[chkhd]

The key question is what are you comparing to k8s in terms of complexity?

Does it add work compared to setting up a VM with Docker and Watchtower? - for sure..

But does it add work compared to setting up something that gives you all the same benefits of k8s without using k8s? - imho definitely not.

[Thaxll]

> all the same benefits without using Kubernetes

That's the catch, if running your app on a manually setup VM is equivalent to running your app on Kubernetes then you don't understand what Kuberentes is or provide.