--- title: "Calico Networking For Kubernetes" source: "https://www.tigera.io/blog/calico-networking-for-kubernetes/" --- [Technical Blog](https://www.tigera.io/category/technical-blog/) # Calico Networking For Kubernetes By [Alex Pollitt](https://www.tigera.io/blog/author/alexpollitt/) on Aug 08, 2020 • 2 min read Calico announced its first version of the Calico network plugin for Kubernetes to coincide with the 1.0 release of Kubernetes. A lot of time has passed since then, and Kubernetes networking has continued to mature, with many of Calico’s core concepts now adopted as mainstream best practices, including the introduction of Kubernetes Network Policy, for which Calico was the original reference implementation. ## Why Calico for Kubernetes? Whether you are self-managing a cluster on-prem or in public cloud, or using a cloud provider managed Kubernetes service, Calico provides simple, high-performance, secure networking. Calico is trusted by the major cloud providers, with EKS, AKS, GKE, and IKS all having integrated Calico as part of their offerings. Calico’s flexibility allows you to run without an overlay in most environments, including public cloud, or if you prefer, Calico can provide an efficient VXLAN or IPIP overlay. Calico utilizes built-in Linux kernel forwarding capabilities to deliver high-performance pure IP based networking. And for those ready to adopt newer kernel versions, Calico has a full eBPF data plane, with native Kubernetes service handling (no need to run kube-proxy) with source IP preservation and DSR. Calico network policy engine formed the original reference implementation of Kubernetes network policy during the development of the API. By using multiple enforcement points Calico policies can provide a run-anywhere solution to implement a zero trust network for your Kubernetes cluster. ## How to get started or learn more? In this blog post we briefly talked about some of the possibilities that can be achieved using Calico. To learn more or give Calico a try, check out the [Calico docs](http://docs.projectcalico.org/introduction/). They are a great resource with simple install guides tailored across a range of different environments. If you need any assistance or want to connect with other Calico users, we recommend joining the [Calico slack group](http://slack.projectcalico.org/) or [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/projectcalico/calico/discussions). And if you want to check out a slice of ancient history, you can read the [original blog post](https://www.tigera.io/blog/calico-networking-for-kubernetes-1.0/) announcing Calico’s support for Kubernetes 1.0. **If you enjoyed this blog then you may also like:** - Free online training at [projectcalico.org/events](http://projectcalico.org/events) or subscribe to [Calico Essentials](https://info.tigera.io/rs/805-GFH-732/images/Calico-Essentials-Datasheet.pdf) for personalized training & workshops - Learn about [Calico Enterprise](http://docs.projectcalico.org/calico-enterprise/) [Open Source](https://www.tigera.io/tags/open-source/)[Project Calico](https://www.tigera.io/tags/project-calico/) ## Related posts [![What’s new in Calico: Spring 2026 Release](https://www.tigera.io/app/uploads/2026/06/Whats-New-in-Calico-NEW-TEMPLATE-2026.png)](https://www.tigera.io/blog/whats-new-in-calico-spring-2026-release/) [Company Blog](https://www.tigera.io/category/company-blog/) #### [What’s new in Calico: Spring 2026 Release](https://www.tigera.io/blog/whats-new-in-calico-spring-2026-release/) By [Veronika Smolik](https://www.tigera.io/blog/author/veronika-smolik/) on Jun 2, 2026 Kubernetes has come a long way since its debut in 2014. 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