# kubernetes-sigs/krew

📦 Find and install kubectl plugins

Repository: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/krew
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/krew
Homepage: https://krew.sigs.k8s.io
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: kubectl, kubectl-plugins, k8s-sig-cli
Last push: 2026-05-21T23:46:45+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 71/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 83, release rhythm 40, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2974, "days_push": 104, "days_rel": 189, "gap_med": 344, "n_releases_24m": 2}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 7032, forks 410 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:55.092484+00:00)

## What it is
Krew is the package manager for kubectl plugins, helping users discover, install, upgrade, and uninstall kubectl plugins from a centralized index. It also lets plugin developers package and distribute their plugins across multiple platforms.

## Use cases
- find and install kubectl plugins
- keep installed kubectl plugins up to date
- search a catalog of kubernetes cli plugins
- distribute my kubectl plugin to users
- manage kubectl plugins on windows mac and linux
- host a private custom kubectl plugin index

## When to choose
- you use kubectl and want easy plugin discovery and lifecycle management
- you are a plugin developer wanting multi-platform distribution through a central index
- you want consistent plugin installation across macOS, Linux, and Windows

## When to avoid
- you need to manage general CLI tools outside the kubectl plugin ecosystem
- you only use one or two plugins and prefer manual installation
- you need a package manager for non-Kubernetes tooling

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: stable
- function: package-manager, cli, developer-tools
- domain: developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, cross-platform
- tags: kubectl, kubernetes, plugin-manager, k8s-sig-cli, command-line, devops, containers, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- kubernetes-sigs/krew (main) score 71

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:55.092484+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 2026-08-29T17:40:34.825277+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/krew (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:55.092484+00:00, sha 1304a45aa21f)
  - homepage: https://krew.sigs.k8s.io (fetched 2026-08-29T08:36:27.856314+00:00, sha bd1cc0a9d084)
  - site_page: https://krew.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user-guide/quickstart (fetched 2026-08-29T08:36:27.865197+00:00, sha 46a1cde44f15)
  - site_page: https://krew.sigs.k8s.io/docs (fetched 2026-08-29T08:36:27.866906+00:00, sha 8672a7e183b2)
  - site_page: https://krew.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user-guide/quickstart  (fetched 2026-08-29T08:36:27.868480+00:00, sha 46a1cde44f15)
  - site_page: https://krew.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user-guide  (fetched 2026-08-29T08:36:27.870039+00:00, sha eecbbd466945)
  - site_page: https://krew.sigs.k8s.io/docs/developer-guide  (fetched 2026-08-29T08:36:27.871653+00:00, sha 8069c8fcda8b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.