kind is a tool for running local Kubernetes clusters using Docker container “nodes”.
kind was primarily designed for testing Kubernetes itself, but may be used for local development or CI.
Publisher’s description
What is kind?
kind by Kubernetes SIGs is open-source Windows software in the containers & devops category. It ranks 24th by popularity among containers & devops in this catalogue. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.33.0, released on August 26, 2026. The version history goes back to June 15, 2023: 14 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4.4 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 108,162 times. The source code on GitHub (kubernetes-sigs/kind) has 15,571 stars. Similar programs include Helm, k9s and Docker Compose.
Project description on GitHub: “Kubernetes IN Docker - local clusters for testing Kubernetes”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: kind is an open-source containers & devop tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is kind 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:
4B22ADAA135368C5A465D56BBD8E520CBEA87272A06CA00B6078E7B81515C9FC· 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 kubernetes-sigs/kind repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Code review10
- Restricted token permissions10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Security policy10
- Pinned dependencies1
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Fuzzing0
- 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 14 versions ›14 versions over 3 years · about 4.4 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.33.0Latest | August 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.32.0 | June 2, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.31.0 | December 18, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.30.0 | August 27, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.29.0 | May 21, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.28.0 | May 16, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.27.0 | February 15, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.26.0 | December 16, 2024 | — | 64-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Kubernetes.kind -echoco install kind -yscoop install main/kindProgram files (.exe): kind.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install kindInformation
- Publisher
- Kubernetes SIGs
- Category
- Containers & DevOps
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kind
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 0.33.0
- Released
- August 26, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- September 29, 2023
- Versions listed
- 14
- Updates / year
- 4.4
- Chocolatey downloads
- 108,162
- GitHub stars
- 15,571
- GitHub forks
- 1,828
- Website
- kind.sigs.k8s.io
- winget ID
- Kubernetes.kind
- Chocolatey package
- kind
- Scoop package
- main/kind
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is kind free?
Yes. kind is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is kind 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 kind 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 kind 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 kind?
The versions page lists all 14 versions with links to their official installer files, back to June 15, 2023.
Can I use kind without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to kind?
Helm, k9s, Docker Compose, Pulumi and Podman CLI. The alternatives page compares them.
