mcp-k8s vs kubefwd

A side-by-side comparison of two DevOps & Cloud servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	mcp-k8s Kubernetes MCP server: manage cluster resources and Helm releases through MCP tools, with fine-grained write controls. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Go	kubefwd Bulk Kubernetes port forwarding with an MCP server that lets AI assistants forward services, inspect pods, and monitor traffic. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Go
Category	DevOps & Cloud	DevOps & Cloud
Language	Go	Go
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	146	4.1k
Last commit	28 days ago	1 day ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`go install github.com/silenceper/mcp-k8s/cmd/mcp-k8s@latest`	`brew install kubefwd`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick mcp-k8s if you prefer its approach (kubernetes mcp server: manage cluster resources and helm releases through mcp tools, with fine-grained write controls).

Pick kubefwd if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add mcp-k8s

Install / run

go install github.com/silenceper/mcp-k8s/cmd/mcp-k8s@latest

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-k8s": {
      "command": "/path/to/mcp-k8s",
      "args": [
        "--kubeconfig",
        "/path/to/kubeconfig",
        "--enable-create",
        "--enable-delete",
        "--enable-update",
        "--enable-list",
        "--enable-helm-install",
        "--enable-helm-upgrade"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add kubefwd

Install / run

brew install kubefwd

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kubefwd": {
      "command": "kubefwd",
      "args": [
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

mcp-k8s or kubefwd — which is better?

Pick mcp-k8s if you prefer its approach (kubernetes mcp server: manage cluster resources and helm releases through mcp tools, with fine-grained write controls). Pick kubefwd if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both mcp-k8s and kubefwd?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do mcp-k8s and kubefwd work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View mcp-k8s →View kubefwd →More comparisons →