Tanzu Kubernetes - Grid Licensing

Kubernetes clusters scale horizontally fast; a developer spinning up 50 small nodes can double your license count overnight. Disclaimer: Licensing terms change. Always consult the official VMware Tanzu Licensing Guide or your VMware reseller for binding contract details.

| Metric | Definition | When it applies | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Count the physical CPU cores in the ESXi hosts running the worker nodes. | Traditional vSphere-based TKG deployments. | | Per VM (vCPU) | Count the virtual CPUs assigned to Kubernetes worker node VMs. | Public cloud or bare-metal TKG deployments. | tanzu kubernetes grid licensing

For cloud-native teams on bare metal or public cloud, the licensing model is simpler and cheaper than the per-core model. | Metric | Definition | When it applies

As organizations move beyond "Kubernetes for the sake of Kubernetes," they face a new challenge: operational consistency. VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) has emerged as a leading enterprise Kubernetes management platform, but its licensing model often causes confusion. | Public cloud or bare-metal TKG deployments