Helm

Helm is the package manager for Kubernetes, an open-source project of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. It lets you package, configure and deploy applications on a Kubernetes cluster using charts, reusable templates that describe all of an application's resources.

What is Helm used for?

Helm is used to simplify deploying applications on Kubernetes: rather than writing and managing dozens of configuration files by hand, you install a chart in one command, with customizable values. It also handles updates and rollbacks, making it a key tool of Kubernetes operations.

Why use Helm?

On a Kubernetes cluster, manifests quickly become numerous and repetitive. Helm factors this configuration into parameterizable templates, reusable across environments. A large catalog of public charts lets you deploy common applications without writing everything yourself.

How much does Helm cost?

Helm is entirely free and open source, under the Apache license. The tool and the public chart ecosystem carry no cost or paid tier. It is maintained by the cloud-native community (CNCF), with no commercial model imposed on users.