kubernetes
Kubernetes python client
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. This is the official, actively maintained Kubernetes Python client with low install friction, a permissive license, no known vulnerabilities, and strong community adoption (top 1000 PyPI packages). Install it if you need to manage or query Kubernetes clusters from Python—it is the standard choice for this task.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a valid kubeconfig file or in-cluster service account credentials to authenticate with a Kubernetes cluster.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution.
- Actively maintained with a recent release (32 days ago) and strong repository signals (7648 stars, last commit 2026-08-14).
License · maintenance · safety
Apache License Version 2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache License Version 2.0 (permissive), allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for most production and proprietary projects.
last release 2026-07-13 (32 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 7,648 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 114,242,045 downloads/mo, #312 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install kubernetes
from kubernetes import client, config
config.load_kube_config()
v1 = client.CoreV1Api()
pods = v1.list_pod_for_all_namespaces(watch=False)
for pod in pods.items:
print(pod.metadata.name, pod.status.pod_ip)- Whether all 10 runtime dependencies (certifi, six, python-dateutil, pyyaml, websocket-client, requests, requests-oauthlib, urllib3, durationpy, aiohttp) are truly required for basic usage or if some are optional.
- Performance characteristics and memory footprint when managing large clusters or handling high-frequency API calls.
What it is and what it does
The Kubernetes Python client is the official SDK for interacting with Kubernetes clusters programmatically. It auto-generates API bindings from the Kubernetes OpenAPI specification, providing typed access to all Kubernetes resources (pods, deployments, services, etc.) and operations. The package supports both synchronous (via requests) and asynchronous (via aiohttp) workflows, allowing developers to query cluster state, create and modify resources, watch for changes, and stream events.
The client handles authentication (kubeconfig files, service accounts, OAuth), connection pooling, and API versioning. It follows semantic versioning aligned with Kubernetes releases—version 36.0.3 targets Kubernetes 1.36 with compatibility for 1.35 and below. It is widely used in automation tools, operators, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code frameworks that need to manage Kubernetes resources from Python.
Use it for
- Automate pod deployment, scaling, and lifecycle management in CI/CD pipelines or GitOps workflows.
- Monitor cluster health by listing and watching resources, polling pod status, and streaming events.
- Build Kubernetes operators or controllers that react to resource changes and enforce custom logic.
- Integrate Kubernetes management into Python applications or dashboards that need programmatic cluster access.
- Write integration tests that provision temporary resources and verify cluster behavior.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
This is the official, actively maintained Kubernetes Python client with low install friction, a permissive license, no known vulnerabilities, and strong community adoption (top 1000 PyPI packages). Install it if you need to manage or query Kubernetes clusters from Python—it is the standard choice for this task.
Install
kubernetes on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Actively maintained with a recent release (32 days ago) and strong repository signals (7648 stars, last commit 2026-08-14). Requires Python 3.10 or later.
Requires a valid kubeconfig file or in-cluster service account credentials to authenticate with a Kubernetes cluster.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache License Version 2.0 (permissive), allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for most production and proprietary projects.
Quickstart
pip install kubernetes
from kubernetes import client, config
config.load_kube_config()
v1 = client.CoreV1Api()
pods = v1.list_pod_for_all_namespaces(watch=False)
for pod in pods.items:
print(pod.metadata.name, pod.status.pod_ip)Verify before relying
- Whether all 10 runtime dependencies (certifi, six, python-dateutil, pyyaml, websocket-client, requests, requests-oauthlib, urllib3, durationpy, aiohttp) are truly required for basic usage or if some are optional.
- Performance characteristics and memory footprint when managing large clusters or handling high-frequency API calls.
Package facts
| License | Apache License Version 2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 10 packagescertifisixpython-dateutilpyyamlwebsocket-clientrequestsrequests-oauthliburllib3durationpyaiohttp |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 32 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 114,242,045 / month, #312 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Topic :: Utilities |
Evidence: kubernetes-36.0.3-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also kubernetes-asyncio · kr8s · portforward · pykube-ng · pycti · pulumi-kubernetes · openshift-client · argo-workflows · pyhelm3 · eks-token