The New Stack Podcast Helm 4: What’s New in the Open Source Kubernetes Package Manager?
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Dec 3, 2025 In this discussion, Matt Butcher, CEO of Fermion Technologies and co-creator of Helm, along with Matt Farina, Chief Architect at SUSE, delve into the exciting launch of Helm 4. They highlight Helm's evolution from a hackathon project to a key Kubernetes package manager and discuss the importance of WebAssembly-based plugins for cross-platform support. They also explore enhancements like modernized logging and the re-architecture of internals, emphasizing the value of 'boring' improvements that streamline workflows and future capabilities.
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Hackathon Coffee Shop That Became Helm
- Matt Butcher described how Helm began as a hackathon coffee-shop themed project called Kate's Place that won a $75 prize.
- Leadership liked it and assigned a team, then they renamed it Helm and turned it into a real product.
Helm Grew With CNCF And Kubernetes
- Helm grew out of Kubernetes and later became a separate CNCF project and an early graduate.
- Its lifecycle mirrored Kubernetes and CNCF as both matured and stabilized over years.
Adopt Portable Plugins
- Use portable plugin formats to support many OSes and architectures.
- Helm 4 adopts WebAssembly-based plugins to make extensions cross-platform and portable.