
Core architectureThe fundamental approach to managing multi-environment infrastructure. |
Extends GCP fleet management to external clusters via a Connect Agent. Each environment runs as a separate cluster registered with the GCP hub. Multi-cloud native deployments (GKE on AWS/Azure) have been deprecated since March 2025, replaced by attached cluster registration. | Creates a single, unified Kubernetes cluster that spans multiple clouds and on-premises locations, eliminating cluster boundaries and federation complexity. No hub-and-spoke model or dependency on any single cloud provider’s management plane. |
Secure cloud integrationThe method for accessing cloud provider APIs. |
Relies on GCP-specific identity and access management. The Connect Agent establishes a persistent outbound connection to Google Cloud. Cross-cloud identity federation requires additional configuration through GCP IAM. | Integrates Workload Identity Federation for secure, keyless API access to cloud providers, simplifying credential management and enhancing security posture. Services access any cloud’s APIs (BigQuery, S3, Active Directory) without hardcoding credentials. |
Support modelThe scope and nature of available support. |
Technical support is not bundled with GKE Enterprise and must be purchased separately as a Google Cloud-wide support plan. Plans range from free (documentation only) to $15,000/month for Premium support with a dedicated technical account manager. | Community support is included in the Basic tier. The Pro tier includes end-to-end support with SLAs covering the entire stack. Enterprise-grade support with dedicated customer success team is available as an optional addon. |
Pricing modelThe cost structure of the platform. |
Per-vCPU pricing at $0.00822/vCPU/hour for cloud and $0.03288/vCPU/hour for on-premises (4x premium). Hyperthreading doubles vCPU count. Google Cloud support is billed separately. Historically required $10,000/month minimum commitment. | Offers a transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing model. The Basic tier is free for clusters up to 24 vCPUs. The Pro tier is $79/month including the first 24 vCPUs and full support. No separate support charges, no per-vCPU multipliers for on-premises nodes. |
Vendor neutralityThe ability to work across different infrastructure providers without vendor lock-in. |
Designed around GCP as the central management hub. GKE on AWS and Azure have been deprecated. Attached clusters register third-party clusters with GCP but all fleet management, monitoring, logging, and policy enforcement route through Google Cloud services. |
Designed to work across all major cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure, Hetzner, OVHcloud, and 12+ others) and on-premises infrastructure from a single control plane, allowing users to avoid lock-in while benefiting from a consistent experience. |
Management modelWho is responsible for managing the platform and its underlying components. |
GKE on Google Cloud is managed, but on-premises deployments (Google Distributed Cloud) require significant operational effort: Connect Agent maintenance, fleet configuration, Config Sync setup, service mesh deployment, and ongoing GCP integration management. |
Fully managed service. Cloudfleet handles the entire lifecycle of the platform, from the control plane to node provisioning, networking, security patching, and upgrades, so you can focus on your applications. |
NetworkingHow the platform handles networking across clusters and environments. |
Offers Multi Cluster Ingress and Cloud Service Mesh for cross-cluster communication, but Multi-Cluster Services only supports VPC-native GKE clusters on the same or peered VPC network. Cross-cloud service mesh setup is complex with limited documentation. |
Comes with an encrypted, WireGuard-based peer-to-peer overlay network that enables secure, seamless communication across all environments. Supports multi-cloud and on-premises networking out of the box, including DNS, service exposure, and global load balancing. |
Data sovereigntyHow the platform addresses data residency and regulatory compliance requirements. |
Google is a US company subject to the CLOUD Act, which allows US authorities to demand data access regardless of server location. Sovereign cloud partnerships (T-Systems, Thales) provide operational controls but cannot remove US jurisdictional exposure. Data residency is not the same as data sovereignty. |
European-headquartered company with no exposure to the US CLOUD Act. Full control over data residency through EU-native infrastructure providers including Hetzner, OVHcloud, Exoscale, and others. GDPR compliant with Data Processing Agreements available. |
Product stabilityThe consistency and reliability of the platform’s product direction. |
Rebranded from Anthos to GKE Enterprise (2023), then consolidated into unified GKE pricing (2025). Deprecated GKE on AWS and GKE on Azure (2025). Features have been moved behind paid tiers. Only ~486 companies globally use Anthos, with market share declining from 9.1% to 3.4%. |
Consistently evolving platform with no history of deprecating core capabilities or forcing customers onto different products. Steadily expanding infrastructure provider support and feature set across all deployment models. |
Cost optimizationHow the platform helps reduce infrastructure and operational costs. |
Relies on GKE cluster autoscaler and GCP-specific cost management tools. Cost optimization is limited to Google Cloud environments. On-premises clusters incur a 4x per-vCPU premium with no built-in cross-provider cost optimization. |
Built-in cost optimization features such as dynamic autoscaling, node pooling, workload-aware provisioning, and cross-provider spot instance management help reduce infrastructure costs by up to 80% across all environments with minimal configuration. |
Choosing the right hybrid Kubernetes platform depends on your technical requirements and organizational priorities. Google GKE Enterprise (formerly Anthos) is a powerful option for organizations already deeply invested in Google Cloud that want to extend GCP-style management to other environments. However, if you need a truly provider-agnostic platform that works across all major clouds and on-premises infrastructure without tying your operations to a single hyperscaler, Cloudfleet offers a fundamentally different approach. Our unified architecture eliminates cluster boundaries, provides transparent pricing without per-vCPU surcharges, and delivers a fully managed experience that does not require deep GCP expertise to operate.
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