Awesome Kubernetes Architecture Diagrams

Kubernetes Icons Set (KIS)

• Kubernetes Icons Set provides icons to standardize Kubernetes architecture diagrams for presentation. Having uniform architecture diagrams improve understandibility.

Drawing Tools

• CloudSkew: https://www.cloudskew.com

• Creately: https://creately.com

• Draw.io: https://www.drawio.com

• Holori: https://holori.com/kubernetes-diagram-tool/

• Hyperglance: https://www.hyperglance.com/platforms/kubernetes/

• Layer5: https://layer5.io/cloud-native-management/generate-kubernetes-architecture-diagram

• Lucidchart: https://www.lucidchart.com

• Moqups: https://moqups.com/templates/mapping-and-diagramming/network-diagrams/kubernetes-diagram/

• Terrastruct: https://terrastruct.com

• TopoAI: https://www.topoai.cc

• a lot of others!

Diagrams as Code

• Diagrams: https://github.com/mingrammer/diagrams

  • Diagram as Code for prototyping cloud system architectures
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  • Implementation: Python
  • Most of Kubernetes resources supported

• Diagrams as code: https://github.com/dmytrostriletskyi/diagrams-as-code

  • Declarative configurations using YAML for drawing cloud system architectures
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  • Implementation: Python with Diagrams
  • Most of Kubernetes resources supported

• Kubernetes-PlantUML: https://github.com/dcasati/kubernetes-PlantUML

  • PlantUML sprites, macros and stereotypes for creating PlantUML diagrams with the Kubernetes components
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  • Implementation: PlantUML
  • Most of Kubernetes resources supported

• a few others!

Generation Tools

• KubeDiagrams: https://github.com/philippemerle/KubeDiagrams

  • Generate Kubernetes architecture diagrams from Kubernetes manifest files, kustomization files, Helm charts, helmfiles, and actual cluster state. The main originality of KubeDiagrams is its configurability allowing for instance to deal with custom Kubernetes resources.
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  • Implementation: Python with Diagrams, and JavaScript
  • Usage mode: CLI, GUI, and SaaS
  • Input formats: K8s manifests, kustomization files, Helm charts, helmfiles, and K8s API
  • 51+ Kubernetes resource kinds supported
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces, labels, and annotations
  • Output formats: PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, SVG, PDF, DOT, draw.io, Mermaid, and D2

• KubeView: https://github.com/benc-uk/kubeview

  • Kubernetes cluster visualiser and graphical explorer
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  • Implementation: JavaScript and Go
  • Usage mode: GUI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • ConfigMap
    • CronJob
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • Endpoints
    • Ingress
    • Job
    • Namespace
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Pod
    • ReplicaSet
    • Secret
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: Web pages

• KubeStellar Console: https://github.com/kubestellar/console

  • AI-powered multi-cluster Kubernetes dashboard with Mission Control FlightPlan Blueprint — generates interactive SVG architecture diagrams from live cluster state showing cluster zones, project nodes, dependency paths, and deployment topology.
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  • Implementation: TypeScript and Go
  • Usage mode: GUI and SaaS
  • Input formats: K8s API (live cluster state)
  • SVG architecture blueprints with cluster zones, project nodes, dependency edges, and phase timelines
  • PDF/print export supported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces and cluster topology

• kubectl-graph: https://github.com/steveteuber/kubectl-graph

  • A kubectl plugin to visualize Kubernetes resources and relationships
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  • Implementation: Go
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • Endpoints
    • Ingress
    • Namespace
    • NetworkPolicy
    • Node
    • Pod
    • Route
    • Service
    • any other kinds
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: AQL, ArangoDB, CQL, Cypher, DOT, and Mermaid

• Lens Resource Map: https://github.com/nevalla/lens-resource-map-extension

  • An extension for Lens - The Kubernetes IDE that displays Kubernetes resources and their relations as a real-time force-directed graph
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  • Implementation: TypeScript
  • Usage mode: GUI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • ConfigMap
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Pod
    • Secret
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: Web pages

• k8sviz: https://github.com/mkimuram/k8sviz

  • Generate Kubernetes architecture diagrams from the actual state in a namespace
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  • Implementation: Go and Graphviz
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • CronJob
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • HorizontalPodAutoscaler
    • Ingress
    • Job
    • Namespace
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Pod
    • ReplicaSet
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces
  • Output formats: all Graphviz output formats

• Kubernetes diagrams: https://github.com/trois-six/k8s-diagrams

  • Create diagrams from the Kubernetes API with go-diagrams
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  • Implementation: Go
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Namespace
    • Pod
    • ReplicaSet
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces and ReplicaSet owners
  • Output formats: DOT only

• GruCloud: https://github.com/grucloud/grucloud

  • Generate code and diagrams from cloud infrastructures: AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes
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  • Implementation: JavaScript
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: JavaScript IaC
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • ConfigMap
    • ClusterRole
    • ClusterRoleBinding
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Namespace
    • PersistentVolume
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Role
    • RoleBinding
    • Secret
    • Service
    • ServiceAccount
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: PlantUML

• k8s-to-mermaid: https://github.com/sommerit/k8s-to-mermaid

  • This script parses Kubernetes YAML files and generates a Mermaid class diagram that visualizes the resources and their relationships within a Kubernetes cluster
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  • Implementation: Python
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s manifests
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • ConfigMap
    • CronJob
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • HorizontalPodAutoscaler
    • Ingress
    • Job
    • NetworkPolicy
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Pod
    • ReplicaSet
    • Secret
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: Mermaid

• K8s Diagram architecture generator: https://github.com/kocierik/k8s-to-diagram

  • Generate a diagram architecture from kubernetes manifests
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  • Implementation: Go and D2
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s manifest annotations
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • ConfigMap
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • PersistentVolume
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Pod
    • Secret
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: SVG and PNG

• react-k8s-viewer: https://github.com/SocialGouv/react-k8s-viewer

  • Render diagrams from your kubernetes manifests
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  • Implementation: TypeScript
  • Usage mode: GUI
  • Input formats: K8s manifests
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • ConfigMap
    • CronJob
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Job
    • SealedSecret
    • Secret
    • Service
    • ServiceMonitor
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: React Flow

• K8s Diagram Previewer: https://github.com/jimmymills/k8s-diagram-previewer

  • Diagram generator for Kubernetes manifests
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  • Implementation: Python with Diagrams
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s manifests and Helm charts
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • ConfigMap
    • CronJob
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Job
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Pod
    • Secret
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces, Deployment and ReplicaSet owners
  • Output formats: PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, and DOT

• k8s-diagrams: https://github.com/imjoseangel/k8s-diagrams

  • Creates graphviz diagrams from the Kubernetes API
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  • Implementation: Python with Diagrams
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • Deployment
    • Endpoints
    • HorizontalPodAutoscaler
    • Ingress
    • Namespace
    • Pod
    • ReplicaSet
    • Service
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces
  • Output formats: PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, and DOT

• kube-diagram: https://github.com/kahowell/kube-diagram

  • Experimental cli tool to generate plantuml diagrams of k8s/openshift resources
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  • Implementation: Java
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s manifests
  • Supported Kubernetes resources:
    • CronJob
    • DeploymentConfig
    • Service
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: PlantUML

• kube-diagrams: https://github.com/sunny10031982/kube-diagrams

  • Generate Kubernetes diagrams
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  • Implementation: Python with Diagrams
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • Ingress
    • Pod
    • Service
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering based on Ingress hosts and paths
  • Output formats: PNG

• k8d: https://github.com/NickSchleicher/k8d

  • Diagram Kubernetes Network Policies
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  • Implementation: Go
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Supported Kubernetes resources
    • NetworkPolicy
    • Pod
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: draw.io

• k8s_diagram: https://github.com/MrSir/k8s_diagram

  • A simple package to generate mermaid.js diagram of your Kubernetes Cluster
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  • Implementation: Python
  • Usage mode: None
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Kubernetes resources supported
    • CronJob
    • Deployment
    • Job
    • Namespace
    • Pod
    • ReplicaSet
    • Service
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: PNG

• Kubernetes to Draw.io Converter: https://github.com/nevidanniu/k8s-to-drawio

  • A CLI tool that converts Kubernetes manifests to Draw.io diagrams with Kustomize support
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  • Implementation: Go
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s manifests, kustomization files
  • Kubernetes resources supported
    • ConfigMap
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Namespace
    • PersistentVolume
    • PersistentVolumeClaim
    • Secret
    • Service
    • ServiceAccount
    • StatefulSet
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces
  • Output formats: draw.io

• Koomos: https://github.com/Pitchouneee/koomos

  • CLI to generate architecture diagrams from Kubernetes YAML (Kustomize, ArgoCD, Helm)
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  • Implementation: Go
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s manifests, kustomization files
  • Kubernetes resources supported
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Service
    • any other resource kinds
  • KIS unsupported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces
  • Output formats: Mermaid

• KubeDraw: https://github.com/B0nam/kubedraw

  • A Python-based tool designed to simplify the visualization of Kubernetes infrastructure
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  • Implementation: Python with Diagrams
  • Usage mode: CLI
  • Input formats: K8s API
  • Kubernetes resources supported
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Namespace
    • Pod
    • Service
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering unsupported
  • Output formats: PNG

• Kubeviz: https://www.bitfoundry.co/visualizing-kubernetes-manifests-and-helm-chart-with-kubeviz/

  • A Web app to visualize your Kubernetes installation, helm chart, manifest without installation
  • License not open source
  • Popularity: no data available
  • Activity: no data available
  • Implementation: Diagrams
  • Usage mode: SaaS
  • Input formats: K8s manifests and Helm charts
  • Kubernetes resources supported
    • ConfigMap
    • CronJob
    • DaemonSet
    • Deployment
    • Ingress
    • Job
    • Pod
    • Secret
    • Service
  • KIS supported
  • Resource clustering based on namespaces
  • Output formats: PNG

Comparison Tables

By License

By Popularity

By Activity

By Implementation Language

By Usage Mode

By Input Formats

By K8s Kinds

By Output Formats

By Resource Clustering

Comparing generated diagrams

Following generated diagrams are based on the official Kubernetes WordPress tutorial. See the used WordPress manifest declaring seven resources: 2 Services, 2 Deployments, 2 PersistentVolumeClaims, and 1 Secret.

KubeDiagrams

Architecture diagram generated from the WordPress manifest:

Strengths:

• All seven resources and all their relationships are represented.
• Namespace and label-based clustering.

Weaknesses: None.

Architecture diagram generated from a WordPress instance deployed on a Kubernetes cluster:

Strengths:

• Cluster resources, i.e., PersistentVolume and Node, are represented.

Weaknesses:

• Too many edges to the Secret and PersistentVolumeClaim resources!

KubeView

Architecture diagram generated from a WordPress instance deployed on a Kubernetes cluster:

Strengths:

• All resources are represented.

Weaknesses:

• 2 edges from each pod to the secret are not represented!
• 2 edges from each pod to the kube-root-ca.crt config map are not represented!

kubectl-graph

Architecture diagram generated from a WordPress instance deployed on a Kubernetes cluster:

Strengths:

• All resources are represented.

Weaknesses:

• No Kubernetes icons!
• 2 edges from each pod to the secret are not represented!
• 2 edges from each pod to the kube-root-ca.crt config map are not represented!
• 2 edges from each persistent volume claim to its persistent volume are not represented!

Lens Resource Map

Architecture diagram generated from a WordPress instance deployed on a Kubernetes cluster:

Strengths:

• All seven resources are represented.

Weaknesses:

• 2 ReplicaSets are not represented!
• The kube-root-ca.crt config map is not represented!

k8sviz

Architecture diagram generated from a WordPress instance deployed on a Kubernetes cluster:

Strengths:

• Namespace clustering.

Weaknesses:

• The secret and edges to it are not represented!
• The kube-root-ca.crt config map is not represented!

Kubernetes diagrams

Architecture diagram generated from a WordPress instance deployed on a Kubernetes cluster:

Strengths:

• ReplicaSet clustering.

Weaknesses:

• The secret and edges to it are not represented!
• The kube-root-ca.crt config map is not represented!

GruCloud

TODO but requires rewriting the WordPress manifest with GruCloud's JavaScript-based DSL!

k8s-to-mermaid

Architecture diagram generated from the WordPress manifest:

classDiagram
class Service_default_wordpress_mysql {
  +kind: Service
  +api_version: v1
  +name: wordpress-mysql
  +namespace: default
  +ports: [(3306, 'TCP', None)]
  +service_type: ClusterIP
  +cluster_ip: None
  +is_headless: ✓
}
class PersistentVolumeClaim_default_mysql_pv_claim {
  +kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
  +api_version: v1
  +name: mysql-pv-claim
  +namespace: default
  +ports: []
  +access_modes: ['ReadWriteOnce']
  +storage_size: 512M
}
class Deployment_default_wordpress_mysql {
  +kind: Deployment
  +api_version: apps/v1
  +name: wordpress-mysql
  +namespace: default
  +image: mysql:8.0
  +ports: []
}
class Secret_default_mysql_pass {
  +kind: Secret
  +api_version: v1
  +name: mysql-pass
  +namespace: default
  +ports: []
  +data_keys: ['password']
  +secret_type: Opaque
}
class Service_default_wordpress {
  +kind: Service
  +api_version: v1
  +name: wordpress
  +namespace: default
  +ports: [(80, 'TCP', None)]
  +service_type: LoadBalancer
  +is_headless: ✗
}
class PersistentVolumeClaim_default_wp_pv_claim {
  +kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
  +api_version: v1
  +name: wp-pv-claim
  +namespace: default
  +ports: []
  +access_modes: ['ReadWriteOnce']
  +storage_size: 512M
}
class Deployment_default_wordpress {
  +kind: Deployment
  +api_version: apps/v1
  +name: wordpress
  +namespace: default
  +image: wordpress:6.2.1-apache
  +ports: []
}

  %% Relationships
Deployment_default_wordpress_mysql --> Secret_default_mysql_pass : reads_secret_key
Deployment_default_wordpress_mysql --> Secret_default_mysql_pass : reads_secret_key
Deployment_default_wordpress --> Secret_default_mysql_pass : reads_secret_key

Strengths:

• All seven resources are represented.

Weaknesses:

• No Kubernetes icons!
• 4 edges from Services to Deployments and from Deployments to PersistentVolumeClaims are not represented!

K8s Diagram architecture generator

TODO but requires annotating the WordPress manifest with K8s Diagram architecture generator annotations!

react-k8s-viewer

TODO but lacks documentation on how to run the tool!

K8s Diagram Previewer

Architecture diagram generated from the WordPress manifest:

Strengths:

• All seven resources are represented.
• Deployment and ReplicaSet-based clustering.

Weaknesses: None.

k8s-diagrams

Failed on a thrown AttributeError exception!

kube-diagram

TODO but only supports CronJob, DeploymentConfig, and Service kinds!

kube-diagrams

Failed on a thrown ImportError exception!

k8d

TODO but only supports Pod and NetworkPolicy kinds!

k8s_diagram

TODO but lacks a CLI!

Kubernetes to Draw.io Converter

TODO but build failed!

Koomos

Architecture diagram generated from the WordPress manifest:

graph TD
  subgraph "default namespace"
    wordpress_mysql_service["wordpress-mysql<br>(Service)"]
    mysql_pv_claim_persistentvolumeclaim["mysql-pv-claim<br>(PersistentVolumeClaim)"]
    wordpress_mysql_deployment["wordpress-mysql<br>(Deployment)"]
    mysql_pass_secret["mysql-pass<br>(Secret)"]
    wordpress_service["wordpress<br>(Service)"]
    wp_pv_claim_persistentvolumeclaim["wp-pv-claim<br>(PersistentVolumeClaim)"]
    wordpress_deployment["wordpress<br>(Deployment)"]
  end

  wordpress_mysql_service --> wordpress_mysql_deployment
  wordpress_mysql_deployment --> mysql_pass_secret
  wordpress_service --> wordpress_deployment
  wordpress_deployment --> mysql_pass_secret

Strengths:

• All seven resources are represented.

Weaknesses:

• Edges from Deployment to PersistentVolumeClaim resources are not represented!

KubeDraw

Architecture diagram generated from a WordPress instance deployed on a Kubernetes cluster:

Strengths: None.

Weaknesses:

• Secret and PersistentVolumeClaim resources are not represented!
• The kube-root-ca.crt config map is not represented!
• Pod labels overlap!

Kubeviz

TODO but the Kubeviz site appears to be down!

Popularity History

Activity Timeline

Various Other Resources

• k8s-diagrams: https://github.com/cloudogu/k8s-diagrams

  • A collection of diagrams explaining Kubernetes
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• Hari Sekhon - Diagrams-as-Code: https://github.com/HariSekhon/Diagrams-as-Code

  • Cloud & DevOps Architecture Diagrams-as-Code in Python and D2 languages
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  • Implementation: D2 and Python with Diagrams
  • Most of Kubernetes resources supported

• Drawing your Kubernetes cluster the right way: https://archive.fosdem.org/2023/schedule/event/container_kubernetes_cluster_right_way/attachments/slides/5304/export/events/attachments/container_kubernetes_cluster_right_way/slides/5304/kda_FOSDEM_2023_k8s.pdf

• Visualizing Kubernetes with Generated Diagrams, talk at Southern California Linux Expo

• Visualizing Kubernetes Distributed Systems: An Exploratory Study, D. G. Balreira, T. da Silva Araújo and F. Petrillo, 2023 IEEE Working Conference on Software Visualization (VISSOFT), Bogotá, Colombia, 2023, pp. 12-22, doi: 10.1109/VISSOFT60811.2023.00011.

• Cloud architecture tools

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