Helm vs Skaffold: What are the differences?

1. Helm: Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies the deployment and management of applications. It allows users to define, install, and upgrade complex applications and their dependencies as Kubernetes resources.

2. Skaffold: Skaffold is a command-line tool that facilitates continuous development for Kubernetes applications. It automates the process of building, pushing, and deploying applications to a Kubernetes cluster, providing a streamlined workflow for iterative development.

3. Installation and Configuration: Helm requires installing and configuring the Helm client and the associated Tiller server on the Kubernetes cluster. Skaffold, on the other hand, can be installed directly on the local machine or within the cluster without any additional server component.

4. Deployment Workflow: Helm follows a declarative approach to deployment, where users define a chart containing all the necessary resources and configurations, and Helm takes care of deploying and managing those resources on the cluster. Skaffold, on the other hand, follows an iterative and continuous development workflow, where it monitors the code changes and automatically rebuilds and redeploys the application as needed.

5. Use case: Helm is best suited for managing complex applications with multiple dependencies and configurations. It provides a way to package and share applications as charts, making it easier to deploy and manage them on different Kubernetes clusters. Skaffold, on the other hand, is designed for rapid and iterative development, where developers need a streamlined workflow to build, push, and deploy their applications to a Kubernetes environment.

6. Integration with CI/CD: Helm integrates well with CI/CD pipelines and can be easily integrated into existing DevOps workflows. It allows for versioning, templating, and dependency management of applications, making it easier to automate the deployment process. Skaffold also integrates with CI/CD systems but focuses more on local development and testing workflows, providing live reloading and fast iterations during the development cycle.

In Summary, Helm is a powerful package manager for Kubernetes applications, while Skaffold provides a streamlined development workflow for iterative development on Kubernetes.