Fundamentals of DevOps and Software Delivery » FAQ
When should you use Kubernetes vs VMs vs serverless?
Use VMs for simpler operational models and full host control, serverless for event-driven workloads with minimal ops, and Kubernetes when you need portable, multi-service orchestration with fine-grained operational control. The right choice depends on team capacity and workload requirements.
Practical guidance
- Prefer the simplest model that meets your reliability and scaling needs.
- Evaluate based on workload shape, latency needs, runtime constraints, and team expertise.
- Include operational overhead in decisions, not just infrastructure cost.
- Revisit choices as product scale and team maturity evolve.