ctlptl vs kind

ctlptl is a free command-line tool for declaratively configuring local Kubernetes clusters with YAML. Its main commands show running clusters, create them, apply configuration, and delete clusters along with their state. The project lists Docker Desktop, KIND, Minikube, and K3D, with registry support for KIND, Minikube, and K3D. Configuration can allocate CPUs and set up local registries; Minikube supports per-cluster Kubernetes version selection. ctlptl can also create a cluster on a remote Docker host, a capability the project describes for CI environments. Installation options include Homebrew for macOS and Linux, Scoop for Windows, Go install, Docker, and prebuilt release binaries. A Docker image containing recent kind and ctlptl versions is offered for CI. The project supports macOS, Linux, and Windows and is licensed under Apache License 2.0. Its README calls it a work in progress and says it is not meant for remote clusters or remote development sandboxes. Usage statistics are anonymized, with an opt-out command available.

kind runs local Kubernetes clusters with Docker container nodes, mainly for Kubernetes testing; local development and CI are also listed uses. It bootstraps cluster nodes with kubeadm and supports multi-node setups, including high availability. A configuration file can define worker and control-plane nodes, port mappings, and Kubernetes versions.

The tool can build Kubernetes release builds from source or use pre-published builds. It can detect Docker, Podman, or nerdctl as its container provider, including rootless providers subject to host and provider requirements. Users can load Docker images or an image archive into a cluster. Documentation covers ingress and Gateway API configuration with cloud-provider-kind, private registry workflows, and Kubernetes API audit logging.