kagent

kagent is an open-source Kubernetes framework for DevOps engineers to run, observe, and govern AI agents.

kagent is an open-source framework designed for DevOps and platform engineers to run AI agents in Kubernetes. It allows users to define agents as Kubernetes Custom Resource Definitions, managing them with existing tools like GitOps, RBAC, and service meshes. The platform supports any LLM, framework, and tool through native Model Context Protocol and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. It provides default observability via OpenTelemetry traces, Prometheus metrics, and structured logs, alongside zero-trust security using Istio or Ambient Mesh. kagent targets platform engineering organizations seeking to automate operations, handle incident response, enable platform self-service, and run knowledge agents without adopting proprietary control planes.

kagent at a glance

Best for: Software engineer
Runs on: self-hosted, open source
Pricing: Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license.
Released: January 2025
Category: AI agent tool
Website: kagent.dev

Key features

Declarative agent definitions via Kubernetes CRDs
Model Context Protocol integration for tools
Agent-to-Agent communication and delegation
OpenTelemetry traces, Prometheus metrics, and logs
Zero-trust security with Istio and mTLS
NVIDIA NemoClaw security and privacy guardrails
Kubernetes-native runtime on Agent Substrate

Use it for

Triage alerts and draft rollback pull requests during incidents
Navigate traces and query PromQL conversationally
Process developer requests for namespaces or databases via GitOps
Run retrieval-augmented generation over runbooks and logs
Chain multiple agents together for complex operations

Alternatives to kagent

OmniAgent — It evolves skills in real-time and dynamically hardens security during task execution.
Rakazo — Complete ownership of data, models, and execution environment.
Genkit — Provides unified APIs and local developer tools for AI application workflows.
OpenBot — Runs entirely on your own infrastructure with strict document permissions and custom.
Composio — Equips AI agents with tools, managed user auth, and sandboxes across 1,500+ apps
Eve — Builds durable AI agents with file system based configuration and isolated sandboxes.
OpenSquilla — Maximizes AI intelligence density while minimizing token costs through smart routing.
Agent Sandbox — Provides a secure and isolated execution layer for autonomous AI agents.
AgentDock — It coordinates multi-device workflows and provides secure environment access.
OpenViking — Unifies agent memory, knowledge RAG, and skills into a single directory structure.
Agent Squad — Runs multi-agent orchestration in Python, TypeScript, and locally on Apple devices.
AG-UI — Standardizes agent-user interactions and generative UI for applications.

All kagent alternatives