# Talos OS Software Reviews, Demo & Pricing - 2026 > Review of Talos OS Software: system overview, features, price and cost information. Get free demos and compare to similar programs. Source: https://www.softwareadvice.com/container-security/talos-os-profile --- [Home](https://www.softwareadvice.com/) / [Data Center Management Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/data-center-management/) / Talos OS Software Advice offers objective insights based on verified user reviews and independent product and market research. When our advisors match you to a software provider, we may earn a referral fee. Overview # Talos OS 2026: Benefits, Features & Pricing On this page - Overview - User Interface - Popular Alternatives - Pricing and Plans - Features - User Reviews ## Overview Talos OS 5.0 [(1)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/container-security/talos-os-profile/#reviews) Pricing Pricing available upon request ### About Talos OS If you want to run Kubernetes, Talos OS is the right choice. Talos OS will automate the secure installation of a purpose-built operating system. It will install Kubernetes for you, configured for security. It will automate or eliminate the management tasks of running Kubernetes, leaving you free to focus on business agility. Talos OS is free and open-source, but has enterprise support and professional services available with expert guidance so you can be up and running quickly, reliably, and securely. ## Talos OS User Interface ## Popular Talos OS Alternatives Main Product Talos OS 5.0 [(1)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/container-security/talos-os-profile/#reviews) Ratings Breakdown - 5.0Ease of use - 5.0Value for money - 5.0Customer support - 4.0Functionality Pricing Available upon request Alternative Product [Oracle Linux](https://www.softwareadvice.com/virtualization/oracle-linux-profile/) 4.4 [(18)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/virtualization/oracle-linux-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.06Ease of use - 4.53Value for money - 4.18Customer support - 4.44Functionality Pricing Available upon request Alternative Product [Windows 11](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/windows-11-profile/) 4.4 [(102)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/windows-11-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.48Ease of use - 4.15Value for money - 4.0Customer support - 4.46Functionality Pricing Available upon request Alternative Product [Android 11](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/android-11-profile/) 4.6 [(121)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/android-11-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.65Ease of use - 4.49Value for money - 4.01Customer support - 4.53Functionality Pricing Available upon request Alternative Product [Ubuntu](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/ubuntu-profile/) 4.7 [(122)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/ubuntu-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.42Ease of use - 4.77Value for money - 4.33Customer support - 4.56Functionality Pricing Starting at $225.00 per year Alternative Product [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/red-hat-enterprise-linux-profile/) 4.6 [(27)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/operating-systems/red-hat-enterprise-linux-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.33Ease of use - 4.28Value for money - 4.40Customer support - 4.67Functionality Pricing Starting at $99.00 per year ## Talos OS Pricing and Plans Starting price: Pricing available upon request Free Trial Free Version Basic Pricing available upon request No plan information available ## Talos OS Features - Popular features found in Data Center Management Access Controls/Permissions Alerts/Notifications Capacity Management Event Logs Inventory Management Power Management Real-Time Data Real-Time Monitoring Server Monitoring Uptime Reporting - More features of Talos OS API Configuration Management Data Security For Developers Kernels System Updates User Interface ## Talos OS User Reviews Overall Rating 5.0 Ratings Breakdown 5 100% 4 0% 3 0% 2 0% 1 0% Secondary Ratings Ease of Use 5.0 Value for money 5.0 Customer support 5.0 Functionality 4.0 Have you used Talos OS and would like to share your experience with others? Gerard d. Verified reviewer Information Technology and Services Self-Employed Used daily for less than 6 months Review source Reviewed October 2021 Great purpose-built Kubernetes OS for bare metal 5 Talos OS is a perfect fit when you want to run Kubernetes on bare metal. Installation and configuration is fully declarative and relatively easy compared to other server OSes. OS upgrades are done automatically and safely, which saves a lot of recurring maintenance. Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 4 Functionality Pros: Talos OS only runs Kubernetes and nothing more, which fits the Linux philosophy 'do one thing and do it well'. There is no SSH, no shell and no package manager, which is great from a security perspective. Sidero labs also publishes a neat 'talosctl' CLI for reading logs and system info for all your debugging needs. Cons: There is currently (version 0.12.3) limited support for hardware, only in-tree kernel drivers are supported. Most mainstream devices work out-of-the-box, but more exoctic hardware is harder to get working. Reasons for choosing Talos OS The fully declarative way of configuring the OS and the minimal approach on packaged software was the deciding factor. Reasons for switching to Talos OS Talos OS is free (as in free beer) and does not impose high hardware requirements, so it also runs on fewer servers and on slower hardware. Read More Showing 1 - 1 of 1 Reviews ## See what companies are saying about Software Advice