# kubernetes-sigs/kind

Kubernetes IN Docker - local clusters for testing Kubernetes

Repository: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kind
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/kind
Homepage: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: k8s-sig-testing, kubernetes, kubeadm, golang, docker, podman
Last push: 2026-08-26T21:38:27+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 95/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 87, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2912, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 7, "gap_med": 87.5, "n_releases_24m": 9}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 15448, forks 1785 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:09.855323+00:00)

## What it is
kind (Kubernetes IN Docker) is a tool for running local Kubernetes clusters using Docker container 'nodes', bootstrapped with kubeadm. It was primarily designed for testing Kubernetes itself, but is also widely used for local development and CI pipelines.

## Use cases
- spin up a local kubernetes cluster for development
- run kubernetes e2e tests in CI
- test kubernetes itself from source
- create multi-node kubernetes clusters locally
- test ingress and loadbalancer setups without a cloud provider
- set up a local container registry with a kubernetes cluster

## When to choose
- you need a fast, lightweight local kubernetes cluster for testing or CI
- you are developing or testing kubernetes itself
- you want reproducible cluster creation via config files in pipelines

## When to avoid
- you need a production-grade or long-running cluster
- you want a full desktop kubernetes experience with UI (consider alternatives like minikube or Docker Desktop)
- you are on Windows containers or unsupported architectures

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: container-orchestration, developer-tools, testing, cli
- domain: developer-tools, cloud-computing
- platform: windows, go, cli
- tags: kubernetes, local-clusters, docker, podman, kubeadm, ci, e2e-testing, k8s-sig-testing, containers, devops, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- kubernetes-sigs/kind (main) score 95

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.855323+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 2026-08-29T17:05:51.259873+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kind (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.855323+00:00, sha 16f65bba76ee)
  - homepage: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.378732+00:00, sha ed1dd9851ff0)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/quick-start (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.382763+00:00, sha 33eac8ef77e1)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/known-issues (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.385851+00:00, sha c060674a0efc)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/configuration (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.388784+00:00, sha 03ee2c481f97)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/ingress (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.391873+00:00, sha 1faed41dabac)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/loadbalancer (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.394328+00:00, sha c69da03e5f15)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/local-registry (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.396320+00:00, sha 46b3997f6c32)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/private-registries (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.399362+00:00, sha 30e95b066cea)
  - site_page: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/rootless (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:07.402066+00:00, sha 466652f03e8d)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.