Kuma is a service mesh that runs on Kubernetes, VMs, and across multiple zones using Envoy as its data plane proxy.
Kuma addresses the challenge of providing service connectivity, security, and observability across heterogeneous infrastructure by building on Envoy without requiring users to have Envoy expertise. It supports both single-zone and multi-zone deployments, automatically enabling cross-zone communication and propagating policies across clusters and clouds. The tool includes built-in policies for security, traffic control, service discovery, and observability, designed to reduce the operational complexity of running a service mesh across distributed teams and platforms.
Organizations running services on both Kubernetes and VMs should consider Kuma, particularly those needing multi-zone support where services span different clusters or clouds. The tool suits teams seeking a service mesh with a gradual learning curve and turnkey policies rather than low-level configuration. Kuma's multi-mesh capability allows multiple service meshes to coexist on the same control plane, supporting multi-tenancy patterns. Enterprise-level support is available for organizations requiring it.
The project receives almost all of its open issues from outside users rather than the core team, demonstrating a substantial base of real-world adopters. Responses to issues and pull requests typically arrive within one to two weeks. Work in the issue tracker centers on feature requests, bug fixes, and improvements.
