CostGlass vs Kubecost: Kubernetes costs plus the rest of your cloud bill
Kubecost, now an IBM product, focuses on Kubernetes cost allocation running inside your own cluster. CostGlass includes Kubernetes allocation through OpenCost and puts it next to your full multi-cloud and AI bill, so one tool covers the whole picture.
CostGlass vs Kubecost at a glance
| Feature | Kubecost | CostGlass |
|---|---|---|
| Published prices | No prices stated on the pages we checked | Free up to £5k/month spend; Starter £99 (to £15k); Growth £499 (to £50k); Scale £1,499 (to £100k); Enterprise custom |
| Clouds covered | Focused on Kubernetes clusters rather than whole cloud bills | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode and Cloudflare |
| Kubernetes costs | Allocation by cluster, namespace, workload and container, deployed in your own cluster; multi-cluster view on Enterprise | EKS, AKS, GKE, OKE and self-managed clusters (Growth plan and above) |
| Hands-on help with fixes | Dedicated support listed on Enterprise | Scale plan: CostGlass engineers carry out approved savings (8 engineer-hours a month) |
| Data location and access | Runs inside your cluster | You choose London or N. Virginia; UK company under UK GDPR; read-only access by default |
Why teams choose CostGlass over Kubecost
The cluster is part of the bill, not the whole bill
Clusters sit on top of compute, storage, network and managed services. CostGlass shows Kubernetes allocation beside those underlying charges so nothing is counted twice or missed.
Nothing extra to run for the basics
CostGlass reads billing data through read-only access to your accounts. Kubernetes allocation uses OpenCost on the Growth plan and above.
AI and SaaS spend too
OpenAI, Anthropic, Snowflake and Datadog costs appear in the same reports as your clusters.
Support from engineers
On Scale, engineers carry out approved savings across clusters and cloud accounts.
When Kubecost may be the better fit
- You only need Kubernetes cost allocation and want it deployed inside your own cluster.
- You need deep per-container allocation and unlimited metric retention in a self-hosted setup.
- Your security policy requires that cost metrics never leave your cluster.
Frequently asked questions
Is CostGlass a Kubecost alternative?
Yes, if you want Kubernetes allocation as part of a wider cost tool that also covers your cloud bills and AI spend. If Kubernetes is your only need, Kubecost is purpose-built for it.
Does CostGlass use OpenCost?
Yes. Kubernetes allocation on Growth and above is based on OpenCost.
Which clusters does CostGlass support?
EKS, AKS, GKE, OKE and self-managed clusters.
Sources and verification
Statements about Kubecost come from its own public pages, checked on 28 October 2026. Kubecost and other product names are trademarks of their owners; CostGlass is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kubecost. Corrections: [email protected].