Kubernetes Sandbox

Explore how modern teams deliver Kubernetes with self-service, governance, and scale.

Not looking for a toy sandbox? Neither are we.

If you’re evaluating Kubernetes platforms, what you really want isn’t a disposable cluster — it’s to understand how teams deliver Kubernetes as a service in production.

The best way to get started is to have a conversation with us so we can understand your specific use cases and how either our Kubernetes and/or GPU PaaS offering can support your needs. We're also happy to give you a guided walk-through in a demo – request one today.

Common FAQs

Questions about Kubernetes sandboxes, demos, and how to evaluate Rafay.

What counts as a node?

A node is a physical or virtual server/machine.

Do you have any volume discounts?

Yes! As the number of nodes increases the price per cluster or per node decreases.

What about short-lived or ephemeral clusters?

Our customers love to experiment, and we don’t ding them for it. We don’t charge for node count spikes, but look at the running average of nodes in use when calculating usage.

Is there a difference between production and non-production pricing?

The management overhead for helping our customers operate dev vs prod clusters is effectively the same, so we treat all nodes the same.

What if I use more nodes than I’ve licensed?

Rafay has a true-up forward policy, meaning that we don’t carry out chargebacks for scenarios where the consumption in a completed billing cycle exceeded the licensed count. If the new, steady-state number of nodes is expected to be higher, our customer success team will discuss the situation with you, and take steps to adjust billing accordingly for the next billing cycle.

How much does Enterprise Support (24x7x365) cost?

Enterprise Support is available at an additional fee equaling 20% of the cluster or node subscription.

Do you have EDU or GOV discounts?

Yes, please contact sales for more information about discounts for educational institutions and government agencies.

Why we don’t offer a generic Kubernetes sandbox.

Rafay is designed to operate Kubernetes the way it runs in the real world — with governance, multi-tenancy, identity, and production-grade infrastructure. A generic, self-serve sandbox wouldn’t reflect how the platform actually works or the value it delivers. Instead, we offer guided demos and architecture-based walkthroughs that show how teams use Rafay to deliver Kubernetes-as-a-Service in production environments.

How can I see the Kubernetes management offering of the Rafay Platform?

The best way to see the Rafay Platform's Kubernetes management offering is to schedule a conversation with us. We offer guided Kubernetes platform demos based on real customer environments — not generic sandboxes. We will tailor the walk-through to your specific use cases and needs.

Do you offer a free Kubernetes sandbox or trial?

Rafay no longer offers a self-serve Kubernetes sandbox or free trial. While we previously offered a lightweight sandbox experience, it no longer reflected how customers use Rafay in real production environments. Today, we focus on guided demos and architecture-based walkthroughs that more accurately demonstrate the platform’s capabilities.

What’s the difference between a Kubernetes sandbox and a guided demo?

A Kubernetes sandbox is typically a single, isolated cluster with limited configuration and no real governance, identity, or multi-tenant context. A guided Rafay demo shows how Kubernetes is delivered and operated in real-world environments — including self-service provisioning, access controls, policy enforcement, and multi-tenant usage. This provides a more realistic view of how teams evaluate and run Kubernetes at scale.

How can I see Rafay working in a real Kubernetes environment?

The best way to see Rafay in action is through a guided Kubernetes platform demo. These demos are based on real customer architectures and use cases — not disposable sandbox clusters. During the walkthrough, we demonstrate how teams use Rafay to provision, govern, and operate Kubernetes across cloud, on-prem, or GPU infrastructure.

Is Rafay suitable for development, testing, or proof-of-concept use cases?

Yes. Rafay is commonly used to deliver Kubernetes-as-a-Service for development, testing, and production workloads. While we don’t provide a generic sandbox, teams often evaluate Rafay through guided demos or scoped proof-of-concept discussions that reflect their intended environment, tooling, and governance requirements.

Trusted by leading enterprises, neoclouds and service providers

.png)

Featured Resources

Rafay Named Outperformer in 2025 GigaOm Radar Report for Managed Kubernetes

The latest Radar report from GigaOm, Managed Kubernetes Rafay is ranked as an “Outperformer” for its solution.

Learn More](/content/resources/white-papers/rafay-named-outperformer-in-2025-gigaom-radar-report-for-managed-kubernetes/index.html)

Rafay Enterprise PaaS Datasheet

Rafay bridges the infrastructure complexity gap, so your business can focus on rapid innovation rather than cloud management.

Learn More](/content/datasheets/enterprise-paas/index.html)

Best Practices for Securing Kubernetes

Modernize security with zero-trust and role-based access control for your entire fleet. View this white paper now.

Learn More](/content/white-papers/best-practices-for-securing-kubernetes/index.html)

GPU cloud evaluation report

Evaluating how the Rafay Platform delivers a GPU cloud for enterprises and cloud service providers by PivotNine.

Learn More](/content/resources/white-papers/gpu-cloud-evaluation-report/index.html)

Best Practices for Kubernetes Cost Monitoring and Management

Discover best practices for cost "showback" and "chargeback" and compare tools for cost management.

Learn More](/content/white-papers/best-practices-for-kubernetes-cost-monitoring-and-management/index.html)

.png)

How Enterprise Platform Teams Can Accelerate AI/ML Initiatives

This paper explores the key challenges that organizations experience supporting these initiatives, as well as best practices for successfully leveraging Kubernetes to accelerate AI/ML projects.

Learn More](/content/resources/white-papers/how-enterprise-platform-teams-accelerate-ai-ml-initiatives/index.html)

The Pulse of Enterprise Platform Teams: Cloud, Kubernetes and AI

Download the results of this groundbreaking survey of over 1,000 platform engineering and architecture experts from U.S. organizations with over 1,000 employees to learn their current top challenges with Kubernetes, cloud management, and AI and how they plan to tackle those challenges.

Learn More](/content/research/the-pulse-of-enterprise-platform-teams-cloud-kubernetes-and-ai/index.html)

The Definitive Guide to Kubernetes Automation and Governance for Platform Teams

Learn how to balance Kubernetes automation and self-service with governance and control.

Learn More](/content/white-papers/the-definitive-guide-to-kubernetes-automation-and-governance-for-platform-teams/index.html)

Build vs. Buy: Total Cost of Ownership Analysis Kubernetes Management & Operations

Download this paper to explore an example analysis and review the cost factors and assumptions.

Learn More](/content/white-papers/total-cost-of-ownership-analysis-kubernetes-management-operations-build-vs-buy/index.html)