🧠 First, let’s define each term clearly:
1. 🔵 OKD
- Community version of OpenShift
- Free, open-source
- Includes Kubernetes + Operators + Developer tools (S2I, Pipelines, etc.)
- Production-ready and multi-node capable
- Can be installed on bare metal or cloud (AWS, GCP, etc.)
2. 🟠 CodeReady Containers (CRC)
- Old name for the local version of OpenShift/OKD
- Provides a single-node OpenShift/OKD cluster on your laptop
- Primarily for developers and testers
- Rebranded in recent versions…
3. 🟢 OpenShift Local
- New name for CRC starting from OpenShift 4.12+
- Same concept: local, single-node OpenShift
- Can be OpenShift (Red Hat) or OKD depending on the bundle you download
📊 Comparison Table
| Feature | OKD | CodeReady Containers (CRC) | OpenShift Local |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Community version of OpenShift | Local dev env for OKD/OCP | Renamed version of CRC |
| Nodes | Multi-node (prod ready) | Single-node only | Single-node only |
| Target Users | Sysadmins, DevOps, Enterprises | Developers, testers | Developers, testers |
| Runs On | Bare metal, Cloud (AWS, GCP, etc.) | Local machine via VM | Local machine via VM |
| Customization | Fully customizable | Limited | Limited |
| Supported by Red Hat? | ❌ Community-supported | ✅ (OCP only) / ❌ (OKD) | ✅ (OCP only) / ❌ (OKD) |
| Upgradeable | Yes (via installer + Operators) | Partially / recreate needed | Partially / recreate needed |
| UI / Console | ✅ Full OKD Console | ✅ Full Console | ✅ Full Console |
| Includes S2I, Pipelines, etc. | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Uses Installer? | ✅ (You use openshift-install) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Virtualization Required? | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Latest branding | Still called OKD | ✅ Deprecated | ✅ Use this now |
🧩 Relationship Between Them
OKD ─────┐
├────► CodeReady Containers (CRC) ───► OpenShift Local (New name)
OpenShift┘
Code language: PHP (php)- OKD is the full platform (multi-node, install yourself)
- CRC was a packaging of OKD/OpenShift for local testing (single-node)
- OpenShift Local is the new name for CRC, continuing the same purpose
✅ So When Should You Use What?
| Use Case | Best Option |
|---|---|
| Learn OpenShift/OKD quickly on your laptop | ✅ OpenShift Local (CRC) |
| Deploy apps and test CI/CD on OpenShift | ✅ OpenShift Local or OKD |
| Run production workloads | ✅ OKD or OpenShift (multi-node) |
| Build custom OpenShift-like platform | ✅ OKD (fully open source) |
| Need Red Hat support | ✅ Red Hat OpenShift (not OKD) |
🎯 Final Thoughts
- OKD = Full, community OpenShift (multi-node, production-capable)
- CodeReady Containers = Old name for local OpenShift/OKD
- OpenShift Local = New name for CRC (use this moving forward)
They are all part of the same ecosystem — just for different use cases: Production (OKD/OpenShift) vs Local Dev/Test (CRC/OpenShift Local).
🟠 OpenShift Local = The tool
It’s the CLI tool you install (crc) that sets up a single-node OpenShift cluster locally in a VM.
The actual version (OKD or OCP) depends on the bundle you download.
🔹 Two types of bundles for OpenShift Local:
| Bundle Type | Uses Which Platform? | Where to Download? |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ OCP Bundle (Official Red Hat) | OpenShift Container Platform (paid/licensed) | console.redhat.com |
| 🆓 OKD Bundle (Community) | OKD (Open Source OpenShift) | github.com/code-ready/crc/releases |
I’m Rajesh Kumar, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, Cloud, and Platform Engineering expert passionate about sharing practical knowledge, real-world experiences, and industry best practices. I have worked at Cotocus and regularly write about technology, travel, investing, health, product reviews, and digital marketing through my various platforms.
I publish technical articles at DevOps School, travel stories at Holiday Landmark, stock market insights at Stocks Mantra, health and fitness guidance at My Medic Plus, product reviews at TrueReviewNow, and SEO and digital marketing strategies at Wizbrand.
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