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Helm Package Size Calculator

Estimate the packaged .tgz size of a Helm chart including all subcharts.

About Helm Package Size Calculator

`helm package` bundles Chart.yaml, the templates/ directory, values.yaml, and any crds/ into a single gzip-compressed tarball. Because all of these are text (YAML, JSON, Go templates), gzip typically compresses the archive down to roughly 25–35% of its uncompressed size, so estimating final .tgz size means summing the raw component sizes and then applying that compression ratio.

Formula

tgzSize = (chartYaml + templates + values + crds) × compressionRatio

Y
Chart.yaml size in KB
T
Templates size in KB
V
Values size in KB
D
CRDs size in KB
c
Gzip compression ratio (fraction remaining)
S
Compressed .tgz size in KB

Worked example

With the default values below, Helm Package Size Calculator returns Compressed .tgz Size of 19.95. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Chart.yaml Sizeaccepts 0–1,000 KB
0.5 KB
Templates Sizeaccepts 0–1,000,000 KB
20 KB
Values Sizeaccepts 0–100,000 KB
6 KB
CRDs Sizeaccepts 0–1,000,000 KB
40 KB
Gzip Compression Ratioaccepts 0.05–1 ×
0.3 ×

Results

Compressed .tgz Size
19.95 KB
Uncompressed Source Size
66.50 KB
Space Saved by Compression
70.0%

Step by step

  1. 1Uncompressed = Chart.yaml + templates + values + CRDs= 66.50KB
  2. 2Compressed .tgz size= 19.95KB

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 5 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 2 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

Why are CRDs often the largest part of a chart package?

CustomResourceDefinitions embed a full OpenAPI v3 schema for validation, which for complex CRDs (e.g. operators with many configurable fields) can run to hundreds of KB per CRD — far larger than a typical Deployment or Service template.

Does helm package compress CRDs differently from templates?

No — everything in the chart directory (crds/, templates/, values.yaml, Chart.yaml) is bundled into the same tar stream and gzip-compressed together as one .tgz.

How can I reduce final package size?

Trim unused fields from CRD schemas where you control them, remove verbose comments from templates before packaging, and avoid embedding large binary or base64 blobs directly in values.yaml.

Related Calculators

Helm Package Size Calculator | Calcrivo