Helm vs k8s-sidecar-injector: What are the differences?

# Introduction
In this comparison, we will explore the key differences between Helm and k8s-sidecar-injector in Kubernetes ecosystem.

1. **Installation Method**: Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies the installation and management of applications, while k8s-sidecar-injector is a mutating admission webhook that injects sidecar containers into pods. The installation process for Helm involves using the Helm CLI to create charts, templates, and deploy applications, while k8s-sidecar-injector is configured to run as a mutating admission webhook service in a Kubernetes cluster.

2. **Deployment Flexibility**: Helm provides a flexible way to deploy applications with the ability to customize configurations and parameters using values files, offering more control over the deployment process. On the other hand, k8s-sidecar-injector focuses on injecting sidecar containers with predefined configurations into pods, limiting the flexibility in customizing deployments compared to Helm.

3. **Versioning and Updates**: Helm allows users to manage different versions of charts, rollback to previous versions, and update applications seamlessly, providing a version-controlled approach to managing deployments. In contrast, k8s-sidecar-injector does not directly handle versioning or updates for applications, as its primary function is to inject sidecar containers into pods based on predefined configurations without managing versions.

4. **Community Support and Ecosystem**: Helm has a robust community with a vast array of charts available for various applications, allowing users to leverage pre-built charts for swift deployments. On the other hand, k8s-sidecar-injector is more specialized in its functionality and may not have as extensive a community support or ecosystem compared to Helm, as it focuses on specific use cases involving sidecar injection.

5. **Customization and Extensibility**: Helm provides a mechanism for users to create and share custom charts, templates, and plugins, enabling extensive customization and extensibility possibilities. In contrast, k8s-sidecar-injector is designed for a specific purpose of injecting sidecar containers, limiting the customization and extensibility options available for users compared to Helm.

6. **Dependencies Handling**: Helm allows for managing dependencies between charts, enabling the installation of multiple related components as a single unit with automated resolution of dependencies. On the other hand, k8s-sidecar-injector does not handle dependencies between sidecar containers or pods, focusing solely on injecting sidecar containers into existing pods without managing dependencies between them.

In Summary, Helm and k8s-sidecar-injector differ in installation method, deployment flexibility, versioning and updates, community support and ecosystem, customization and extensibility, and dependencies handling, offering distinct approaches to managing applications in Kubernetes.