# helm-unittest/helm-unittest

BDD styled unit test framework for Kubernetes Helm charts as a Helm plugin.

Repository: https://github.com/helm-unittest/helm-unittest
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/helm-unittest
Language: Go
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: helm, kubernetes, unittest, testing, helm-chart, helm-plugin, hacktoberfest, hacktoberfest2025
Last push: 2026-08-24T22:03:54+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 93/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 82, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3201, "days_push": 9, "days_rel": 40, "gap_med": 35.5, "n_releases_24m": 15}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1386, forks 324 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:35.018681+00:00)

## What it is
A BDD-style unit test framework for Kubernetes Helm charts, distributed as a Helm plugin that adds a `helm unittest` command to the Helm CLI. Tests are written in pure YAML, rendered locally without creating anything on the cluster, and support snapshot testing, wildcard template selection, and dependent subchart testing.

## Use cases
- unit test helm charts
- test kubernetes helm chart templates
- validate helm chart rendering in CI
- snapshot test helm template output
- write helm chart tests in yaml
- catch helm chart regressions before deploying
- test helm subcharts and dependent charts

## When to choose
- You want to unit test Helm chart template rendering locally without touching a Kubernetes cluster
- You need BDD-style YAML test suites with snapshot testing for chart consistency
- You want chart tests runnable in CI as a Helm plugin, Docker image, or OCI artifact

## When to avoid
- You need end-to-end or integration tests against a live cluster rather than local template rendering
- You are not using Helm to package your Kubernetes manifests
- You only need chart linting, where `helm lint` alone may be sufficient

## Facets
- artifact type: plugin
- maturity: active
- function: testing, cli, developer-tools
- domain: testing, developer-tools
- platform: cli, cross-platform, go
- tags: helm, helm-plugin, helm-charts, kubernetes, unit-testing, bdd, snapshot-testing, yaml-tests, chart-testing, ci-cd, devops, containers, docker

## Member repositories
- helm-unittest/helm-unittest (main) score 93

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:35.018681+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:39:54.225911+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/helm-unittest/helm-unittest (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:35.018681+00:00, sha 147a0c4a3654)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.