If you’re working with Kubernetes, you’ve likely encountered Helm — the package manager for Kubernetes. Helm simplifies deploying and managing applications using reusable packages called charts.
In this blog post, we’ll walk through all major Helm commands, grouped by purpose, with explanations to help you understand when and why to use them.
What Is Helm?
Helm helps you:
- Package Kubernetes applications into charts
- Manage application releases
- Upgrade and roll back deployments
- Share and reuse application configurations Think of Helm like apt, yum, or npm — but for Kubernetes.
Chart Management Commands
Charts are Helm packages that contain Kubernetes manifests and configuration.
Create a Chart
helm create mychart
Creates a new chart directory with the default structure.
Lint a Chart
helm lint mychart
Checks the chart for errors and best practice violations.
Package a Chart
helm package mychart
Packages your chart into a .tgz archive for distribution.
Download a Chart
helm pull bitnami/nginx
Downloads a chart from a repository.
Show Chart Information
helm show all <chart>
helm show chart <chart>
helm show values <chart>
helm show readme <chart>
Displays chart metadata, default values, and documentation.
Release Management Commands
A release is a deployed instance of a chart.
Install a Chart
helm install myrelease mychart
Upgrade a Release
helm upgrade myrelease mychart
Roll Back a Release
helm rollback myrelease 1
Uninstall a Release
helm uninstall myrelease
List Releases
helm list
Check Status
helm status myrelease
View History
helm history myrelease
Get Release Information
helm get all myrelease
helm get values myrelease
helm get manifest myrelease
helm get notes myrelease
These commands help you manage the entire lifecycle of your Kubernetes deployments.
Repository Management Commands
Helm repositories host charts.
Add a Repository
helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
Remove a Repository
helm repo remove bitnami
Update Repositories
helm repo update
List Repositories
helm repo list
Search Repositories
helm search repo nginx
helm search hub nginx
search repolooks in added repositoriessearch hubsearches Artifact Hub
Template & Debugging Commands
Before deploying, you can preview Kubernetes manifests.
Render Templates Locally
helm template myrelease mychart
Simulate Installation
helm install myrelease mychart --dry-run --debug
Simulate Upgrade
helm upgrade myrelease mychart --dry-run --debug
Compare Changes (Plugin)
helm diff upgrade myrelease mychart
The helm diff command requires a plugin.
OCI Registry Commands
Helm supports OCI-based registries.
Login
helm registry login myregistry.io
Logout
helm registry logout myregistry.io
Push a Chart
helm registry push mychart-0.1.0.tgz oci://myregistry.io/charts
Dependency Management
Charts can depend on other charts.
Build Dependencies
helm dependency build mychart
Update Dependencies
helm dependency update mychart
List Dependencies
helm dependency list mychart
Environment & Utility Commands
Show Environment Info
helm env
Check Version
helm version
Plugin Management
helm plugin install <url>
helm plugin list
helm plugin uninstall <name>
Generate Shell Completion
helm completion bash
helm completion zsh
Help
helm help
Global Flags You Should Know
Most Helm commands support:
--namespace--valuesor-f--set--dry-run--debug--atomic--wait
These flags allow fine-grained control over deployments.
Helm v2 vs v3 Note
Helm v3 removed:
helm inithelm serve
Helm no longer requires Tiller (the server-side component used in v2).
Conclusion
Helm is an essential tool for managing Kubernetes applications efficiently. Whether you’re:
- Deploying applications
- Managing upgrades
- Rolling back failures
- Sharing reusable configurations
Mastering these Helm commands will dramatically improve your Kubernetes workflow.