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Rancher Fleet
What it is
Rancher Fleet is an open-source, free container management and deployment engine for Kubernetes. It uses GitOps to manage and monitor one cluster or coordinate large-scale cluster deployments from a central point. Fleet runs as a controller on an existing Kubernetes cluster and is distributed as a Helm chart, with installation requiring Helm 3. From Git repositories, it can deploy raw Kubernetes YAML, Helm charts, Kustomize configurations, or combinations. Multi-cluster installations use a central manager for downstream clusters. Private Git repositories can use HTTP basic authentication, SSH keys, or GitHub Apps. Fleet documents SSH host key entries for GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps, with strict SSH host-key checks enabled by default from version 0.13. Managed-cluster agents initiate communication, supporting clusters behind NATs or in private networks. Image scanning must be enabled during installation.
For and against
For
- Free and open source
- Deploys YAML, Helm, and Kustomize
- Supports multi-cluster management
- Agents work behind NATs
- Restricted service-account permissions
Against
- Requires an existing Kubernetes cluster
- Installation requires Helm 3
- SSH proxy authentication is unsupported
- Image scanning is disabled by default
The verdict
Rancher Fleet provides centralized GitOps deployment for Kubernetes, with formats and Git authentication options suited to varied environments. Its existing-cluster requirement and listed SSH and image-scanning limitations should be considered before adoption.
Who it suits
Fleet suits teams managing Kubernetes deployments through Git repositories, whether they operate one cluster or many. It is designed for users comfortable running Helm on an existing Kubernetes cluster.
Plans and prices
Fleet
Runs on an existing Kubernetes cluster · distributed as a Helm chart
Read 2 Oct 2026 · fleet.rancher.io
On the record
- Deployment formats
- Fleet can deploy raw Kubernetes YAML, Helm charts, Kustomize, or combinations of them from Git repositories.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Feature default
- The image scanning feature is disabled by default and must be enabled during installation to use it.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Git integrations
- Fleet documents SSH host key entries for GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Helm credential handling
- Fleet forwards Helm credentials only when helmRepoURLRegex is set and matches the chart repository URL.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Install modes
- Fleet supports single-cluster and multi-cluster installation modes, with a central manager for downstream clusters in multi-cluster mode.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Multi-cluster
- Fleet can manage a single Kubernetes cluster or large-scale deployments of clusters from a central point.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Network model
- Managed cluster agents initiate communication to the Fleet controller, allowing managed clusters to run behind NATs or in private networks.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- Fleet does not support SSH proxy server authentication when cloning private Git repositories or using private Helm repositories.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Fleet is a container management and deployment engine that uses GitOps to manage and monitor Kubernetes clusters.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Repository authentication
- Private Git repository authentication supports HTTP basic authentication, SSH keys, and GitHub Apps.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- Fleet runs as a controller on an existing Kubernetes cluster and is distributed as a Helm chart; the installation documentation requires Helm 3.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- Security
- Fleet uses Kubernetes service accounts with restricted permissions for downstream clusters and individual Git repositories.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
- SSH security default
- Strict SSH host key checks are enabled by default from Fleet v0.13 onward.fleet.rancher.io · read 2 Oct 2026
