Business Edition is free for 3 nodes.
Here's everything you get.
Both editions start at zero cost. Business Edition includes everything - RBAC, GitOps, fleet governance, audit logs, and full industrial edge capability. Community Edition is the deliberate choice if you specifically need an open source build.
Start with Business Edition free RBAC from day oneDefines who can do whatacross every environment Fleet governanceSet a policy once, enforce iteverywhere Industrial edgeAir-gap capable, offline-first, 1,000+ node fleets Unlocks access to Portainer-RunThe safe way to deploy vibe-coded appsto your infrastructureIDENTITY, ACCESS & COMPLIANCEBusiness EditionCommunity EditionCreate users and teams - Using guided forms - From YAML files - From a Git repository - From a Helm chart (Kubernetes) - Relative path support for Git stacks (Docker / Swarm / Podman only) Use Portainer app templates - Create your own templates - Use pre-made templates IDENTITY, ACCESS & COMPLIANCEBusiness EditionCommunity EditionCreate users and teams Role-based access control (RBAC) LDAP / OAuth authentication Active Directory + auto user sync Pre-configured SSO provider templates Authentication & activity logs Syslog export for centralized logging FLEET & PLATFORM CONTROLBusiness EditionCommunity EditionFleet Governance Policies Automatic policy drift remediation Deploy policies to environments via Portainer Manage multiple environments from one UI Container image registry management New image availability indicators AUTOMATED, AUDITABLE DEPLOYMENTSBusiness EditionCommunity EditionDeploy from Git repository GitOps automatic updates + webhooks Change windows (ITSM-aligned deployment gates) Stored and shared Git credentials Enforce code-based deployment only Deploy from Helm chart (Kubernetes) KUBERNETES MANAGEMENTBusiness EditionCommunity EditionManage volumes, networking, workloads Provision Talos Kubernetes clusters via Omni integration Import environments via kubeconfig Resource quotas and quota enforcement Pod security constraints Rolling restarts Secure and monitor access to your environmentsCommunity EditionBusiness EditionUser management - Create users - Create teams - Specify roles for each user or group with Role-Based Access Control Use an external authentication provider - LDAP - Preconfigured OpenLDAP template - OAuth - Preconfigured OAuth provider templates - Active Directory - AD user auto sync - Hide internal authentication prompt Secure your environments - Restrict access to the default namespace (Kubernetes) - Enforce admin-only secret viewing (Kubernetes) - Set Pod Security constraints (Kubernetes) - Hide anonymous Docker Hub Security logging - Notification log - Authentication logs - Activity logs - Export Auth and Activity logs Portainer backup - Download Portainer backups - Back up Portainer to S3-compatible storage - Schedule automatic Portainer backups Industrial Edge & IIOTContainer management for environments that never sleep.
Air-gap capable. Offline-first. No Docker or Kubernetes expertise required. Portainer manages containerized applications across factory floors, energy grids, and remote sites — safely, reliably, and at scale.
Industrial IoTFactories, energy, logistics, aerospace. OT teams managing ISV-supplied software at scale. Enterprise IoTRetail, telecom edge, smart cities.Centralized fleet management across thousands of distributed nodes. Remote & disconnectedShips, oil fields, mining sites. Async agents that operate offline and sync when connectivity returns.The right agent for every network constraint
Three agent types connect to the same central control plane — choose based on your network topology and security posture.
Lan agent Trusted networksBi-directionalLowest latencyData centreremote agent Untrusted networksOutbound-onlyNo inbound portsmTLS identityasync edge agent Disconnected & OTPull-basedOffline-safeAir-gappedBusiness EditionCommunity EditionProvision and manage edge environments Deploy Edge Stacks to multiple devices Edge Jobs — run scripts across edge devices Bulk device onboarding and Waiting Room mTLS for Edge Stacks GitOps for Edge Stacks Staggered rollouts, pre-pull staging, and rollback Async mode for offline and low-bandwidth devices Dynamic edge groups (auto-group by tags) Fleet Governance Policies for edge environments Remote Edge Agent upgrades via Portainer Edge Administrator RBAC role Business Edition only — Industrial App PortalA purpose-built interface for OT operatorsIT governs the fleet through Portainer’s control plane. The people on the plant floor get a completely different experience - one that abstracts Kubernetes entirely and speaks their operational language. Infrastructure is hidden - operators interact only with the applications they know Every action governed by IT-set access controls and policies Works with OPC connectivity, MQTT, and the Portainer industrial partner ecosystemTalk to the industrial teamExplore Industrial & IoTFrequently asked questions
Which edition should I install?For almost all users, Business Edition is the right choice. It is free for up to 3 nodes with no time limit and includes the full feature set — RBAC, GitOps, fleet governance, audit logs, SSO, and more. Choose Community Edition only if you specifically need a fully open-source build with no license key and no dependency on Portainer's licensing infrastructure.
Can I upgrade from Community to Business Edition?Yes. Upgrading is a single deployment swap — redeploy using the Business Edition image and your existing database and settings carry over automatically. No data migration required.
What counts as a node?A node is any server — physical, VM, Raspberry Pi, industrial computer, or embedded device — capable of running containers that is managed by Portainer. A single license covers Docker, Swarm, and Kubernetes environments.
Most users start hereBusiness Edition — free for 3 nodes
Full feature set. No time limit. No credit card.
Get started freeLarger deploymentsTalk to Our Team
4+ nodes, managed services, or enterprise requirements.
Contact sales →Already on Community Edition? Upgrading to Business Edition is a single deployment swap — your data migrates automatically.