Elchi vs alternatives for managing Envoy.

Elchi is a visual control plane for Envoy fleets on Linux VMs and appliances, with WAF, API discovery and GSLB as add-ons. Istio is a Kubernetes service mesh that VMs can join. Envoy Gateway manages Envoy through the Kubernetes Gateway API. go-control-plane is a Go library for building your own xDS server.

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The summary

Elchi, Istio, Envoy Gateway and a self-built control plane on go-control-plane, compared on the criteria buyers ask about first. Each comparison page has the full table and its sources.
CriterionElchiIstioEnvoy Gatewaygo-control-plane (DIY)
What it isControl plane and edge agent for Envoy fleetsService meshKubernetes Gateway API implementationGo library for an xDS server
Envoy on VMsMain use case (elchi-client or Elchi OS)VMs join a Kubernetes-based mesh (Beta)Standalone mode, experimentalWhatever you build
ConfigurationTyped forms for the full Envoy API, plus REST APIKubernetes CRDs and Gateway APIGateway API plus policy CRDsGo code
Several Envoy versions at onceYes, with zero-downtime listener upgradesVia istiod revisionsOne Envoy minor per releaseYours to design
Publish workflow and auditDraft, save, publish; immutable audit trailYour Git/CI processYour Git/CI processYours to build
WAF, GSLB, API discoveryAdd-ons in the same control planeNot built inNot built in (WAF via extensions)Yours to build
LicenseCommercial; free tier with one managed clientOpen source (Apache 2.0)Open source (Apache 2.0)Open source (Apache 2.0)

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Elchi vs Istio

For Envoy on VMs and non-mesh edge and gateway fleets.

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Elchi vs Envoy Gateway

Standalone mode, the Gateway API and Envoy version policy.

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Elchi vs go-control-plane

Build your own control plane, or buy one: what the library leaves to you.

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What Elchi is not

Elchi is not a service mesh and not a Gateway API implementation. It manages Envoy as the edge, gateway or load-balancing tier on hosts you choose, through the Envoy API itself. If your traffic lives inside Kubernetes and you want mesh or Gateway API semantics, Istio or Envoy Gateway is the better fit, and each page says so.

See it on your own fleet.

Tell us where your Envoys run and what you need to change on them. We will show the product on a setup like yours, or help you start on the free tier with one managed client.

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Sources

Facts about other projects come from their official documentation and repositories, checked on the date below. Elchi facts come from the Elchi documentation.

  1. Istio: Virtual Machine Installation
  2. Istio: Feature Status
  3. github.com/istio/istio (license)
  4. github.com/envoyproxy/gateway (README, license)
  5. Envoy Gateway: Standalone Deployment Mode
  6. Envoy Gateway: Compatibility Matrix
  7. github.com/envoyproxy/go-control-plane (README, license)

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