Reviewed by the Softwares.com Editorial Team · Last updated June 2026 · How we rate
Key facts
- Vendor
- CNCF
- Pricing
- Open source - Free
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- Self Hosted, Api
- Best for
- Platform Engineers, Devops
- Editor rating
- 4.3 / 5
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, USA
What is Istio?
Istio is a development it tool from CNCF. A widely used service mesh that adds traffic management, mTLS security, policy and observability to microservices on Kubernetes without changing application code.
Istio uses open source pricing and offers a free tier you can start on without a credit card. Free.
It's best suited to platform engineers, devops and runs on Self Hosted, Api.
Standout strengths include rich traffic management, automatic mtls, strong observability hooks. Worth weighing: resource overhead, complex configuration.
Istio pricing
Pros
- Rich traffic management
- Automatic mTLS
- Strong observability hooks
Cons
- Resource overhead
- Complex configuration
Istio vs alternatives
Ready to try Istio?
Start free and see if it fits your workflow.
Work at CNCF? Claim this listing to keep it accurate.
Related software
MoreRelated guides
Related terms
User reviews
No user reviews yet. Be the first to review Istio.
Frequently asked questions
What is Istio?
A widely used service mesh that adds traffic management, mTLS security, policy and observability to microservices on Kubernetes without changing application code.
How much does Istio cost?
Istio is open-source-priced. It has a free tier.
Does Istio have a free trial?
Istio offers a free tier rather than a time-limited trial.
What platforms does Istio support?
Istio is available on Self Hosted, Api.