k3d vs Kubeli

k3d is a free, community-driven wrapper that runs k3s, Rancher Lab’s minimal Kubernetes distribution, inside Docker. It creates single-node and multi-node clusters for local Kubernetes development and can support hot-reloading, Tilt build-deploy-test workflows, and Drone CI service use. Docker is required, while kubectl is used to interact with clusters. For k3d v5.x.x, the overview specifies Docker v20.10.5 or later and runc v1.0.0-rc93 or later. A registries.yaml file configures registries, authentication, and certificates, and documentation covers local registries managed by k3d. Services can be exposed through Ingress or NodePort by mapping container ports to the host. Covered k3s integrations include CoreDNS, local-path-provisioner, Traefik, and the Klipper service load balancer. Installation options include release binaries, Homebrew, AUR, Chocolatey, Scoop, arkade, asdf, and Go. k3d runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted setups. It is not an official Rancher (SUSE) product.

Kubeli is a native desktop application for managing Kubernetes clusters on macOS, Windows, and Linux. It connects to multiple clusters simultaneously and supports one-click context switching. A topology view nests namespaces, deployments, and pods so cluster structure can be inspected graphically. Pod logs stream with search, timestamps, and error highlighting, and can be passed to a locally running AI assistant. Kubeli maps local ports to pods or services and can open forwarded ports in a browser. Its listed AI integrations include Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, and Droid. An included MCP server lets VS Code, Cursor, or Claude Code query cluster state. HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 proxy support addresses clusters behind corporate firewalls. The site lists macOS 10.15+, Windows 10/11, and Linux x64 downloads. Kubeli is free and MIT open source, requires no account or telemetry, and says it does not transfer information to other networked systems unless requested. Support is provided through GitHub Discussions, feature requests, and bug reports.