List of the Top 5 Container Networking Software for Red Hat OpenShift in 2025

A subscription-based security and observability software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution tailored for containers, Kubernetes, and cloud environments offers users an immediate view of service dependencies and interactions across multi-cluster, hybrid, and multi-cloud architectures. This platform simplifies the onboarding experience and enables rapid resolution of Kubernetes-related security and observability issues within just a few minutes. Calico Cloud stands out as a cutting-edge SaaS solution that equips organizations of all sizes to protect their cloud workloads and containers, detect threats, ensure ongoing compliance, and promptly tackle service disruptions in real-time across varied deployments. Built on the foundation of Calico Open Source, acknowledged as the premier framework for container networking and security, Calico Cloud empowers teams to utilize a managed service approach rather than dealing with a complex platform, which significantly enhances their ability to conduct swift analyses and make informed decisions. Furthermore, this advanced platform is designed to evolve with changing security requirements, guaranteeing that users have access to the most up-to-date tools and insights necessary for effectively protecting their cloud infrastructure. Ultimately, this adaptability not only improves security but also fosters a proactive approach to managing potential vulnerabilities.

Calico is a flexible open-source platform that focuses on networking and securing containers, virtual machines, and workloads running on native hosts. It seamlessly integrates with numerous platforms, including Kubernetes, OpenShift, Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (MKE), OpenStack, and even bare metal setups. Users have the option to utilize either Calico's eBPF data plane for cutting-edge performance or the traditional networking pipeline of Linux, allowing for outstanding scalability tailored specifically for cloud-native applications. Both developers and cluster administrators enjoy a cohesive experience and a reliable set of features, regardless of whether they are working in public clouds, on-premises, on a single machine, or across large multi-node clusters. Furthermore, Calico provides various data plane configurations, featuring a pure Linux eBPF data plane, a standard Linux networking data plane, and a Windows HNS data plane. This versatility ensures that it meets the preferences and requirements of users, whether they favor the modern advancements of eBPF or the tried-and-true networking concepts familiar to experienced system administrators. Ultimately, this remarkable flexibility positions Calico as an attractive option for organizations in search of resilient networking solutions that can adapt to their evolving needs. By catering to a wide range of environments and use cases, Calico stands out as a comprehensive choice for enhancing connectivity and security across diverse workloads.

Enhancing the management of north-south network traffic in Kubernetes is essential for achieving reliable and consistent performance at scale while ensuring that your applications remain fast. By adopting sophisticated application-focused configurations that incorporate role-based access control (RBAC) and self-service capabilities, you can create security guardrails that empower your teams to manage their applications with both security and agility. This strategy promotes multi-tenancy and reusability, leading to more straightforward configurations and added advantages. With a native, type-safe, and well-structured configuration approach, functionalities such as circuit breaking, advanced routing, header manipulation, mTLS authentication, and web application firewall (WAF) can be streamlined effectively. Moreover, if you're already leveraging NGINX, the NGINX Ingress resources can facilitate a smooth transition of your existing configurations from other environments, significantly improving your operational efficiency. In addition to simplifying network management, this empowerment allows your development teams to accelerate their innovation processes, driving greater value for your organization. By optimizing these components, you can create an environment that is not only secure but also highly responsive to the demands of modern applications.

Tackle the difficulties posed by intricate tools and overwhelming workloads by adopting an all-in-one networking and security solution. Streamlining your toolset allows for a significant reduction in time wasted on disruptive context shifts, effectively alleviating the fatigue often associated with constant toggling between applications. TF stands out for its exceptional plugin integration, frequently surpassing the basic functionalities found in many other SDN plugins to deliver advanced features. It promotes smooth network interactions, ensuring that your infrastructure operates as a cohesive unit by adhering to well-established open protocol standards in both the control and data planes. The open-source framework of TF encourages ongoing innovation from a diverse group of contributors, providing the versatility to customize outcomes according to your unique requirements or to work alongside reliable vendors. Additionally, it offers the ability to implement namespace isolation and micro-segmentation tailored to individual microservices, enabling the creation of specific security policies and configurations for different tenants. This level of customization and flexibility not only enhances network security but also streamlines operational processes, making TF an indispensable asset for organizations aiming to improve their overall efficiency and security posture. As the landscape of networking and security evolves, leveraging such a comprehensive solution becomes increasingly essential for staying competitive.

Flannel acts as a dedicated virtual networking layer specifically designed for containerized applications. When working within the OpenShift Container Platform, it can serve as an alternative networking solution to the conventional software-defined networking (SDN) components. This method proves especially beneficial for OpenShift deployments in cloud settings that also utilize SDN technologies, such as OpenStack, by eliminating the need for redundant packet encapsulation between the two systems. Each flanneld agent is responsible for sending information to a centralized etcd store, which allows other agents on different hosts to efficiently route packets to various containers within the flannel network. Furthermore, the accompanying diagram illustrates the architecture and data flow that facilitate communication among containers operating over a flannel network. This configuration not only boosts overall network performance but also streamlines the management of containers in intricate environments, ultimately leading to better resource utilization and operational efficiency.