I use k3s and enjoy benefits like the following over bare metal:

• Configuration as code where my whole setup is version controlled in git
• Containers and avoiding dependency hell
• Built-in reverse proxy with the Traefik ingress controller
• Declarative network policies with Calico, mainly to make sure nothing phones home
• Managing secrets securely in git with Bitnami Sealed Secrets
• Liveness and readiness probes that automatically “turn it off and on again” when something goes wrong

These are just the benefits just for one server. Add more and the benefits increase.