Helm Charts
Helm Charts are packages for Kubernetes applications that bundle all required resource definitions. They enable reproducible, versioned deployments with configurable parameters.
What Are Helm Charts?
Helm is the package manager for Kubernetes – comparable to apt for Debian or npm for Node.js. A Helm Chart is a package that contains all the Kubernetes resources needed to run an application: Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, Secrets, Ingress rules, and more. Charts make complex Kubernetes deployments reproducible and reusable.
Structure of a Helm Chart
Chart Structure
A Helm Chart consists of a defined directory structure. The Chart.yaml contains metadata such as name, version, and dependencies. The templates/ directory holds Kubernetes manifests as Go templates. The values.yaml defines default values that can be overridden during deployment.
Templates and Values
Helm uses Go templates to dynamically generate Kubernetes manifests. Values from values.yaml or custom value files are injected into templates at installation time. This allows you to use the same chart for different environments – development, staging, production – with different configurations.
Helm in Practice
Installation and Upgrades
Charts are installed in the cluster with helm install and updated with helm upgrade. Helm manages the release status and enables rollbacks to previous versions. Each release has a revision number ensuring a complete version history.
Chart Repositories
Charts are published and shared via repositories. Public repositories like Bitnami or Artifact Hub offer ready-made charts for common software like PostgreSQL, Redis, or Prometheus. For your own applications, you can run private chart repositories in Harbor, ChartMuseum, or OCI-compatible registries.
Benefits of Helm Charts
- Reusability: A chart can be used for multiple environments and configurations.
- Versioning: Charts are versioned – every change is traceable and reversible.
- Dependency Management: Charts can include other charts as dependencies.
- Standardization: Uniform deployment method for all Kubernetes applications in the organization.
- Community: Thousands of ready-made charts for open-source software available.
Helm and GitOps
Helm Charts are a natural part of GitOps workflows. ArgoCD and Flux can deploy Helm Charts directly from Git repositories or chart repositories. The combination of declarative charts in Git and automatic reconciliation by the GitOps operator forms the foundation for modern Kubernetes operations.
Best Practices
Use semantic versioning for your charts. Keep the values.yaml well-documented with comments. Use Helm tests (helm test) to verify correct installation. Leverage Helm Hooks for pre- and post-install actions like database migrations.
Helm Charts for Mid-Market Companies
Helm Charts standardize your Kubernetes deployments and reduce error rates. Instead of manually maintaining YAML files, you define a chart once and customize it through values. This saves time, reduces errors, and enables less experienced team members to deploy safely with Kubernetes.
Frequently asked questions about Helm Charts
Helm uses templates with variable substitution and is suited for complex, reusable packages. Kustomize works with overlays on existing YAML files without templates. Both approaches can be combined – Helm for packaging, Kustomize for environment-specific customizations.
Use semantic versioning (SemVer). Major versions for breaking changes, minor versions for new features, patch versions for bug fixes. The chart version in Chart.yaml is independent of the app version – both are maintained separately.
Helm Charts are as secure as their content. Review community charts before use, use Helm provenance files for signature verification, and scan charts for known vulnerabilities. For secrets in charts, we recommend External Secrets Operator or Sealed Secrets.
Yes, with helm create you generate a scaffold. You define your Kubernetes resources as templates, parameterize them via values.yaml, and can publish the chart in a private repository. This standardizes deployments for your entire team.
Related terms
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Last updated: April 2026