Kubetest2
Kubetest2 is a free, open-source framework for deploying Kubernetes clusters and running end-to-end tests against them.
What Kubetest2 is
Kubetest2 is a free, open-source framework for deploying Kubernetes clusters and running end-to-end tests against them. It separates deployers, cluster lifecycle management, and test runners into different executables, with a design intended to limit coupling and support implementations maintained outside the project. Reference deployers include GCE, GKE, kind, and noop; noop can work with an existing cluster. Reference testers cover clusterloader2, exec, Ginkgo, and node end-to-end runners. The README also lists external deployers for AKS, kOps, Terraform, and EC2, as well as an external kOps tester. Kubetest2 runs locally and supports Terraform, provisioning tests, deployed checks, and deployments involving Google Cloud, AWS, and Azure. The README provides Go installation commands for Kubetest2 and its reference deployers and testers. The project describes itself as unversioned and unreleased, and says it makes a best-effort attempt to work with Kubernetes releases in development and those it supports. For maintainer contact, it points to Kubernetes community Slack and a mailing list. The repository includes the Apache License 2.0, which grants no-charge, royalty-free copyright and patent licenses subject to its terms.
Good
- Free under Apache License 2.0
- Reference deployers include GCE, GKE, kind, and noop
- Reference testers include Ginkgo and node e2e runners
- Supports external deployers including AKS and Terraform
Watch out
- Project is currently unversioned and unreleased
- Compatibility is described as best-effort
Who it suits
Kubetest2 suits Kubernetes users who need to deploy clusters and run end-to-end checks, including teams using reference or out-of-tree deployers and testers. It assumes comfort with Go installation commands and local execution.
Verdict
Kubetest2 offers a modular, locally run framework for cluster deployment and end-to-end testing. Its unreleased, unversioned status makes its best-effort compatibility statement important to consider.
Plans and prices
From Kubetest2's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Apache License 2.0 | Free | No charge under the license |
The facts
Each one read from Kubetest2's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Architecture
- The system consists of a discovery and orchestration binary, deployer binaries that manage cluster lifecycles, and tester binaries that execute tests.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Artifact handling
- The ARTIFACTS environment variable identifies where logs and other test outputs should be stored.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Cloud and local workflows
- The e2e-framework documentation demonstrates both noop execution against an existing cluster and KinD cluster creation and teardown.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Command syntax
- The documented command form places deployer flags before a double dash and tester arguments after it.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Community support
- The README directs users to Kubernetes community Slack and a mailing list to contact maintainers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Compatibility policy
- Maintainers aim to keep the tool and reference implementations working with the in-development Kubernetes version and currently supported releases.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Custom testers
- Custom testers must follow the naming convention, accept configuration arguments, use supplied environment variables, and return meaningful exit codes.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Deployers
- Reference deployers include GCE, GKE, kind, and noop, which can use an existing cluster.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Design goal
- Its separation of deployers and testers is intended to reduce coupling, keep the core small, and enable out-of-tree implementations.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- pkg.go.dev exposes documented packages for application logic, deployers, testers, artifacts, build helpers, metadata, process execution, and shared types.checked 14 Oct 2026
- E2E framework controls
- That tester supports package selection, feature and assessment filters, dry runs, parallel execution, fail-fast behavior, kubeconfig selection, and Go test flags.checked 14 Oct 2026
- E2E framework integration
- The Kubernetes e2e-framework publishes a kubetest2 tester that can be installed with Go and placed on PATH.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- Its design aims to minimize coupling between deployers and testers and encourage out-of-tree implementations.checked 8 Oct 2026
- External implementations
- The README lists external deployers for AKS, kOps, Terraform, and EC2, plus a kOps tester.checked 8 Oct 2026
- External integrations
- The project lists external implementations for AKS, kOps, Terraform, EC2, and a kOps tester.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Go API
- The public Go types package defines deployer interfaces for build, up, down, status, log dumping, kubeconfig, initialization, finalization, post-test handling, provider identification, and version reporting.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Independent architecture description
- A Kubernetes Day India presentation describes Kubetest2 as orchestrating cluster creation, Kubernetes builds, test execution, log collection, and cluster deletion.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Independent kOps guidance
- The kOps documentation recommends Kubetest2 as the preferred framework for Kubernetes end-to-end testing and says it downloads artifacts into ./_artifacts.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Independent training coverage
- Class Central lists a free, 40-minute Linux Foundation video covering cloud testing, architecture, log collection, disposal, and custom deployer development.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Install
- The README provides Go install commands for Kubetest2, reference deployers, and testers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The project documents installing the core, reference deployers, and testers with Go's go install command.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Known compatibility gap
- The Kubernetes CI migration proposal says some tests need client-server version-skew checking that Kubetest2 did not yet support.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Known migration gap
- The same proposal says substantial kOps cluster setup functionality still needed to be ported into a Kubetest2 kOps deployer.checked 14 Oct 2026
The company
- Community ownership
- The CNCF conformance working group says SIG Testing handles the mechanics of Kubernetes conformance tests while SIG Architecture owns the conformance definition.checked 14 Oct 2026
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