Autoscaling in Kubernetes (HPA, VPA, Cluster Autoscaler, Karpenter).
Updated Apr 28, 2026
Short answer
Kubernetes autoscaling operates at two levels: Pods (HPA/VPA) and Nodes (Cluster Autoscaler/Karpenter).
Deep explanation
HPA (Horizontal Pod Autoscaler) adds more Pod replicas based on CPU/RAM or custom metrics. VPA (Vertical Pod Autoscaler) adjusts the requests/limits of existing Pods. Cluster Autoscaler adds/removes physical EC2/VM nodes when Pods cannot be scheduled. Karpenter is a newer, faster provisioner that bypasses Auto Scaling Groups, calculating exact instance types needed dynamically.
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