compare
k3d vs minikube
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | k3d | minikube |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Go |
| Licence | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 6.6k | 32k |
| Latest | v5.9.0 | v1.39.0 |
| Last push | 2026-10-05 | 2026-09-28 |
| Release cadence | about 26 days between releases | about 126 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 0 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 31+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
k3d replaces minikube. Alternatives to minikube →
Full replacementLightweight k3s clusters in Docker.
k3d
- v5.9.02026-06-02Fix docker registry auth example
- v5.9.0-rc.02025-10-01Fix docker registry auth examplepre-release
- v5.8.32025-02-15Exclude s390x as arch-specific tag from version list
- v5.8.22025-02-12fixing the makefile; enforcing the registry port match;
- v5.8.12025-01-17chore(config): migrate renovate config
minikube
- v1.39.02026-09-02📣😀 Please fill out our fast 5-question survey so that we can learn how & why you use minikube, and what improvements…
- v1.38.12026-02-19📣😀 Please fill out our fast 5-question survey so that we can learn how & why you use minikube, and what improvements…
- v1.38.02026-01-29📣😀 Please fill out our fast 5-question survey so that we can learn how & why you use minikube, and what improvements…
- v1.37.02025-09-09📣😀 Please fill out our fast 5-question survey so that we can learn how & why you use minikube, and what improvements…
- v1.36.02025-05-22📣😀 Please fill out our fast 5-question survey so that we can learn how & why you use minikube, and what improvements…
k3d
unsigned The latest release, v5.9.0, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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minikube
unsigned The latest release, v1.39.0, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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