Google Kubernetes Engine: the dedicated, sovereign alternative
GKE manages the Kubernetes control plane for you, but the cluster runs on Google Cloud, billed per use and under US law. Bunker offers a dedicated cluster, hosted in Europe, at a predictable cost and fully reversible.
Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is Google Cloud's managed Kubernetes service. Google operates the control plane, handles updates and offers an automatic mode. In return, your containers run on Google's infrastructure, billed per use, and the parent company Alphabet falls under US law.
Bunker starts from the same operational comfort, without the two trade-offs that bother a European IT department. The cluster is dedicated to your organisation, hosted in Europe, operated by a European team, at a stable cost on reserved hardware. And because we deploy standard Kubernetes, you keep your workloads portable.
GKE or a Bunker dedicated cluster
| Criterion | Google Kubernetes Engine | Bunker dedicated cluster |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Google Cloud (Alphabet, United States) | Bunker and its infrastructure partner, Europe |
| Jurisdiction | United States (CLOUD Act) | France and European Union (GDPR) |
| Hardware | Shared at Google | Dedicated to your organisation |
| Cost model | Control plane by the hour, nodes, outbound traffic, extra services | Stable rate on reserved hardware |
| Data egress fees | Charged | None between your sites |
| On-premise or bare metal | No | Yes, in your datacenter or on your servers |
| Lock-in | Google Cloud add-ons (IAM, load balancing) that tie you to the cloud | Standard Kubernetes, portable manifests |
What GKE does well
Let us be fair to the tool. GKE is mature, closely integrated with the Google Cloud ecosystem, and its automatic mode frees teams from much of the operations work. For an organisation already on Google Cloud and not sensitive to jurisdiction, it is a solid offer.
Where a dedicated cluster takes the lead
As soon as data is sensitive or the bill becomes a concern, the GKE model strains. Costs track usage and outbound traffic is charged, which makes spend hard to forecast. The infrastructure falls under US law, hence the CLOUD Act. And the integration services specific to Google Cloud gradually tie your applications to their ecosystem.
A Bunker dedicated cluster answers these three points: stable cost on reserved hardware, hosting in Europe under European law, and standard Kubernetes that preserves your freedom to leave. For an on-premise or bare metal need, GKE simply has no equivalent.
Frequently asked questions
Can we migrate from GKE without rewriting everything?
Largely, yes. Your Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts and container images are portable. The work is mainly on the Google Cloud specific services you use (load balancing, IAM, managed storage), which we replace with their standard equivalents. We scope this migration with you.
Is GKE subject to the CLOUD Act?
GKE runs on Google Cloud, whose parent company Alphabet is American. On that basis, the data can fall within the scope of the CLOUD Act, even if the datacenter is in Europe. A cluster hosted and operated in Europe by a European team does not carry that exposure.
Does a dedicated cluster cost less than GKE?
For a sustained, lasting workload, often yes, because you move away from usage billing and outbound traffic fees. For a very variable workload, the calculation is done case by case. We price your situation from your real estate.
Let's talk about your dedicated Kubernetes cluster
Describe your need in a minute. An engineer calls you back with an estimate and an architecture matched to your estate.
Google Kubernetes Engine and Google Cloud are trademarks of Google LLC. Kubernetes is a trademark of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. Bunker is not affiliated with any of them. The comparison is based on public offer models at the time of publication.