A dedicated Kubernetes cluster, hosted and operated in Europe
A Kubernetes cluster that is yours alone, on dedicated hardware, in Europe. You keep the portability of open source and a predictable cost, without the pay-as-you-go billing or the US jurisdiction of the hyperscalers' managed Kubernetes.
Kubernetes has become the standard for running containerised applications. The hyperscalers offer it as a managed service (Google Kubernetes Engine, Amazon EKS, Azure AKS), but the cluster then runs on their cloud, billed per use, under US law. For sensitive data or a budget that drifts, that model shows its limits quickly.
Bunker offers another route: a dedicated Kubernetes cluster, built on hardware reserved for your organisation, hosted in a European datacenter or directly on your premises. We own the offer and the advice; our Kubernetes infrastructure partner deploys and operates the cluster. You get standard Kubernetes, with no proprietary layer, that you could take back in hand the day you decide to.
Why a dedicated cluster rather than managed Kubernetes
A predictable cost rather than a usage bill
With a hyperscaler, you pay for the control plane by the hour, every node, outbound traffic and each extra service. The bill climbs with the load. A dedicated cluster runs on reserved hardware at a stable rate: you size it once and know your spend in advance.
Your data stays under European law
Managed Kubernetes runs on a US provider's infrastructure, exposed to the CLOUD Act. A cluster hosted in Europe and operated by a European team stays under European law (GDPR), with no subcontractor under a foreign jurisdiction.
Standard, reversible Kubernetes
We deploy Kubernetes that conforms to the open-source project's standards, rather than an in-house variant. Your manifests, Helm charts and operators stay portable. If you want to move your workloads elsewhere one day, nothing holds you back.
Nodes that are yours alone
A dedicated cluster does not share its machines with other customers. No noisy neighbour draining the CPU or bandwidth at the worst moment. The resources you reserve are the resources you get.
Three ways to deploy your cluster
Depending on where your data must live and the hardware you have, we adapt the deployment.
Kubernetes on-premise
The cluster lives in your datacenter or on your own servers. Your data never leaves your walls. We install and operate it remotely.
Learn moreBare metal Kubernetes
Kubernetes straight on the physical server, with no hypervisor layer. You recover the full performance of the hardware and avoid virtualisation licences.
Learn moreIn our European datacenter
No server room? We host the dedicated cluster in a datacenter in Europe, on hardware reserved for your organisation.
See the sovereign cloudManaged Kubernetes at a hyperscaler or a Bunker dedicated cluster
The managed offers from the hyperscalers and the European providers take care of running the control plane. A dedicated cluster also settles the question of cost, sovereignty and reversibility.
| Criterion | Managed Kubernetes (EKS, AKS, GKE) | European managed Kubernetes (OVHcloud, Scaleway) | Bunker dedicated cluster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | United States (CLOUD Act) | France and European Union | France and European Union |
| Hardware | Shared at the provider | Shared at the provider | Dedicated to your organisation |
| Cost model | Per use: control plane, nodes, outbound traffic, extra services | Per use, often clearer | Stable rate on reserved hardware |
| Data egress fees | Charged | Variable | None between your sites |
| On-premise or bare metal | No | Rarely | Yes, in your datacenter or on your servers |
| Reversibility | Proprietary add-ons that tie you to the cloud | Good, sovereign providers | Standard Kubernetes, you leave with your manifests |
| Operations | On you above the control plane | On you | Deployed and operated for you |
How it works in practice
Bunker designs the offer, qualifies your need and provides the advice. The cluster itself is deployed and operated by our Kubernetes infrastructure partner, a specialist in running production clusters on bare metal and on-premise.
You describe your estate and your constraints. We come back with an architecture and an estimate. Once the cluster is in place, you keep control of your applications while the Kubernetes infrastructure is monitored and kept up to date. The foundation stays open-source Kubernetes, so your team works with the standard tools it already knows.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a dedicated Kubernetes cluster?
It is a Kubernetes cluster whose machines are reserved for your organisation alone, as opposed to a managed service where your containers run on shared infrastructure at a hyperscaler. The cluster can be installed in your datacenter, on your own servers, or in a European datacenter on hardware dedicated to you.
Does a dedicated Kubernetes cost more than GKE, EKS or AKS?
It depends on your load. The managed offers bill the control plane by the hour, every node, outbound traffic and extra services, so the bill tracks your growth. A dedicated cluster runs on reserved hardware at a stable rate: the heavier and more sustained your usage, the more the gap favours the dedicated option. We price your specific case from your estate.
Is my data shielded from the CLOUD Act?
A cluster hosted in Europe and operated by a European team falls under French and European law. No subcontractor under a US jurisdiction touches the infrastructure, so the CLOUD Act does not apply to it. That is the core difference with managed Kubernetes running on a US provider's cloud.
Am I free to leave?
Yes. We deploy Kubernetes that conforms to the project standards, with no proprietary layer. Your manifests, Helm charts and container images stay portable to another host or to your own infrastructure. Reversibility sits at the heart of our approach, as it does for the rest of our sovereign cloud.
Who deploys and operates the cluster?
Bunker owns the offer, qualifies your need and supports you. The deployment and operation of the cluster are handled by our Kubernetes infrastructure partner, a specialist in these operations in production. You have a single point of contact on the Bunker side.
Do I need to own servers already?
No. If you have hardware or a datacenter, we install the cluster on your premises (on-premise). If you do not, we host the dedicated cluster in a European datacenter on hardware reserved for your organisation. Both models give you the same standard Kubernetes.
Kubernetes is a trademark of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. Amazon EKS, Microsoft Azure AKS and Google Kubernetes Engine are trademarks of their respective publishers. Bunker is not affiliated with any of them. Comparisons are based on public offer models at the time of publication.