ReleaseRun Badges for Kubernetes
Live version freshness, EOL status, CVE counts, and health badges for Kubernetes. Embed in your README, docs, or dashboard.
Live Badges
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Why Use Kubernetes Health Badges?
Kubernetes moves fast — three releases per year, each with a 14-month support window. A version health badge tells your cluster operators at a glance whether they are running a supported, secure version or sitting on a ticking time bomb.
Unlike generic version badges, ReleaseRun badges show CVE exposure. When a critical vulnerability hits your Kubernetes version, the badge grade drops immediately — no waiting for someone to read the security advisory.
Kubernetes Release History & EOL Timeline
Kubernetes releases three minor versions per year (roughly April, August, December). Each minor version receives 14 months of patch support — 12 months of standard maintenance plus a 2-month skew window. After that, the version is end-of-life.
- Kubernetes 1.32 — released December 2024. Current stable. Patch support until approximately February 2026.
- Kubernetes 1.31 — released August 2024. Patch support until October 2025.
- Kubernetes 1.30 — released April 2024. Patch support until June 2025.
- Kubernetes 1.29 — released December 2023. Approaching EOL — February 2025. Clusters still running 1.29 should upgrade urgently.
- Kubernetes 1.28 and earlier — already end-of-life. No security patches. The ReleaseRun EOL badge turns red automatically for these versions.
The rapid cadence makes Kubernetes one of the hardest platforms to keep current. Health badges provide a visual safety net — when your version drops out of support, everyone who sees the badge knows immediately.
Badge Customization Examples
ReleaseRun offers four badge types for Kubernetes. Each answers a different question about your cluster version:
- Health badge — composite A–F grade combining freshness, CVEs, and support status. Embed:
 - Freshness badge — how current your version is vs latest. Embed:
 - EOL badge — end-of-life status per release cycle. Embed:
 - CVE badge — known vulnerabilities count. Embed:
Append ?style=flat-square or ?style=for-the-badge to customise rendering. Use the embed builder above to preview all styles.
Where to Embed Kubernetes Badges
- Helm chart READMEs: Show the minimum supported Kubernetes version and its health status. Users installing your chart on an EOL cluster get a visual warning.
- Operator documentation: Kubernetes operators often support specific version ranges. Badges make compatibility obvious.
- Internal platform dashboards: Track which K8s versions your clusters are running. When support windows close, the EOL badge turns red.
- CI/CD pipelines: Include badge checks in your upgrade checklists to automate version health monitoring.
Cloud Provider Support
We track managed Kubernetes services too — AKS, EKS, GKE, OpenShift, and Rancher. Cloud badges show which Kubernetes versions each provider currently supports. This is critical when planning upgrades — your cloud provider may drop support for a K8s version even before the upstream EOL date.
Related ReleaseRun Tools
Kubernetes badges work alongside a suite of Kubernetes-specific tools:
- K8s Deprecation Checker — scan your manifests for deprecated API versions before upgrading.
- Helm Chart Compatibility Checker — verify your Helm charts work with your target K8s version.
- Kubernetes Cost Estimator — estimate the infrastructure cost of your cluster configuration.
- Tech Stack Health Scorecard — get a holistic health grade across your entire stack.
- EOL Timeline Visualizer — see Kubernetes EOL dates alongside your other dependencies on an interactive timeline.
- Upgrade Path Planner — plan your K8s version upgrade with step-by-step guidance.
- Cloud Version Matrix — compare which Kubernetes versions are supported across AWS, GCP, and Azure.
Kubernetes Versions
Security Overview
CVE vulnerability data is sourced from the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and refreshed every 6 hours.
Check specific version CVEs using the badge builder above or visit our Kubernetes hub page for detailed security analysis.
Upgrade Guidance
Running an older version of Kubernetes? Here's what to consider when planning your upgrade:
- Check breaking changes in release notes
- Review EOL dates for your current version
- Test in staging before production rollout
- Consider LTS versions for stability
See the official Kubernetes documentation for detailed upgrade instructions.
Cloud Provider Support
| Provider | Supported Version |
|---|---|
| Amazon EKS |
|
| Google GKE |
|
| Azure AKS |
|
| OpenShift |
|
| Rancher |
|
Cloud badges show which Kubernetes versions are currently supported by major cloud providers.
Version Comparison
Not sure which Kubernetes version to use? Compare versions side by side.
Embed Builder
Usage Guide
Copy any snippet below to embed a Kubernetes health badge in your project.
Markdown
[](https://releaserun.com/kubernetes/)HTML
<a href="https://releaserun.com/kubernetes/"><img src="https://img.releaserun.com/badge/health/kubernetes.svg" alt="Kubernetes Health"></a>reStructuredText
.. image:: https://img.releaserun.com/badge/health/kubernetes.svg
:target: https://releaserun.com/kubernetes/
:alt: Kubernetes HealthData sources: endoflife.date (version lifecycle), NIST NVD (CVE data)
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What do the badges show for Kubernetes?
- ReleaseRun badges display real-time version freshness, end-of-life status, CVE vulnerability counts, and an overall health score for Kubernetes releases.
- How do I embed a Kubernetes badge in my README?
- Use the embed builder above to select your version and badge type, then copy the generated Markdown or HTML snippet into your README.
- How often is Kubernetes badge data updated?
- Badge data refreshes every 6 hours from endoflife.date and NIST NVD. Badges are cached for 5 minutes at the CDN edge.
- Can I customize the badge style?
- Yes, append ?style=flat-square or ?style=for-the-badge to the badge URL. The embed builder lets you preview all available styles.