Top 10 Krew Plugins for kubectl

Updated on Jul 4, 2025 9 min read cli krew kubectl kubernetes plugins productivity

Krew is the package manager for kubectl plugins, making it easy to extend kubectl’s functionality with community-contributed tools. With hundreds of plugins available, Krew transforms kubectl from a basic CLI tool into a powerful, extensible platform for Kubernetes management. Here are the top 10 Krew plugins that every Kubernetes practitioner should have in their toolkit.

1. ctx - Fast Context Switching

Fast context switching between Kubernetes clusters.

The ctx plugin provides lightning-fast context switching, allowing you to move between different Kubernetes clusters with minimal keystrokes. It’s an essential tool for anyone managing multiple clusters.

Key Features:

Instant context switching
Interactive selection mode
Tab completion support
Fuzzy matching
Context aliases

Installation:

kubectl krew install ctx

Usage:

# List all contexts
kubectl ctx

# Switch to specific context
kubectl ctx production-cluster

# Interactive selection
kubectl ctx

# Switch to previous context
kubectl ctx -

Configuration:

# Add to your shell profile for better UX
export PATH="${KREW_ROOT:-$HOME/.krew}/bin:$PATH"

# Enable tab completion
source <(kubectl completion bash)

Get ctx on GitHub

2. ns - Namespace Switcher

Quick namespace switching within the current context.

The ns plugin complements ctx by providing fast namespace switching within your current cluster context. It’s perfect for developers and operators who work across multiple namespaces.

Key Features:

Quick namespace switching
Interactive selection
Tab completion
Namespace aliases
Current namespace display

Installation:

kubectl krew install ns

Usage:

# List all namespaces
kubectl ns

# Switch to specific namespace
kubectl ns production

# Interactive selection
kubectl ns

# Switch to previous namespace
kubectl ns -

Integration with kube-ps1:

# Add to your shell prompt to show current namespace
export PS1='[\u@\h \W $(kubectl_ps1)]\$ '

Get ns on GitHub

3. neat - Clean kubectl Output

Cleans up verbose kubectl output for human-readable inspection.

The neat plugin removes unnecessary fields and metadata from kubectl output, making it much more readable and easier to work with during debugging and troubleshooting.

Key Features:

Removes default fields and metadata
Preserves important information
YAML and JSON output support
Customizable field filtering
Maintains resource structure

Installation:

kubectl krew install neat

Usage:

# Clean up pod output
kubectl get pod my-pod -o yaml | kubectl neat

# Clean up deployment output
kubectl get deployment my-deployment -o yaml | kubectl neat

# Clean up service output
kubectl get service my-service -o yaml | kubectl neat

# Clean up configmap output
kubectl get configmap my-config -o yaml | kubectl neat

Custom Configuration:

# Create custom neat configuration
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: neat-config
data:
  config.yaml: |
    remove:
      - metadata.creationTimestamp
      - metadata.generation
      - metadata.resourceVersion
      - metadata.uid
      - status

Get neat on GitHub

4. tree - Resource Hierarchy Visualization

View hierarchical ownership relationships between Kubernetes resources.

The tree plugin visualizes the ownership relationships between Kubernetes resources, making it easier to understand dependencies and troubleshoot issues in complex deployments.

Key Features:

Hierarchical resource display
Owner reference tracking
Custom resource support
Multiple output formats
Dependency visualization

Installation:

kubectl krew install tree

Usage:

# Show pod ownership tree
kubectl tree pod my-pod

# Show deployment tree
kubectl tree deployment my-deployment

# Show all resources in namespace
kubectl tree all -n production

# Show specific resource type
kubectl tree service my-service

# Show with custom format
kubectl tree pod my-pod --graphviz

Advanced Usage:

# Show tree with specific fields
kubectl tree pod my-pod --show-labels

# Show tree with status information
kubectl tree deployment my-deployment --show-status

# Filter by labels
kubectl tree all -l app=frontend

Get tree on GitHub

5. score - Static Analysis for Manifests

Performs static analysis of your Kubernetes manifests.

The score plugin analyzes Kubernetes manifests for best practices, security issues, and potential problems before deployment. It’s an essential tool for maintaining high-quality configurations.

Key Features:

Static analysis of manifests
Best practice checking
Security validation
Performance recommendations
Custom scoring rules

Installation:

kubectl krew install score

Usage:

# Analyze a single file
kubectl score deployment.yaml

# Analyze multiple files
kubectl score *.yaml

# Analyze with specific output format
kubectl score deployment.yaml --output-format json

# Analyze with custom rules
kubectl score deployment.yaml --policy-file custom-policy.yaml

# Analyze with verbose output
kubectl score deployment.yaml --verbose

Sample Output:

$ kubectl score deployment.yaml
[CRITICAL] Container has no resource limits
[WARNING] Container is not using a non-root user
[INFO] Consider adding liveness probe
[PASS] Container has security context

Custom Policy Example:

apiVersion: score.dev/v1alpha3
kind: Policy
metadata:
  name: production-policy
spec:
  rules:
    - name: "require-resource-limits"
      description: "All containers must have resource limits"
      target:
        apiVersion: apps/v1
        kind: Deployment
      checks:
        - name: "container-resource-limits"
          condition: "spec.template.spec.containers[*].resources.limits"

Get score on GitHub

6. who-can - Permission Analysis

Shows which subjects can perform an action on a resource.

The who-can plugin helps you understand RBAC permissions by showing which users, groups, or service accounts can perform specific actions on Kubernetes resources. It’s invaluable for security audits and troubleshooting permission issues.

Key Features:

RBAC permission analysis
Subject identification
Action-specific queries
Verbose permission details
Security auditing support

Installation:

kubectl krew install who-can

Usage:

# Check who can create pods
kubectl who-can create pods

# Check who can delete deployments
kubectl who-can delete deployments

# Check who can access secrets
kubectl who-can get secrets

# Check specific resource
kubectl who-can get secret my-secret

# Check with namespace
kubectl who-can create pods -n production

# Check with specific user
kubectl who-can create pods --as=user@example.com

Advanced Queries:

# Check multiple actions
kubectl who-can create,update,delete pods

# Check with specific API group
kubectl who-can create deployments.apps

# Check with custom resource
kubectl who-can create customresources.example.com

Get who-can on GitHub

7. tail - Multi-pod Log Streaming

Stream logs across multiple pods with intelligent filtering.

The tail plugin provides advanced log streaming capabilities, allowing you to follow logs from multiple pods simultaneously with intelligent filtering and formatting.

Key Features:

Multi-pod log streaming
Intelligent pod selection
Real-time filtering
Color-coded output
Custom formatting

Installation:

kubectl krew install tail

Usage:

# Follow logs from all pods with specific label
kubectl tail -l app=frontend

# Follow logs from specific namespace
kubectl tail -n production

# Follow logs with custom selector
kubectl tail --selector app=api,version=v2

# Follow logs with timestamps
kubectl tail --timestamps

# Follow logs with custom format
kubectl tail --format json

Advanced Filtering:

# Follow logs with regex filter
kubectl tail --regex "error|exception"

# Follow logs from specific containers
kubectl tail --container main

# Follow logs with custom since time
kubectl tail --since=1h

# Follow logs with line limits
kubectl tail --tail=100

Get tail on GitHub

8. topology - Network Topology Visualization

Shows pod-to-service-to-node relationships.

The topology plugin visualizes the network topology of your Kubernetes cluster, showing how pods, services, and nodes are connected. It’s perfect for understanding network architecture and troubleshooting connectivity issues.

Key Features:

Network topology visualization
Pod-to-service mapping
Node relationship display
Custom output formats
Interactive exploration

Installation:

kubectl krew install topology

Usage:

# Show topology for specific namespace
kubectl topology -n production

# Show topology for specific service
kubectl topology service my-service

# Show topology with custom format
kubectl topology --format json

# Show topology with specific labels
kubectl topology -l app=frontend

# Show topology with verbose output
kubectl topology --verbose

Output Example:

$ kubectl topology -n production
Namespace: production
├── Service: frontend-service
│   ├── Pod: frontend-pod-1 (Node: worker-1)
│   └── Pod: frontend-pod-2 (Node: worker-2)
├── Service: backend-service
│   ├── Pod: backend-pod-1 (Node: worker-1)
│   └── Pod: backend-pod-2 (Node: worker-3)
└── Service: database-service
    └── Pod: database-pod-1 (Node: worker-3)

Get topology on GitHub

9. view-secret - Secret Decoding

Decodes and shows Kubernetes Secrets in a readable format.

The view-secret plugin makes it easy to view and decode Kubernetes Secrets without manually base64 decoding each value. It’s essential for debugging and verifying secret configurations.

Key Features:

Automatic base64 decoding
Readable secret display
Multiple output formats
Secure handling
Custom formatting

Installation:

kubectl krew install view-secret

Usage:

# View secret in readable format
kubectl view-secret my-secret

# View secret with specific key
kubectl view-secret my-secret username

# View secret in JSON format
kubectl view-secret my-secret --format json

# View secret with custom output
kubectl view-secret my-secret --output yaml

# View secret from different namespace
kubectl view-secret my-secret -n production

Security Considerations:

# View secret without logging to history
kubectl view-secret my-secret --no-log

# View secret with minimal output
kubectl view-secret my-secret --quiet

# View secret with specific keys only
kubectl view-secret my-secret --keys username,password

Get view-secret on GitHub

10. get-all - Comprehensive Resource Listing

Lists all namespaced resources in a cluster.

The get-all plugin provides a comprehensive view of all resources in your cluster or namespace, making it easier to audit and understand your Kubernetes environment.

Key Features:

Comprehensive resource listing
Namespace-specific views
Custom filtering options
Multiple output formats
Resource categorization

Installation:

kubectl krew install get-all

Usage:

# List all resources in current namespace
kubectl get-all

# List all resources in specific namespace
kubectl get-all -n production

# List all resources with custom format
kubectl get-all --output wide

# List all resources with specific labels
kubectl get-all -l app=frontend

# List all resources with custom columns
kubectl get-all --custom-columns=NAME:.metadata.name,KIND:.kind,AGE:.metadata.creationTimestamp

Advanced Usage:

# List all resources with status
kubectl get-all --show-status

# List all resources with events
kubectl get-all --show-events

# List all resources with custom sorting
kubectl get-all --sort-by=.metadata.creationTimestamp

# List all resources with specific API versions
kubectl get-all --api-version=v1

Get get-all on GitHub

Installing and Managing Krew

Initial Setup

# Install Krew
(
  set -x; cd "$(mktemp -d)" &&
  OS="$(uname | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')" &&
  ARCH="$(uname -m | sed -e 's/x86_64/amd64/' -e 's/\(arm\)\(64\)\?.*/\1\2/' -e 's/aarch64$/arm64/')" &&
  KREW="krew-${OS}_${ARCH}" &&
  curl -fsSLO "https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/krew/releases/latest/download/${KREW}.tar.gz" &&
  tar zxvf "${KREW}.tar.gz" &&
  ./"${KREW}" install krew
)

# Add Krew to PATH
export PATH="${KREW_ROOT:-$HOME/.krew}/bin:$PATH"

Plugin Management

# List installed plugins
kubectl krew list

# Search for plugins
kubectl krew search <plugin-name>

# Install a plugin
kubectl krew install <plugin-name>

# Update plugins
kubectl krew upgrade

# Remove a plugin
kubectl krew uninstall <plugin-name>

# Show plugin information
kubectl krew info <plugin-name>

Shell Integration

# Add to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.)
export PATH="${KREW_ROOT:-$HOME/.krew}/bin:$PATH"

# Enable kubectl completion
source <(kubectl completion bash)

# Add custom aliases
alias k='kubectl'
alias kctx='kubectl ctx'
alias kns='kubectl ns'

Learn more about krew

Best Practices for Krew Plugin Usage

1. Plugin Selection

Choose plugins that solve specific problems
Verify plugin maintenance and community support
Test plugins in non-production environments first

2. Security Considerations

Review plugin source code before installation
Use plugins from trusted sources
Be cautious with plugins that require elevated permissions

3. Performance Optimization

Limit the number of installed plugins
Use plugins efficiently to avoid performance impact
Monitor plugin resource usage

4. Team Standardization

Establish team standards for plugin usage
Document preferred plugins and configurations
Share plugin configurations across team members

5. Maintenance

Regularly update plugins for security and features
Remove unused plugins to reduce clutter
Monitor plugin compatibility with kubectl updates

Conclusion

Krew plugins significantly enhance kubectl’s functionality, transforming it from a basic CLI tool into a powerful, extensible platform for Kubernetes management. The plugins outlined above provide essential capabilities for context management, resource analysis, security auditing, and productivity enhancement.

Start with the core plugins (ctx, ns, neat) and gradually expand your toolkit based on your specific needs and workflows. Remember that the best tool is the one that fits your workflow and helps you solve real problems efficiently.

For teams managing multiple clusters or complex environments, consider creating standardized plugin configurations and documentation to ensure consistency across your organization. The Krew ecosystem continues to grow, so stay updated with new plugins that might benefit your workflow.

For more information about Kubernetes CLI tools and best practices, visit the official Kubernetes documentation and the Krew plugin index.