kustomize lets you customize raw, template-free YAML files for multiple purposes, leaving the original YAML untouched and usable as is.
kustomize targets kubernetes; it understands and can patch kubernetes style API objects. It's like make, in that what it does is declared in a file, and it's like sed, in that it emits edited text.
Publisher’s description
What is kustomize?
kustomize is an open-source containers & devop program for Windows from Kubernetes SIGs. It ranks 21st 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 5.8.3, released on October 8, 2026. 12 versions are listed since December 11, 2023, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 4.2 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 154,875 times. The source code on GitHub (kubernetes-sigs/kustomize) has 12,189 stars. Similar programs include Helm, Docker Desktop and k9s.
Project description on GitHub: “Customization of kubernetes YAML configurations”
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
- Updated in the last two months
- Large user base
In short: kustomize is an open-source containers & devop tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is kustomize 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:
763C4040FF01435BFCE39661072452EBDF1CF2808BB91F5708AB4420834FBD42· 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/kustomize repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No dangerous workflows10
- Code review10
- Actively maintained10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Security policy10
- Pinned dependencies1
- Restricted token permissions0
- 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 12 versions ›12 versions over 3 years · about 4.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.8.3Latest | October 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 5.8.2 | September 30, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 5.8.1 | February 9, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 5.8.0 | November 9, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 5.7.1 | July 23, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 5.7.0 | June 28, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 5.6.0 | January 14, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 5.5.0 | October 9, 2024 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Kubernetes.kustomize -echoco install kustomize -yscoop install main/kustomizeProgram files (.exe): kustomize.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install kustomizeInformation
- Publisher
- Kubernetes SIGs
- Category
- Containers & DevOps
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 5.8.3
- Released
- October 8, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- December 11, 2023
- Versions listed
- 12
- Updates / year
- 4.2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 154,875
- GitHub stars
- 12,189
- GitHub forks
- 2,438
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Kubernetes.kustomize
- Chocolatey package
- kustomize
- Scoop package
- main/kustomize
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to kustomize
See all ›-
Open source1.6M ↓ -
Docker Desktop4.96.3An application for macOS and Windows machines for the building and sharing of containerised applications.Proprietary2.2M ↓ -
Open source299.3K ↓ -
Open source395.6K ↓ -
Open source72K ↓ -
Serverless Framework3.39.0Build applications on AWS Lambda and other next-gen cloud services, that auto-scale and only charge you when they run.Open source84.9K ↓ -
Open source67.2K ↓ -
Syft1.54.1CLI tool and library for generating a Software Bill of Materials from container images and filesystemsOpen source180.8K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is kustomize free?
Yes. kustomize is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is kustomize 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 kustomize 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 kustomize run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of kustomize?
The versions page lists all 12 versions with links to their official installer files, back to December 11, 2023.
Can I use kustomize without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to kustomize?
Helm, Docker Desktop, k9s, Pulumi and Podman Desktop. The alternatives page compares them.