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Helm.sh VS CoreOS

Compare Helm.sh VS CoreOS and see what are their differences

Helm.sh logo Helm.sh

The Kubernetes Package Manager

CoreOS logo CoreOS

CoreOS platform provides the components needed to build distributed systems to support application containers.
  • Helm.sh Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-30
  • CoreOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-25

Helm.sh features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Helm simplifies the deployment and management of Kubernetes applications by providing a package manager format that is easy to understand and use. It abstracts complex Kubernetes configurations into simple YAML files called Charts.
  • Reusable Configurations
    Helm Charts allow for reusable Kubernetes configurations, making it easier to maintain and share best-practice templates across different environments and teams.
  • Versioning
    Helm supports versioning of Helm Charts, enabling rollbacks to previous application states, which is critical for managing updates and rollbacks in production environments.
  • Extensibility
    Helm is highly extensible with Plugins and the ability to use community-contributed Charts. This extensibility facilitates customizations and leveraging the community for improved and varied functionality.
  • Templating Engine
    Helm Charts support Go templating, which allows for dynamic configuration values, making Helm Charts more flexible and powerful.
  • Broad Adoption
    Helm is widely adopted in the Kubernetes ecosystem, leading to a vast repository of pre-built Charts, extensive documentation, and strong community support.

Possible disadvantages of Helm.sh

  • Complexity
    While Helm simplifies many tasks, the templating language and Chart configurations can become complex and hard to manage, especially for large-scale applications.
  • Learning Curve
    New users of Helm may face a steep learning curve, particularly those who are not already familiar with Kubernetes concepts or YAML configuration syntax.
  • Security
    Helm's default Tiller component (used in Helm v2) had security concerns related to role-based access control (RBAC). While Helm v3 removed Tiller, previous versions may still be in use, leading to potential security risks.
  • Debugging
    Debugging issues with Helm Charts can be challenging, especially due to the abstraction and layering between the Helm template engine and the actual Kubernetes resources deployed.
  • Resource Abstraction
    Helm can sometimes abstract away too much of the Kubernetes internals, which might hinder advanced users who need fine-grained control over their deployments.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies between different Helm Charts can become cumbersome and lead to complex dependency trees that are hard to manage and debug.

CoreOS features and specs

  • Lightweight and Minimalistic
    CoreOS is designed to be a minimalistic operating system, which reduces overhead and optimizes performance by focusing on running containers efficiently.
  • Automatic Updates
    It provides automatic updates for the entire OS, ensuring up-to-date security patches and system enhancements without disrupting the running applications.
  • Container-Optimized
    CoreOS is built for containerized environments, making it highly suitable for organizations adopting Docker or Kubernetes for scalable and consistent application deployment.
  • Distributed Key-Value Store
    Includes etcd, a distributed key-value store for shared configuration and service discovery, enabling easy coordination among applications and services.
  • Security
    CoreOS enforces strong security practices by deploying applications in containers, leveraging automatic updates, and using SELinux policies to provide robust security mechanisms.

Possible disadvantages of CoreOS

  • Learning Curve
    Users familiar with traditional Linux distributions might face a learning curve due to CoreOS’s unique approach and reliance on container orchestration.
  • Limited Use Cases
    As CoreOS is optimized for containerized applications, it may not be suitable for traditional workloads or environments that do not leverage containers.
  • Dependency on Cloud Infrastructure
    CoreOS often relies on cloud infrastructure features for orchestration and deployment, which may not fully align with the needs of on-premise environments.
  • Reduced Customization
    The minimalistic design might limit system-level customizations, making it less flexible for users who need specific custom configurations at the OS level.
  • Fragmented Ecosystem
    Following its acquisition by Red Hat, there might be uncertainties or fragmentation related to its integration into Red Hat’s ecosystem and ongoing support.

Analysis of Helm.sh

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Helm is considered a good tool for managing Kubernetes applications due to its ability to streamline deployment processes, provide version control and rollback configurations, and enable easier management of complex application dependencies and configurations. It is widely adopted in the Kubernetes ecosystem and backed by a strong open-source community, which continuously contributes improvements and enhancements.

Why this product is good

  • Helm (helm.sh) is a popular package manager for Kubernetes applications that simplifies the deployment and management of applications on Kubernetes clusters. It provides users with a convenient way to package, configure, and deploy applications and dependencies, utilizing a system of charts for managing complex application architectures. This capability reduces the complexity and effort needed to maintain and update Kubernetes applications, contributing to more efficient and error-free deployments.

Recommended for

  • DevOps teams managing Kubernetes applications
  • Software engineers looking for simplified Kubernetes deployments
  • Organizations seeking more efficient CI/CD pipelines with Kubernetes
  • Teams managing complex multi-service applications with numerous dependencies
  • Kubernetes beginners who need a powerful yet accessible tool to manage deployments.

Helm.sh videos

Review: Helm's Zind Is My Favorite Black Boot (Discount Available)

More videos:

  • Review - Helm Free VST/AU Synth Review
  • Review - Another Khracker From Helm - Khuraburi Review

CoreOS videos

CoreOS Container Linux on the Desktop!

More videos:

  • Review - Red Hat OpenShift: Red Hat Enterprise Linux CoreOS
  • Review - Intro to Fedora CoreOS Benjamin Gilbert Ben Breard Red Hat OpenShift Commons Briefing

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Helm.sh and CoreOS)
Developer Tools
86 86%
14% 14
DevOps Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Containers And Microservices
Cloud Computing
89 89%
11% 11

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Helm.sh seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 170 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Helm.sh mentions (170)

  • Install Red Hat Developer Hub with AI Software Templates on OpenShift
    Helm installed: brew install helm or from https://helm.sh. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Even more OpenTelemetry - Kubernetes special
    Docker Compose is great for demos: docker compose up, and you're good to go, but I know no organization that uses it in production. Deploying workloads to Kubernetes is much more involved than that. I've used Kubernetes for demos in the past; typing kubectl apply -f is dull fast. In addition to GitOps, which isn't feasible for demos, the two main competitors are Helm and Kustomize. I chose the former for its... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Kubernetes and Container Portability: Navigating Multi-Cloud Flexibility
    Helm Charts – An open-source solution for software deployment on top of Kubernetes. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Chart an Extensible Course with Helm
    Clicks, copies, and pasting. That's an approach to deploying your applications in Kubernetes. Anyone who's worked with Kubernetes for more than 5 minutes knows that this is not a recipe for repeatability and confidence in your setup. Good news is, you've got options when tackling this problem. The option I'm going to present below is using Helm. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • IKO - Lessons Learned (Part 1 - Helm)
    Looks like we're good to go (assuming you already have helm installed, if not install it first)! Let's install the IKO. We are going to need to tell helm where the folder with all our goodies is (that's the iris-operator folder you see above). If we were to be sitting at the chart directory you can use the command. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

CoreOS mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of CoreOS yet. Tracking of CoreOS recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Helm.sh and CoreOS, you can also consider the following products

Kubernetes - Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers

Docker - Docker is an open platform that enables developers and system administrators to create distributed applications.

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

Amazon ECS - Amazon EC2 Container Service is a highly scalable, high-performance​ container management service that supports Docker containers.

Docker Compose - Define and run multi-container applications with Docker

Google Kubernetes Engine - Google Kubernetes Engine is a powerful cluster manager and orchestration system for running your Docker containers. Set up a cluster in minutes.