Helm Chart Dependency Calculator

Map out total dependency count and depth across a Helm chart's subcharts.

About Helm Chart Dependency Calculator

Helm resolves and downloads every chart listed under `dependencies` in Chart.yaml into the `charts/` directory, and those subcharts can themselves declare further dependencies. The effective dependency count a `helm dependency update` pulls is the sum of direct and transitive charts, and the total bandwidth/storage cost of that pull is that count multiplied by the average packaged chart size.

Formula

totalDownloadSize = (directDeps + transitiveDeps) × avgChartSize

D: Direct dependencies
T: Transitive dependencies
C_{avg}: Average chart package size in KB
S: Total download size in KB

Worked example

With the default values below, Helm Chart Dependency Calculator returns Total Dependencies of 10. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Direct Dependenciesaccepts 0–500 charts: 4 charts
Transitive Dependenciesaccepts 0–2,000 charts: 6 charts
Average Chart Package Sizeaccepts 0–100,000 KB: 25 KB

Results

Total Dependencies: 10 charts
Total Download Size: 0.244 MB
Transitive Share of Dependencies: 60.0%

Step by step

1Total dependencies = direct + transitive= 10 charts
2Total download size = total deps × avg chart size= 250.00KB (0.244MB)

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Helm deduplicate shared transitive dependencies?

No — by default each parent chart vendors its own copy of a dependency into its `charts/` directory, so the same subchart can be downloaded and stored multiple times across a dependency tree unless aliased and managed carefully.

Where do downloaded dependencies get stored?

In the chart's local `charts/` directory as `.tgz` archives (or unpacked directories), which are then bundled into the parent chart's own package when it's built.

How can I reduce dependency download size?

Use `condition` and `tags` in Chart.yaml to make optional subcharts skippable, pin to minimal versions, and consider extracting rarely-changing shared logic into a library chart instead of a full subchart.