Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Kube-state-metrics VS Helm.sh

Compare Kube-state-metrics VS Helm.sh and see what are their differences

Kube-state-metrics logo Kube-state-metrics

Kube-state-metrics is an all-in-one monitoring system for Kubernetes clusters, providing an easy evaluation about the state of the cluster and its services, and surfaces detailed statistics about their performance.

Helm.sh logo Helm.sh

The Kubernetes Package Manager
  • Kube-state-metrics Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-06
  • Helm.sh Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-30

Kube-state-metrics features and specs

  • Deep Kubernetes Insights
    Kube-state-metrics provides detailed metrics about the state of Kubernetes objects, which can offer deeper insights into the health and performance of a Kubernetes cluster compared to basic node and pod metrics.
  • Prometheus Integration
    It is designed to generate metrics in a format that is compatible with Prometheus, making it easy to integrate into existing Prometheus-based monitoring setups.
  • Real-Time Monitoring
    Kube-state-metrics continuously monitors Kubernetes API server for object state changes and updates metrics in real-time, ensuring that monitoring information is up-to-date.
  • Open Source and Community Supported
    Being an open-source project under the Kubernetes umbrella, kube-state-metrics benefits from active community development, contributions, and support.
  • Lightweight
    Kube-state-metrics is designed to be lightweight and non-intrusive, as it only scrapes the Kubernetes API to expose metrics without altering any state itself.

Possible disadvantages of Kube-state-metrics

  • Limited to Kubernetes States
    Kube-state-metrics focuses solely on Kubernetes object states and does not collect metrics about the infrastructure or applications themselves, which may necessitate additional tools for a complete monitoring solution.
  • Requires Prometheus
    For meaningful use of the metrics provided by kube-state-metrics, an existing Prometheus setup is necessary, which could be a downside for teams not already using Prometheus.
  • Scalability Concerns
    In very large clusters, the large volume of metrics generated may lead to performance challenges, potentially requiring careful configuration to manage the load on Prometheus.
  • Complexity of Data Analysis
    While kube-state-metrics provides a wealth of data, extracting actionable insights can be complex without proper visualization and analysis tools.

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.

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.

Kube-state-metrics videos

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Helm.sh videos

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

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Kube-state-metrics and Helm.sh)
Developer Tools
7 7%
93% 93
Cloud Computing
14 14%
86% 86
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Helm.sh seems to be a lot more popular than Kube-state-metrics. While we know about 176 links to Helm.sh, we've tracked only 12 mentions of Kube-state-metrics. 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.

Kube-state-metrics mentions (12)

  • Kubernetes Observability With Kube-State-Metrics
    Kube-State-Metrics is an agent service that listens to the Kubernetes API and generates metrics about the state of cluster objects, such as deployments, nodes, and pods. Unlike resource metrics (like CPU or memory usage), it provides insights into object-level data, such as the number of replicas or pod status, making it useful for monitoring the desired versus actual state of Kubernetes components. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Awesome Kubernetes Resources !!! ๐Ÿ”ฅ
    ๐Ÿ’škube-state-metrics ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ - kube-state-metrics is a simple service that listens to the Kubernetes API server and generates metrics about the state of the objects. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Enhanced Observability for Amazon EKS with CloudWatch Container Insights
    With Kube-State metrics, you get a complete view of the core components and overall health of your Kubernetes clusters. You can monitor the real-time state and quickly identify any issues or bottlenecks. Detailed container-level metrics allow you to visually navigate through different layers of your cluster, making it easier to spot problems like memory leaks in individual containers. This helps you resolve issues... - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Prometheus node exporter and cadvisor to send metrics to central prometheus cluster
    Those are entirely different types of data. You can get that from something like kube-state-metrics. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Questions about Kubernetes
    Kubernetes itself will not notify you, the way I've seen people do this, is to use something like kube-state-metrics or node_exporter, export that to Prometheus (or preferrably VictoriaMetrics because Prometheus is terrible IMO), and then setup alarms on that with alertmanager or equivalent, or just look at dashboards regularly with Grafana. Realistically I recommend only setting alerts on disk usage and... Source: over 2 years ago
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Helm.sh mentions (176)

  • Guide to Testing SQS-Based Microservices with Signadot Sandboxes
    Install Docker, Minikube & Helm on your local machine. - Source: dev.to / 25 days ago
  • Platform Engineering for the uninitiated
    Some of the brightest minds came together to set up the Cloud Native Compute Foundation and championed the concept of GitOps. This brought about yet another major shift in developer mindsets, and allowed techies to be more declarative with their infrastructure and focus solely on the what; the responsibility of how was abstracted away with the new technologies on the horizon. With Kubernetes widely adopted for... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Kubernetes Overview: Container Orchestration & Cloud-Native
    Package Management: Helm charts simplify application deployment and configuration management. Over 2,000 community charts provide pre-configured applications, while organizations maintain internal chart repositories for proprietary software. Helm best practices ensure secure and maintainable deployments. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Deploying GitHub Self-Hosted Runners on Your Home Kubernetes Cluster with ARC
    Kubectl and helm installed on your machine. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Establishing Datadog on Kubernetes with EKS
    There are a couple of ways to install Datadog into a Kubernetes cluster. The approach I like to take is to use Helm. With Helm, I can keep all of my values for the Datadog agents in the proper area and update my releases as needed. I find the Helm values file looks pretty close to an agent configuration file. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Kube-state-metrics and Helm.sh, you can also consider the following products

kops - Founded by Elsa Kopp in 1950, Kopp's Frozen Custard specializes in Milwaukee's best freshly made frozen custard and jumbo burgers.

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

Kontena Lens - Kontena Lens is an open-source desktop application that comes with a reliable way to manage and monitor Kubernetes clusters.

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

K9s - K9s For Warriors is dedicated to providing service canines to our Warriors suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma.

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