Best Kubernetes Ingress Controllers in 2026
Updated
In short: NGINX Ingress Controller is ranked #1 of 26 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Traefik Proxy and Contour. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Traefik Proxy. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ngrok at $10/mo.
For services running in Kubernetes, ingress controllers provide ways to manage incoming traffic and related controls. Compared on ingress API model and deployment model, these entries also vary in canary routing, rate limiting, auth policies, TLS automation, and web application firewall support. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing are additional points to consider. Think about the traffic behaviors and security controls relevant to your environment, as well as the deployment approach that fits your setup. Airlock Microgateway, NGINX Ingress Controller, and ngrok are among the entries shown, alongside agentgateway and Contour. The listed criteria offer a practical frame for weighing operational fit.
26 Kubernetes ingress controllers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 NGINX Ingress Controller No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.1Free Ingress API model: ingressTLS automation: YesCanary routing: Yes
- 2 Traefik Proxy No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.0Free
- 3 Contour No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: YesCanary routing: Yes
- 4 HAProxy Ingress No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: YesCanary routing: Yes
- 5 Envoy Gateway No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.5Free
- 6 agentgateway No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3Free Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: YesCanary routing: Yes
- 7 Airlock Microgateway No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.2Free Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: Yes
- 8 kgateway No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.1 Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: YesCanary routing: Yes
- 9 Kong Ingress Controller No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0 Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: Yes
- 10 Apache APISIX No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0
- 11 LiteSpeed Ingress Controller No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5$59.58/mo Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: YesCanary routing: Yes
- 12 F5 BIG-IP Container Ingress Services No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5Free Ingress API model: ingressCanary routing: Yes
- 13 Higress No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1
- 14 N42 Gateway No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1 Ingress API model: bothTLS automation: YesCanary routing: Yes
- 15 Skipper No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0
- 16 ngrok No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0$10/mo
- 17 OpenNJet Ingress Controller No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Ingress API model: bothCanary routing: Yes
- 18 NGINX Gateway Fabric No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7
- 19 BFE Ingress Controller No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Ingress API model: ingressCanary routing: Yes
- 20 NetScaler Ingress Controller No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Ingress API model: ingressCanary routing: Yes
- 21 HAProxy Enterprise No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5
- 22 Kusk Gateway No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Ingress API model: ingress
- 23 A10 Thunder Kubernetes Connector No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Ingress API model: ingress
- 24 Caddy Gateway No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.0 Ingress API model: ingressTLS automation: Yes
- 25 FortiADC No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.8
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which Kubernetes ingress controller is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
NGINX Ingress Controller is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 8.1. Traefik Proxy is second and Contour third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ngrok has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.