- Home
- Cloud Management Software
- Canonical OpenStack
Canonical OpenStack
What it is
Canonical OpenStack lets organizations host applications in their own data centers while providing teams with self-service, on-demand computing resources. The platform is based on upstream OpenStack code and described by Canonical as 100% open source. Automation with MAAS and Juju spans bare-metal provisioning through applications. Its architecture uses Kubernetes, OCI images and snaps, which Canonical says decouples OpenStack from the underlying Ubuntu operating system. Canonical Ceph is included by default and supports up to 128 TB of data per node. The broader stack includes an expandable Kubernetes layer, observability, Landscape system management and MAAS bare-metal automation. Listed workloads include HPC and AI/ML, telco NFVI, sovereign clouds, local or regional public clouds and edge infrastructure. Customers can deploy the cloud themselves or ask Canonical to design, build, test and validate it. The plan is free, with no license or subscription cost; commercial support and consulting are separate. Support includes 24/7 phone and ticket coverage, with a stated one-hour response for Severity 1 issues. On-demand Kubernetes is currently in beta.
For and against
For
- Self-service, on-demand computing resources.
- Automation spans bare metal through applications.
- Canonical Ceph is included by default.
- Self-deployment or Canonical-led deployment is available.
- 24/7 support includes a stated Severity 1 response time.
Against
- Commercial support and consulting are separate.
- On-demand Kubernetes is currently in beta.
- Tutorial requires a dedicated physical machine with specified resources.
The verdict
Canonical OpenStack offers self-hosted infrastructure with automation and a wider integrated stack. Organizations considering it should account for deployment requirements and the beta status of on-demand Kubernetes.
Who it suits
Canonical OpenStack suits organizations that want to host applications in their own data centers and provide teams with on-demand infrastructure. It also targets workloads such as HPC and AI/ML, telco NFVI and edge infrastructure.
Plans and prices
Private Cloud Build
Cloud deployment · additional features and integrations via add-ons
Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Canonical OpenStack
No hidden license or subscription cost; commercial support and consulting are separate
Read 3 Oct 2026 · canonical.com
Private Cloud Build Plus
Cloud deployment · additional features and integrations via add-ons
Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
On the record
- API compatibility
- Canonical states that its upstream OpenStack foundation guarantees API compatibility.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Architecture
- Its cloud-native architecture is based on Kubernetes, OCI images and snaps, which Canonical says decouples OpenStack from the underlying Ubuntu OS.canonical.com · read 3 Oct 2026
- Automation
- It automates cloud operations from bare metal provisioning through applications, using MAAS and Juju across the stack.canonical.com · read 3 Oct 2026
- Bare-metal automation
- Canonical MAAS provides bare-metal provisioning and is included in Canonical consulting packages for OpenStack.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Ceph storage
- Canonical Ceph is included by default and supports up to 128 TB of data per node without additional cost.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- CLI
- The OpenStack client command line interface supports bulk operations and administrative automation.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Cloud-native architecture
- Sunbeam isolates OpenStack components and decouples them from the underlying operating system.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- Canonical support includes CIS and DISA-STIG hardening profiles and conformance for sectors such as telecom, government and financial services.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Deployment model
- The platform supports single-node clouds and multi-node clouds for greater capacity and resilience.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Deployment options
- Customers can deploy Canonical OpenStack themselves or have Canonical design, build, test and validate the cloud for them.canonical.com · read 3 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- Official documentation includes tutorials, step-by-step how-to guides, technical reference material and conceptual explanations.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- Deployment and operation use Juju charms, Rocks OCI images and Snaps as extensible artifacts.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Getting started
- Canonical's learning tutorial uses one dedicated physical machine with at least 4 amd64 cores, 16 GiB RAM, 100 GiB SSD storage and Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS.canonical.com · read 3 Oct 2026
- GPU and acceleration
- The platform supports GPU virtualization and other acceleration technologies for HPC and AI/ML workloads.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The product includes an expandable Kubernetes layer, an integrated observability stack, Landscape system management and MAAS bare metal automation.canonical.com · read 3 Oct 2026
- Kubernetes layer
- Canonical OpenStack can provide an expandable Kubernetes layer that users provision from the dashboard.canonical.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Licence
- OpenStack software is fully open source and existing OpenStack software uses the Apache License 2.0.docs.openstack.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: complexity
- G2 reviewers report that setup and operation can be daunting or complex for inexperienced Linux and cloud users.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
