# eksctl (Amazon EKS CLI)

## About this Install Guide

| Reading time:       | 5 min               |
|---------------------|---------------------|
| Last updated:       | 16 Apr 2026         |
| Author:             | Jason Andrews, Arm [GitHub](https://github.com/jasonrandrews) [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/jason-andrews-7b05a8) |
| Official docs:      | [View](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/eksctl/what-is-eksctl.html) |

This guide shows you how to install and use the tool with the most common configuration. For advanced options and complete reference information, see the official documentation. Some install guides also include optional next steps to help you explore related workflows or integrations.

`eksctl` is a command line tool to create and manage Kubernetes clusters in [Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/what-is-eks.html). It simplifies cluster creation and saves time compared to using the Amazon Web Services (AWS) console. For additional information, see the [eksctl official documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/eksctl/what-is-eksctl.html).

`eksctl` is available for a variety of operating systems and Linux distributions. It runs on both Arm Linux distributions and Windows on Arm. The following steps show how you can install `eksctl` and verify the installation by creating a simple Amazon EKS cluster.

## Before you begin

Before installing `eksctl`, follow these steps:

### Confirm you have an Arm machine

For Linux, confirm you are using an Arm machine by running:

```bash
uname -m
```

The output should be:

```bash
__output__ aarch64
```

If you see a different result, you are not using an Arm computer running 64-bit Linux.

For Windows, follow these steps:
1. Right-click **Start** and choose **Windows Settings**.
2. When the settings appear, select **System** on the left side and then select **About**.
3. Under **Device specifications**, look for **System type**. You should see **ARM-based processor** listed for your computer.

If you see a different result, you are not using an Arm computer running Windows.

### Install kubectl

Install the Kubernetes command-line tool `kubectl` by following the steps in the [Kubectl install guide](/install-guides/kubectl/).

### Configure the AWS CLI

`eksctl` relies on the AWS CLI being installed and configured. Use the [AWS CLI install guide](/install-guides/aws-cli/) to install the AWS CLI. The CLI provides the `aws` command.

You’ll also need to configure the AWS CLI using the `aws configure` or the `aws configure sso` command. There are multiple ways to configure the CLI, including environment variables, command-line options, and credentials files. Refer to [Configuring settings for the AWS CLI](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-chap-configure.html) for more details.

## Download and install eksctl

The steps for downloading and installing `eksctl` depend on your operating system.

### Arm Linux

To download and install `eksctl` on Arm Linux, follow these steps:

1. Download the `eksctl` package using `curl`:

   ```bash
   curl -sLO "https://github.com/eksctl-io/eksctl/releases/latest/download/eksctl_Linux_arm64.tar.gz"
   ```

2. Install `eksctl`:

   ```bash
   tar -xzf eksctl_Linux_arm64.tar.gz -C /tmp && rm eksctl_Linux_arm64.tar.gz
   sudo mv /tmp/eksctl /usr/local/bin
   ```

3. Confirm `eksctl` is installed:

   ```bash
   eksctl version
   ```

The output is similar to:

```bash
__output__ 0.160.0
```

### Windows on Arm

To download and install `eksctl` on Windows, follow these steps:

1. Use a browser to download the [EKS CLI latest release](https://github.com/eksctl-io/eksctl/releases/latest/download/eksctl_Windows_arm64.zip).
2. Unzip the downloaded file.
3. Confirm `eksctl.exe` is installed:

   ```bash
   eksctl.exe version
   ```

The output is similar to:

```bash
__output__ 0.160.0
```

## Verify eksctl installation by creating a simple EKS cluster

With your AWS account configured, run `eksctl` to create a cluster with two nodes with AWS Graviton processors:

```bash
eksctl create cluster  \
--name cluster-1  \
--region us-east-1 \
--node-type t4g.small \
--nodes 2 \
--nodegroup-name node-group-1
```

Use the AWS console to look at the resources associated with the cluster and monitor the progress of cluster creation.

When the cluster is created, use `kubectl` to get the status of the nodes in the cluster:

```bash
kubectl get nodes -o wide
```

The output is similar to:

```bash
__output__ NAME                             STATUS   ROLES    AGE     VERSION                INTERNAL-IP      EXTERNAL-IP      OS-IMAGE         KERNEL-VERSION                   CONTAINER-RUNTIME
__output__ ip-192-168-38-144.ec2.internal   Ready    <none>   2m31s   v1.25.13-eks-43840fb   192.168.38.144   35.153.206.210   Amazon Linux 2   5.10.192-183.736.amzn2.aarch64   containerd://1.6.19
__output__ ip-192-168-4-142.ec2.internal    Ready    <none>   2m31s   v1.25.13-eks-43840fb   192.168.4.142    54.175.254.219   Amazon Linux 2   5.10.192-183.736.amzn2.aarch64   containerd://1.6.19
```

## Use eksctl to delete the cluster

To delete the resources associated with the cluster, run:

```bash
eksctl delete cluster --region=us-east-1 --name=cluster-1
```

You can now use `eksctl` to create, manage, and delete more complex infrastructures.