# Zapkube — the fastest Kubernetes desktop client Zapkube is a native, keyboard-first Kubernetes desktop client for macOS and Linux. Zapkube connects to all your Kubernetes clusters from a lightweight, multi-tab, multi-pane and keyboard-friendly UI. Free to use, no account required. **Status:** public beta · **Platforms:** Available for macOS and Linux · Windows soon · **Price:** free ## What it does - **Multi-cluster** — List resources from several clusters side by side, in a single aggregated view. - **Multi-window · tabs · panels** — Windows, tabs and drag-to-split panels — arrange the workspace however you think. - **Keyboard-first** — Every navigation and action runs through a shortcut or the command palette. - **Aggregated log viewer** — Stream and merge logs from many pods at once, across contexts. ## How it works ### Multi-tabs & split views Zapkube works like a **modern terminal such as Ghostty**: open as many tabs as you need, then **split any tab into panes** — horizontally or vertically. Watch deployments, logs and pods **side by side within a single tab**, and arrange your workspace exactly the way you think. ### Multi-cluster, simultaneously Connect a **single tab to several clusters at once** and list the pods or deployments of all of them together, **in one unified view**. Group your clusters too: connect to **every production or staging cluster** in one click and see them aggregated side by side. No more juggling between windows to keep track of your whole fleet. ### Keyboard-first The entire app is **100% usable from the keyboard alone** — you never need the mouse to navigate between resources, switch tabs, or trigger any action. Every command is **one keystroke away**, and the command palette covers anything you haven't memorized yet. It's the **sweet spot between a desktop app and a CLI**: the speed of the command line, with the clarity of a real UI. ## Features ### Smart log viewer Merge logs from every matching pod into a single live feed. Structured formats like JSON and logfmt are parsed automatically, and detected severities feed a volume graph so you can spot spikes at a glance. Highlights: Multi-pod streaming · Parse structured formats · Volume graph. ### Port-Forward on steroids Manage multiple kubectl port-forward configurations with ease: save them as favorites and launch in a click. Auto-reconnect keeps every tunnel alive through pod restarts, and you can share your setup with the whole team. Highlights: Manage favorites · Auto-reconnect · Shareable configs. ### Scheduler Simulator Understand exactly why a pod stays unschedulable. Test it against different criteria — resources, node selectors, affinity, tolerations, taints, volumes and more — to pinpoint what's blocking placement. Highlights: Unschedulable pods debug · Resources, affinity, volumes, …. ### Pod & node usage metrics Live CPU and memory against requests and limits, at every level. Spot pressure and noisy neighbors before they turn into an incident. Highlights: Requests vs limits · Every level · Detect noisy neighbors. ## Roadmap ### Shipped - **Helm** — Browse releases, inspect rendered manifests and track revisions and values without leaving the app. - **Gateway API** — First-class support for Gateways, HTTPRoutes and the modern Kubernetes networking stack. - **Access Review** — Understand who can do what. Audit roles, bindings and effective permissions across your clusters. - **Pod & node usage metrics** — Live CPU and memory against requests and limits, at every level — spot pressure before it becomes an incident. ### In QA - **GitOps: Flux** — Follow Kustomizations, HelmReleases and sources, with reconciliation state next to the resources they own. - **Overview Dashboards** — A single screen per cluster: health, workloads and pressure at a glance, before you drill down. ### In progress - **Traffic & topology graphs** — Visualize how services, pods and ingress connect, with live traffic flowing through the topology. - **GitOps: Argo CD** — See sync status, drift and health for Argo CD applications right next to the workloads they deploy. - **Cert-Manager** — Track certificates, issuers and renewals at a glance — spot expiring TLS before it bites. - **Windows build** — The same native, keyboard-first client on Windows — signed installer included. ### Backlog - **Image Filesystem browser** — Explore the contents of a container image's filesystem layer by layer, straight from Zapkube. - **Favorites** — Pin the clusters, namespaces and resources you live in and jump straight back to them. - **Built-in Terminal** — Drop into a shell next to your resources — kubectl and exec sessions without leaving the app. - **Audit scan** — Surface misconfigurations, risky defaults and best-practice violations before they reach production. - **Prometheus metrics** — Integrate with Prometheus to visualize metrics history from your Kubernetes clusters. - **AI integration** — Ask questions, explain failures and get suggested fixes — context-aware help wired into your cluster. ## FAQ ### Is Zapkube really free? Yes. Zapkube is **completely free to use**. Our aim is to build the Kubernetes desktop client with the **best user experience** and earn your trust before thinking about pricing. Longer term, two paths are on the table: a capable free app with optional paid features for power users and teams, or an open-source project supported by sponsorship. Either way, the **free experience has to stand on its own**. ### How is Zapkube faster than other Kubernetes desktop clients? Zapkube **starts fast** because it is a lightweight, native desktop app with a deliberately minimal surface. But fast startup is only half the story. Once it’s open, **speed comes from the workflow**: keyboard navigation, shortcuts, a command palette, direct links between related resources, and built-in insights that surface problems early. You can navigate and act **without reaching for the mouse**. ### What are the key features of Zapkube? Zapkube brings the Kubernetes workflows you use most into one fast, keyboard-first desktop app: - **Multi-context access** — connect to multiple Kubernetes contexts at the same time. - **Tabs and split views** — inspect resources side by side without losing your place. - **100% keyboard-driven** — navigate, search and take action without reaching for the mouse. - **Dashboard overviews** — spot potential issues across your clusters at a glance. - **Port-forward management** — save favourites and reconnect automatically when pods restart. - **CRD integrations** — work with Helm, Flux, Argo CD, cert-manager, KEDA and more. - **Schedulability Simulator** — pinpoint why a pod is unschedulable before you start digging through events. ### Does Zapkube install anything in my cluster? Zapkube is completely **agent-free**. It **installs nothing in your cluster**: no DaemonSet, sidecar, operator, CRD, or additional service account. It uses your existing kubeconfig and the standard Kubernetes API, just like kubectl. When you close Zapkube, **nothing is left running**. Your cluster stays exactly as you left it. ### How do I configure Zapkube and connect to my clusters? If kubectl already works on your machine, there is **nothing extra to configure**. Zapkube uses the same official Go client library as kubectl and reads your existing kubeconfig, contexts and credentials. New to kubectl? You can create and manage your cluster configuration **directly in the app**. ### Which platforms are supported? **macOS:** Zapkube runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. **Linux:** Zapkube supports x86-64 and arm64 through .deb, .rpm, AppImage, Arch packages and tarballs. **Windows:** support is in active development. It will be available soon. ### How does Zapkube keep my cluster data private and secure? Zapkube processes Kubernetes operations **locally on your computer**, using the Kubernetes API access you already have. There is no relay, proxy, or cloud backend between the desktop app and your clusters. Your kubeconfig and cluster data **never leave your machine** — including context names, resource names, logs, secrets and cluster identifiers. Zapkube does not send them to us, even in hashed form. ## Latest releases - [Command Palette Resource Search & Favorites](https://zapkube.com/changelog/v0.26.0) — 2026-08-27 — This release turns the command palette into a real navigator: search any resource by name, jump to a kind with `Cmd+P`, and pin the types you use every day. - [Read-Only Mode](https://zapkube.com/changelog/v0.25.0) — 2026-08-26 — This release adds a safety net for browsing production clusters, plus quality-of-life improvements to pod actions and the detail view. - [kubectl Command Compatibility](https://zapkube.com/changelog/v0.24.0) — 2026-08-24 — This release closes the loop between Zapkube and `kubectl` in both directions — copy any UI action out as the exact command, or drive the UI from CLI verbs you already know. - [HPA & KEDA Autoscaling](https://zapkube.com/changelog/v0.23.0) — 2026-08-18 — Autoscaling gets first-class treatment: HPA views are easier to read at a glance, and KEDA joins as Zapkube's second built-in plugin — alongside CRD printer columns, richer copy tools, and a native macOS menu bar. - [Active Tasks & API Audit Log](https://zapkube.com/changelog/v0.22.0) — 2026-08-15 — Audit every call Zapkube makes to your clusters: a new Activity panel tracks background tasks, logs every API request, and reports the app's own resource usage — plus resolved pod environment variables, context menus, and richer action dialogs. ## Links - Download: https://zapkube.com/download - Changelog: https://zapkube.com/changelog - About: https://zapkube.com/about - Privacy: https://zapkube.com/privacy - Contact: https://zapkube.com/contact - Source & issues: https://github.com/zapkube/zapkube - Community: https://discord.gg/qZ5bq7EKHY --- More machine-readable entry points: [/llms.txt](https://zapkube.com/llms.txt) (site index), [/agents.md](https://zapkube.com/agents.md) (when to use Zapkube), [/sitemap.xml](https://zapkube.com/sitemap.xml) (every URL). Every page on this site also serves Markdown: send `Accept: text/markdown`, or append `.md` to the path.