# Cilium vs Isovalent Cilium Mesh: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Cilium](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cilium) is a free [microsegmentation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/microsegmentation) solution. [Isovalent Cilium Mesh](https://cybersectools.com/tools/isovalent-cilium-mesh) is a commercial [microsegmentation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/microsegmentation) solution by [Isovalent](https://cybersectools.com/companies/isovalent). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Cilium | Isovalent Cilium Mesh |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Commercial |
| Category | Microsegmentation | Microsegmentation |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | Hybrid |
| Company size fit | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | 23,959 | – |
| Last commit | Mar 2026 | – |
| Company | – | Isovalent |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Cilium | Isovalent Cilium Mesh |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Yes | – |
| Observability | Yes | Yes |
| Kubernetes | – | Yes |
| Cloud Native | – | Yes |
| Runtime Security | – | Yes |
| DevSecOps | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Cilium**

No features listed.

**Isovalent Cilium Mesh**

10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

### Integrations

**Cilium**

No integrations listed.

**Isovalent Cilium Mesh**

2 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [Cilium](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cilium) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a small business, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.
- [Isovalent Cilium Mesh](https://cybersectools.com/tools/isovalent-cilium-mesh) fits if you need both cloud and on-premises options.

## Cilium vs Isovalent Cilium Mesh FAQ

Common questions when comparing Cilium vs Isovalent Cilium Mesh for microsegmentation.

### What is the difference between Cilium and Isovalent Cilium Mesh?

**Cilium**: Cilium is a networking, observability, and security solution with an eBPF-based dataplane.

**Isovalent Cilium Mesh**: Universal networking layer for Kubernetes, VMs, and servers across environments, built by Isovalent.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes Cilium and Isovalent Cilium Mesh?

**Cilium** is open-source with 23,959 GitHub stars. **Isovalent Cilium Mesh** is made by Isovalent. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Cilium a good alternative to Isovalent Cilium Mesh?

Often, yes. Cilium and Isovalent Cilium Mesh are both Microsegmentation products, and both cover Observability. Key differences: Cilium is Free while Isovalent Cilium Mesh is Commercial, Cilium is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Cilium vs Isovalent Enterprise Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cilium-vs-isovalent-isovalent-enterprise-platform)
- [Cilium vs Greymatter.io](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cilium-vs-greymatterio)
- [Cilium vs Tigera Calico Enterprise](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cilium-vs-tigera-calico-enterprise)
- [Isovalent Cilium Mesh vs Isovalent Enterprise Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/isovalent-cilium-mesh-vs-isovalent-isovalent-enterprise-platform)
- [Isovalent Cilium Mesh vs Greymatter.io](https://cybersectools.com/compare/greymatterio-vs-isovalent-cilium-mesh)
- [Isovalent Cilium Mesh vs Tigera Calico Enterprise](https://cybersectools.com/compare/isovalent-cilium-mesh-vs-tigera-calico-enterprise)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Cilium alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/cilium)
- [See all Isovalent Cilium Mesh alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/isovalent-cilium-mesh)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/cilium-vs-isovalent-cilium-mesh

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/cilium.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on Cilium and Isovalent Cilium Mesh: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md