What are Kubernetes management tools?
Kubernetes management tools are software applications that automate the administration of Kubernetes clusters. They simplify tasks like deployment, scaling, monitoring, and configuration management, catering to the needs of managing containerized applications.
With these tools, users can improve the reliability of their Kubernetes development process while reducing administrative overhead and complex Kubernetes operations. Their goal is to make Kubernetes user-friendly for organizations at various maturity levels.
Management tools serve functions ranging from infrastructure provisioning to application lifecycle management. By integrating these tools, teams can enforce standardized practices throughout their Kubernetes operations. This standardization optimizes workflow processes and improves the security and compliance posture of containerized environments.
Types of Kubernetes management tools
Here are some of the main categories of management tools for Kubernetes:
- Cluster management tools simplify creating, managing, and scaling Kubernetes clusters. They enable teams to handle infrastructure tasks such as provisioning new nodes, balancing workloads across clusters, and upgrading cluster components without downtime. They also offer automation features that reduce the manual effort needed for routine operations like backup and recovery, disaster recovery, and cluster scaling.
- Deployment management tools focus on the release process of containerized applications. They automate the deployment, scaling, and rollback of applications across the cluster, ensuring that updates can be delivered continuously and reliably. They often integrate with CI/CD pipelines, allowing teams to automate end-to-end workflows from code changes to production deployments.
- Configuration management tools handle the organization and automation of application configuration across different environments. They help maintain consistency in application settings such as environment variables, secrets, and network configurations, which are essential for applications to run correctly in different clusters or regions.
- Observability tools provide insights into system performance and behavior. These tools collect, aggregate, and visualize data from running applications to monitor their health. They enable teams to detect performance issues, diagnose root causes, and troubleshoot Kubernetes applications in real time.
- Monitoring tools track application health, resource usage, and performance metrics. They collect data on system activities and alert administrators to potential issues, promoting proactive system maintenance. With these tools, teams can measure application performance against defined benchmarks, identifying areas for improvement.
Related content: Read our guide to Kubernetes deployment strategy
Tony Kelly is a DevOps marketing leader who drives innovation and awareness of the latest trends in Continuous Delivery.
K8s cluster management tools
1. Rancher
Rancher is an open-source platform for managing Kubernetes at scale. It simplifies the deployment and management of Kubernetes clusters across various infrastructure platforms, including on-premises, cloud, and edge. Rancher provides a unified interface for cluster operations, enhancing multi-cluster management efficiency. It integrates user authentication and access control, ensuring security for Kubernetes environments.
Rancher is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received over 23,000 GitHub stars and has more than 250 contributors. It is managed by the SUSE team.
Official repo: [https://github.com/rancher/rancher]
Source: Rancher
2. Platform9
Platform9 provides a SaaS-based platform that helps manage Kubernetes clusters across hybrid cloud environments. Platform9 automates cluster operations, enabling rapid deployment, scaling, and upgrading of Kubernetes environments without downtime. Its SaaS model delivers automated management that reduces operational burden and offers consistent Kubernetes experiences.
Source: Platform9
3. DevSpace
DevSpace provides a local development environment for Kubernetes, improving developer productivity in cloud-native applications. It offers features like real-time updates and configuration synchronization between local and cluster environments. It allows developers to code directly against a live Kubernetes cluster without cumbersome setup processes.
DevSpace is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received over 4,000 GitHub stars and has more than 80 contributors. Developed by Loft Labs, it is a CNCF sandbox project.
Official repo: [https://github.com/devspace-sh/devspace]
Source: DevSpace
4. Portainer
Portainer is a lightweight Kubernetes management tool focused on containerized application management. It offers an intuitive interface for managing both Docker and Kubernetes environments, making it accessible for beginners and experts alike. Portainer’s user-friendly dashboard allows for efficient container and application lifecycle management.
Portainer is licensed under the Zlib license. It has received over 30,000 GitHub stars and has more than 200 contributors. It is owned by Neil Cresswell.
Official repo: [https://github.com/portainer/portainer]
Source: Portainer
5. K9s
K9s is a terminal-based, open-source, Kubernetes management tool that provides quick insights and interactions within Kubernetes clusters. It offers a command-line interface that simplifies navigating cluster resources, making cluster management more accessible for developers and operators. K9s allows for real-time monitoring and troubleshooting.
K9s is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received over 26,000 GitHub stars and has more than 250 contributors.
Official repo: [https://github.com/derailed/k9s]
Source: K9s
K8s deployment management tools
6. Octopus
Octopus is a deployment tool designed for environment promotion and pipeline automation at scale. It provides ready-to-use solutions for modeling multi-step and multi-environment pipelines, enabling the combination of various actions such as deployments, tests, and notifications into a single process.
Octopus features granular permission control, supports native deployments to Kubernetes and other platforms, and integrates with most CI and configuration management tools.
Octopus separates Kubernetes manifests, deployment processes, and environment configurations, allowing users to utilize a single Kubernetes manifest template across hundreds of microservices.
Source: Octopus
7. Codefresh
Codefresh is a Kubernetes-native CI/CD platform focused on accelerating software delivery within Kubernetes environments. It offers pipeline automation and management, allowing rapid deployment cycles and faster software iteration. Codefresh integrates with popular CI/CD tools, supporting diverse development workflows for Kubernetes applications.
Its Kubernetes-first design emphasizes container management and deployment, making it suitable for teams focused on cloud-native application development. Codefresh simplifies continuous delivery processes with user-friendly interfaces and automation.
Source: Codefresh
8. Argo CD
Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps-based continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes applications. It synchronizes cluster resources with Git repositories, ensuring an accurate and consistent environment configuration. Argo CD enables automation and version control, improving deployment security and traceability and minimizing drift in configuration states.
Argo CD is open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license. It currently has over 15,000 GitHub stars and over 500 contributors. It is managed by the CNCF with Graduated status.
Official repo: [https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd]
Source: Argo CD
9. Helm
Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes, streamlining application deployment through reusable and shareable package templates called charts. Helm simplifies the installation and management of Kubernetes applications, supporting rapid deployment and scaling practices. Helm charts encapsulate application components, enabling consistent and repeatable deployments.
Helm is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received over 26,000 GitHub stars and has more than 600 contributors. It is managed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and has achieved Graduated status.
Official repo: [https://github.com/helm/helm]
Source: Helm
K8s configuration management tools
10. Kustomize
Kustomize is a tool for Kubernetes native configuration management, focusing on resource customization without altering YAML manifests. It enables the definition of common configurations and overlays them on base resources, supporting environment-specific adjustments. Kustomize promotes configuration as code practices, enhancing consistency and manageability.
Kustomize is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received over 10,000 GitHub stars and has more than 400 contributors. The project is sponsored by the CLI Special Interest Group (SIG).
Official repo: [https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize]
11. Ansible
Ansible is an automation tool that extends its capabilities to Kubernetes configuration and management. It provides an agentless model, supporting the automation of infrastructure provisioning and application deployments. Ansible uses playbooks to define desired states, ensuring configurations remain consistent and manageable.
Ansible is licensed under the GPL-3.0 open-source license. It has received over 60,000 GitHub stars and has more than 5,000 contributors. It is supported by Red Hat.
Official repo: [https://github.com/ansible/ansible]
Source: Ansible
12. Puppet
Puppet is a configuration management tool that automates the delivery and operation of Kubernetes infrastructure and applications. It uses a declarative language to manage system configurations, ensuring consistency and compliance across environments. Puppet’s model-driven approach offers version control and audit capabilities to improve security.
Puppet is open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license. It has received over 7,000 GitHub stars and has approximately 600 contributors. It is owned by Perforce.
Official repo: [https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet]
Source: Puppet
13. Chef
Chef, a configuration automation tool, simplifies infrastructure management in Kubernetes environments. It enables the automation of application deployment and lifecycle management, emphasizing consistency and security. Chef uses a policy-based framework to manage configurations for cloud-native applications.
Chef is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received over 7,000 GitHub stars and has more than 600 contributors. It is part of the Chef Infra project.
Official repo: [https://github.com/chef/chef]
Source: Chef
14. Terraform
Terraform by HashiCorp is an infrastructure as code tool that supports Kubernetes resource provisioning and management. It uses declarative configuration files to depict desired infrastructure states, allowing efficient management of Kubernetes resources and integrations. Terraform emphasizes cross-platform consistency and simplified infrastructure management.
With Terraform, teams can automate the provisioning and scaling of Kubernetes environments across hybrid and multi-cloud setups. HashiCorp has adopted a BSL license for Terraform, so it is no longer fully open-source.
Source: Terraform
K8s observability and monitoring tools
15. Lens
Lens is an open-source Kubernetes IDE that provides observability for Kubernetes clusters. It offers a graphical interface to manage, monitor, and debug Kubernetes applications, promoting operational visibility. Lens consolidates cluster information into a unified view. It simplifies Kubernetes workflows by offering real-time insights into cluster performance and configurations.
Lens is licensed under the MIT open-source license. It has received over 22,000 GitHub stars and has more than 100 contributors. It is supported and developed by Mirantis.
Official repo: [https://github.com/lensapp/lens]
Source: Lens
16. Prometheus
Prometheus is an open-source monitoring solution used in Kubernetes environments. It collects and stores time-series data, providing real-time application performance and reliability insights. Prometheus’s alerting capabilities enable proactive monitoring, allowing teams to respond quickly to anomalies or degradation in services. Its ecosystem of exporters and integrations helps monitor diverse services and infrastructure components.
Prometheus is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received approximately 55,000 GitHub stars and has more than 900 contributors. It is managed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and achieved Graduated status in 2018.
Official repo: [https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus]
Source: Prometheus
17. Grafana
Grafana is a visualization tool that works with Prometheus to display Kubernetes metrics in customizable dashboards. It allows users to create visual representations of metric data, supporting performance monitoring and troubleshooting. By enabling data correlation through dashboards, Grafana offers teams clarity in complex data sets, enabling swift diagnosis and resolution of issues.
Grafana is licensed under the AGPL-3.0 license. It has received over 23,000 GitHub stars and has more than 2,300 contributors. It was developed by Torkel Ödegaard.
Official repo: [https://github.com/grafana/grafana]
Source: Grafana
18. Jaeger
Jaeger, an open-source tracing system, is used for monitoring Kubernetes microservices’ transactions. It provides context into request paths through a system, highlighting bottlenecks and latency issues. Jaeger helps visualize call chains in microservice architectures, aiding in performance optimization and troubleshooting. With Jaeger, teams gain insights into the interactions and dependencies within Kubernetes applications.
Jaeger is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It has received over 20,000 GitHub stars and has more than 350 contributors. It is managed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and has achieved Graduated status.
Official repo: [https://github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger]
Source: Jaeger
19. Loki
Loki by Grafana Labs is a log aggregation system optimized for Kubernetes that integrates with Grafana. It focuses on storing and querying logs, assisting in log observability and troubleshooting. Loki aligns closely with Prometheus, following a similar label-based approach to data classification. By consolidating logs across Kubernetes applications, it enhances operational transparency and simplifies log management.
Rancher is licensed under the AGPL-3.0 open-source license. It has received over 23,000 GitHub stars and has more than 1000 contributors. It is managed by Elestio.
Official repo: [https://github.com/grafana/loki]
Source: Elestio
Conclusion
Kubernetes management tools play a crucial role in simplifying the administration of clusters, enabling teams to automate and standardize their workflows. By integrating these tools, organizations can improve scalability, enhance security, and maintain operational efficiency across cloud-native applications, reducing the risks and complexity associated with managing Kubernetes environments.
Help us continuously improve
Please let us know if you have any feedback about this page.
