Kind vs K3s
kind and K3s are Kubernetes tools that leverage containers to provide flexible and lightweight Kubernetes distributions. This article highlights the features of both tools and the subtle differences between them.
Updates and recent posts about k3d..
k3d is especially popular for local development, CI pipelines, demos, and testing Kubernetes-native applications. It supports advanced setups such as multi-node clusters, load balancers, custom container registries, port mappings, and volume mounts, while remaining easy to tear down and recreate.
Because it uses K3s, k3d inherits a simplified control plane, bundled components, and reduced memory footprint compared to full Kubernetes distributions. This makes it ideal for developers who want a realistic Kubernetes environment without the overhead of tools like Minikube or full VM-based clusters.
k3d integrates cleanly with common Kubernetes workflows and tools such as kubectl, Helm, Skaffold, and Argo CD. It is frequently used to validate manifests, test Helm charts, and simulate production-like environments locally before deploying to cloud or on-prem clusters.
