Kubernetes workflows often require writing and maintaining YAML, switching between tools (kubectl, dashboards, monitoring), and an understanding of low-level infrastructure concepts.
AKS desktop simplifies this process using Projects, which group everything your application needs into a single, manageable unit, and provides guided workflows for deploying, monitoring, scaling, and troubleshooting applications.
AKS desktop works within your existing environment and tools, including Visual Studio Code, GitHub, and CI/CD pipelines. It connects to your existing AKS clusters and supports multi-environment scenarios across dev, test, staging, and production, including Azure hybrid and edge deployments.
Publisher’s description
What is AKS desktop?
AKS desktop is an open-source containers & devop program for Windows from Microsoft. It is written in TypeScript.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE (NSIS). It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.43.0, released on July 30, 2026. 4 versions are listed since November 19, 2025, each with links to its own installer files.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (Azure/aks-desktop) has 114 stars. Similar programs include Helm, Pulumi and Kubernetes - Minikube - A Local Kubernetes Development Environment.
Project description on GitHub: “AKS desktop delivers an application focused experience for deploying and managing workloads on Azure Kubernetes Service.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: AKS desktop is an open-source containers & devop tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is AKS desktop safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
429CDF73B0E51D8BDE5A3F63D0D13DDB816F251818DC5078239CCCB000CD059E· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 4 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.43.0Latest | July 30, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.40.0 | June 16, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.10.0 | September 24, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.1.0-alpha | November 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Microsoft.AKSdesktop -eaks-desktop-0.9.1-win-x64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask aks-desktopInformation
- Publisher
- Microsoft
- Category
- Containers & DevOps
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/Azure/aks-desktop
- Written in
- TypeScript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Version
- 0.43.0
- Released
- July 30, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- November 20, 2025
- Versions listed
- 4
- GitHub stars
- 114
- GitHub forks
- 28
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Microsoft.AKSdesktop
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is AKS desktop free?
Yes. AKS desktop is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is AKS desktop safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install AKS desktop with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can AKS desktop be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does AKS desktop run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of AKS desktop?
The versions page lists all 4 versions with links to their official installer files, back to November 19, 2025.
Can I use AKS desktop without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to AKS desktop?
Helm, Pulumi, Kubernetes - Minikube - A Local Kubernetes Development Environment, Serverless Framework and Docker Desktop. The alternatives page compares them.
