Production-ready Kubernetes in minutes, not months
KubeLaunch Essentials is a free, open-source Kubernetes platform with integrated security, observability, and service mesh. It deploys a security-hardened EKS cluster via Terraform/Terragrunt with ArgoCD, Kyverno, Falco, Istio, and Kubecost pre-configured. Available on GitHub at github.com/cloudon-one/kubelaunch-essentials.
Core Features
GitOps & CI/CD
Automated continuous deployment and infrastructure management through battle-tested tools.
- ArgoCD for GitOps-based deployments
- Atlantis for Terraform PR automation
- GitHub OIDC — zero long-lived credentials
- CI/CD templates for Docker and Terragrunt
Runtime Security
Real-time threat detection and policy enforcement from day one.
- Kyverno admission control policies
- Falco eBPF-based runtime monitoring
- Velero automated cluster backups
- Weekly CIS Kubernetes Benchmark scans
Observability & Service Mesh
Complete visibility and enterprise-grade service communication.
- Istio service mesh with mutual TLS
- Kong API gateway
- Loki log aggregation and Jaeger tracing
- Kubecost for real-time expense tracking
How It Works
Configure Platform Variables
Edit the central platform_vars.yaml to set your AWS account, region, domain, and component preferences.
Deploy AWS Infrastructure
Run Terraform to provision the state backend, OIDC authentication, and secrets rotation.
Launch Kubernetes Platform
Use terragrunt run-all apply to deploy the EKS cluster with all platform tools pre-configured.
Start Deploying
ArgoCD is ready for your application deployments. Observability, security, and service mesh are already running.
Why Choose KubeLaunch Essentials?
Weeks to Minutes
Skip the months of integration work. KubeLaunch deploys a production-ready Kubernetes platform with a single command.
Security by Default
Three-phase security: foundation (OIDC, encrypted state), runtime (admission control, threat detection), and operational (CIS compliance, auditing).
Zero Long-Lived Credentials
GitHub OIDC federation eliminates permanent AWS credentials. Automated monthly secrets rotation via Lambda.
Cost Transparency
Kubecost provides real-time expense tracking. Development environment runs at approximately $195/month with Spot instances.
Tech Stack
Frequently Asked Questions
What cloud providers does KubeLaunch support?
How much does the infrastructure cost?
Do I need Kubernetes experience to use KubeLaunch?
What security compliance does KubeLaunch support?
Can I customize which components are deployed?
From the Blog
Kubernetes Platform Terraform Modules: Supercharge Your DevOps Journey
Explore a suite of reusable Terraform modules that streamline Kubernetes cluster infrastructure, security, networking, and observability for production-ready platforms.
Simplify Your Kubernetes Platform with Terragrunt: A Comprehensive Walkthrough
A comprehensive walkthrough of using Terragrunt to deploy and maintain complex Kubernetes ecosystems including service mesh, observability, and platform tools.
Kubernetes Networking Unlocked: Why You Need Both a CNI and a Service Mesh
A guide demystifying the roles of CNI plugins and Service Mesh in Kubernetes, explaining how they work together for connectivity, security, and traffic management.
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