Kubernetes CLI To Manage Your Clusters In Style!
Publisher’s description
What is k9s?
k9s is an open-source containers & devop program for Windows from Derailed. It ranks 10th by popularity among containers & devops in this catalogue. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit and ARM64 as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.51.0, released on June 6, 2026. 33 versions are listed since June 6, 2023, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 11 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 299,322 times. The source code on GitHub (derailed/k9s) has 34,855 stars. Similar programs include Kubernetes - Minikube - A Local Kubernetes Development Environment, Docker Compose and Helm.
Project description on GitHub: “🐶 Kubernetes CLI To Manage Your Clusters In Style!”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Portable: runs without installation
- Frequent updates (about 11 a year)
- Large user base
In short: k9s is an open-source containers & devop tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is k9s 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:
BBA299F1877913979831543A008F2E104995D2EA4AC8F23D7F49C0444857D973· 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
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the derailed/k9s repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Code review5
- Pinned dependencies5
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge2
- Restricted token permissions0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Branch protection0
- Signed releases0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 33 versions ›33 versions over 3 years · about 11 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.51.0Latest | June 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 0.50.18 | January 11, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.50.17 | January 11, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.50.16 | October 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 0.50.15 | October 7, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.50.14 | October 7, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.50.13 | September 27, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 0.50.12 | September 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Derailed.k9s -echoco install k9s -yRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Derailed
- Category
- Containers & DevOps
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/derailed/k9s
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 0.51.0
- Released
- June 6, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- June 6, 2023
- Versions listed
- 33
- Updates / year
- 11
- Chocolatey downloads
- 299,322
- GitHub stars
- 34,855
- GitHub forks
- 2,330
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Derailed.k9s
- Chocolatey package
- k9s
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to k9s
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Frequently asked questions
Is k9s free?
Yes. k9s is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is k9s 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 k9s 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.
Does k9s run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of k9s?
The versions page lists all 33 versions with links to their official installer files, back to June 6, 2023.
Can I use k9s without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to k9s?
Kubernetes - Minikube - A Local Kubernetes Development Environment, Docker Compose, Helm, Pulumi and Juju. The alternatives page compares them.