Akamai LKE pricing
Akamai (Linode) · managed Kubernetes · snapshot captured June 2026
Akamai LKE has a free control plane. Standard control plane is free. A high-availability control plane is $60/cluster/month. LKE-Enterprise (dedicated HA control plane) is $300/cluster/month. You then pay for worker nodes (Worker nodes are billed at normal Linode plan rates (shared 1 GB plan from ~$12/month per node).) plus load balancers and egress. Its representative cheapest node is about $12/month, and it runs in akamai/linode global core compute regions (20+). This is one of the providers with a free control plane.
Source: Akamai (Linode) pricing. Data as of June 2026.
Akamai LKE pricing at a glance
| Cost factor | Akamai LKE |
|---|---|
| Control-plane fee | Standard control plane is free. A high-availability control plane is $60/cluster/month. LKE-Enterprise (dedicated HA control plane) is $300/cluster/month. |
| Est. control-plane cost / month | Free |
| Worker node example | Worker nodes are billed at normal Linode plan rates (shared 1 GB plan from ~$12/month per node). |
| Load balancer | Akamai NodeBalancer from $10/month. |
| Egress | Pooled monthly transfer allowance per node, then ~$0.005/GB. |
| Free tier | Free standard control plane. You pay for the Linode worker nodes, NodeBalancers and storage volumes. |
| Regions | Akamai/Linode global core compute regions (20+). |
| SLA | Higher availability on the paid HA / Enterprise control planes. |
Source: Akamai (Linode) pricing page. Data as of June 2026.
Source: Akamai (Linode) pricing. Snapshot captured June 2026 — Kubernetes pricing changes frequently; verify before purchasing.
What drives the cost on Akamai LKE
A managed-Kubernetes bill has three main parts: the control plane (free here), the worker nodes (where most of your spend goes), and networking (load balancers and egress). For Akamai LKE: Worker nodes are billed at normal Linode plan rates (shared 1 GB plan from ~$12/month per node). Load balancers: Akamai NodeBalancer from $10/month. Egress: Pooled monthly transfer allowance per node, then ~$0.005/GB.
Cost pros & cons
Where Akamai LKE saves money
- Free standard control plane
- Flat, transparent Linode node pricing
- LKE-Enterprise option for dedicated control planes
Watch-outs
- HA control plane costs $60/month, Enterprise $300/month
- Smaller ecosystem than the big three
- Fewer managed add-on services
Akamai LKE vs other providers
How Akamai LKE's control-plane and node costs compare with similar providers:
| Provider | Control plane | Est. control-plane/mo | Cheapest node/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akamai LKE (this provider) | Free | Free | $12/mo |
| Azure AKS | Free | Free | $30/mo |
| DigitalOcean DOKS | Free | Free | $12/mo |
| OVHcloud MKS | Free | Free | $20/mo |
| Scaleway Kapsule | Free | Free | $7/mo |
| Civo Kubernetes | Free | Free | $10/mo |
Frequently asked questions
How much does Akamai LKE cost?
Akamai LKE has a free control plane. Standard control plane is free. A high-availability control plane is $60/cluster/month. LKE-Enterprise (dedicated HA control plane) is $300/cluster/month. On top of that you pay for worker nodes (Worker nodes are billed at normal Linode plan rates (shared 1 GB plan from ~$12/month per node).), load balancers and egress. Snapshot captured June 2026 — verify on the vendor's pricing page.
Is the Akamai LKE control plane free?
Yes — Akamai LKE's standard/basic control plane is free; you pay only for worker nodes and resources. Standard control plane is free. A high-availability control plane is $60/cluster/month. LKE-Enterprise (dedicated HA control plane) is $300/cluster/month.
What do Akamai LKE worker nodes cost?
Worker nodes are billed at normal Linode plan rates (shared 1 GB plan from ~$12/month per node). Node pricing is the largest part of most clusters' bills, so the choice of instance size and count usually matters more than the control-plane fee. Snapshot captured June 2026.
What hidden costs should I watch for with Akamai LKE?
Beyond nodes and the control plane, the common extras are load balancers (Akamai NodeBalancer from $10/month.) and data egress (Pooled monthly transfer allowance per node, then ~$0.005/GB.). NAT gateways, storage volumes and support plans can also add up. Always model your real workload — the calculator gives a quick estimate.
Keep exploring
Source & accuracy
Figures are a dated snapshot from Akamai (Linode)'s pricing page (snapshot captured June 2026). Estimated monthly control-plane cost is the hourly fee × 730 hours (see methodology). Managed-Kubernetes pricing is volatile and varies by region, instance type and discounts — verify current prices on the vendor's page before purchasing. This is an informational comparison, not a quote.
Last updated: 2026-06-20