.. _topic/whentouse: =================================== When to use The Littlest JupyterHub =================================== This page is a brief guide to determining whether to use The Littlest JupyterHub (TLJH) or `Zero to JupyterHub for Kubernetes `_ (Z2JH). Many of these ideas were first laid out in a `blog post announcing TLJH `_. `**The Littlest JupyterHub (TLJH)** `_ is an opinionated and pre-configured distribution to deploy a JupyterHub on a **single machine** (in the cloud or on your own hardware). It is designed to be a more lightweight and maintainable solution for use-cases where size, scalability, and cost-savings are not a huge concern. `**Zero to JupyterHub on Kubernetes** `_ allows you to deploy JupyterHub on **Kubernetes**. This allows JupyterHub to scale to many thousands of users, to flexibly grow/shrink the size of resources it needs, and to use container technology in administering user sessions. When to use TLJH vs. Z2JH ========================= The choice between TLJH and Z2JH ultimately comes down to only a few questions: 1. Do you want your hub and all users to live on a **single, larger machine** vs. spreading users on a **cluster of smaller machines** that are scaled up or down? * If you can use a single machine, we recommend **The Littlest JupyterHub**. * If you wish to use multiple machines, we recommend **Zero to JupyterHub for Kubernetes**. 2. Do you **need to use container technology**? * If no, we recommend **The Littlest JupyterHub**. * If yes, we recommend **Zero to JupyterHub for Kubernetes**.