Choose a Delivery Model
If you want to run the full Serval application inside your own infrastructure, you have two delivery models. They differ on two axes that matter for qualification: what you bring (an AWS account vs. a Kubernetes cluster) and who operates it (Serval vs. your team).- Serval-Managed in Your AWS — you provide an AWS account you own and complete a lightweight bootstrap step. Serval then provisions and operates the deployment inside that account via an operator appliance, without holding persistent IAM access to your AWS.
- Self-Managed on Your Kubernetes — you provide a Kubernetes cluster (any cloud or on-prem) and your team installs the public Serval Helm chart directly, owning installs, upgrades, and day-2 operations.
This page compares the two fully self-hosted delivery models. If you are still deciding between Hybrid and fully self-hosted, start at Self-Hosting Options.
Regardless of which delivery model you choose, fully self-hosted deployments must provision their own OAuth apps (Slack, Microsoft, GitHub, Google Workspace, etc.) with each integration provider. See Integrations Overview for the full list and per-app setup guides.
Serval-Managed in Your AWS
Recommended for most organizations that want the full application in their own cloud without owning day-to-day platform operations. You bring the AWS account; Serval operates it remotely through an appliance provisioned there during onboarding.
Self-Managed on Your Kubernetes
Best for teams that already operate Kubernetes (any cloud or on-prem) and want to own installation, upgrades, and day-2 operations themselves.
Side-by-side comparison
| Serval-Managed in Your AWS | Self-Managed on Your Kubernetes | |
|---|---|---|
| What you bring | A supported AWS account you own | A Kubernetes cluster (any cloud or on-prem) |
| Who provisions the platform | Serval, via an operator appliance inside your AWS account | Your team |
| Who runs installs and upgrades | Serval | Your team (helm upgrade) |
| Who owns Kubernetes operations | Serval | Your team |
| Who owns monitoring and on-call | Serval manages the baseline operational workflow | Your team |
| Tenancy | Single-tenant in your environment | Single-tenant in your environment |
| Cloud flexibility | AWS only | Any cloud or on-prem |
| Best fit | Cloud-based enterprises without a dedicated Kubernetes platform team | Existing Kubernetes platform teams |
| Primary prerequisite | Supported AWS account + bootstrap step | Existing Kubernetes cluster + Helm |
Next steps
Serval-Managed in Your AWS — overview
Review how Serval operates the deployment inside your AWS account.
Self-Managed on Your Kubernetes — prerequisites
Prepare your Kubernetes platform before installing the Helm chart.
Private network access
Options for letting Serval reach resources on your internal network.