---
updatedAt: 2026-06-07T14:38:27.000Z
agentTools:
  siteIndex: https://docs.jfrog.com/llms.txt
  projectIndex: https://docs.jfrog.com/installation/llms.txt
---

# Choose Your Installation Path

Choose between Helm (Kubernetes/OpenShift) and Ansible (VMs/bare-metal) installation methods based on your infrastructure.

Use this decision tree to choose the right installation path. **If you have Kubernetes (including OpenShift), the Helm chart is the recommended approach.**

## When To Use This Page

Use this page to choose your installation method and environment before provisioning production resources.

## Decision Flow

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    subgraph flow["Choose Your Installation Path: Platform Helm vs Ansible"]
        A["Decision Maker"] --> B{"Do you have<br/>Kubernetes or OpenShift?"}
        B -->|Yes| C{"Production or<br/>Evaluation?"}
        B -->|No| D{"Can you adopt<br/>Kubernetes or OpenShift?"}
        C -->|Production| E["Platform Helm Chart with customvalues.yaml<br/>— Recommended"]
        C -->|Evaluation| F["Helm Chart - Default values"]
        D -->|Yes| G["Set up Kubernetes or<br/>OpenShift then use Helm"]
        D -->|No| H["Ansible Platform<br/>VMs and bare-metal"]
        G --> B
    end
```

<Steps name="choose-installation-path">
  <Step number={1} title="Confirm Your Runtime Platform">
    Choose one path:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Yes — I have Kubernetes or OpenShift">
        You are on the **recommended path**. The Helm chart supports Kubernetes `v1.27+` (OpenShift `v4.14+`).

        This path supports:

        * All JFrog products (Artifactory, Xray, Distribution, Catalog, Workers, JAS (JFrog Advanced Security), and more)
        * High availability with auto-scaling
        * Cloud IAM (IRSA for EKS, Workload Identity for GKE, Managed Identity for AKS)
        * OpenShift Routes and Security Context Constraints (SCCs)
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="No — I don't have Kubernetes or OpenShift">
        **Option A (recommended): adopt Kubernetes or OpenShift**

        Most cloud providers offer managed Kubernetes (AWS EKS, Azure AKS, GCP GKE). For self-managed datacenters, set up Kubernetes or Red Hat OpenShift.

        **Option B: use Ansible (VMs and bare-metal)**

        Use [Ansible](install-the-jfrog-platform-using-ansible) for full platform installation on VMs and bare-metal.

        <Callout icon="📘" theme="info">
          Some products (for example, Catalog) are available only via Helm. See [Installation Method Selection](installation-method-selection).
        </Callout>
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step number={2} title="Install JFrog Platform">
    <Cards columns={2}>
      <Card title="Platform Installation with Helm [Quick Start]" href="install-jfrog-platform-via-helm-quick-start" icon="fa-solid fa-dharmachakra">
        Recommended path for production on Kubernetes `v1.27+` (OpenShift `v4.14+`), with high availability–ready architecture
      </Card>

      <Card title="Platform Ansible Installation [Quick Start]" href="install-jfrog-platform-via-ansible-quick-start" icon="fa-solid fa-terminal">
        Full workflow on VMs and bare-metal when Kubernetes is not available
      </Card>
    </Cards>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides answers to frequently asked questions.

<Accordion title="FAQs" icon="plus">
  ##### Q: What if I have Kubernetes but want a quick test first?

  **A:** Use the [Helm Quick Start](install-jfrog-platform-via-helm-quick-start) with default values or custom values.

  ##### Q: Can I switch from Ansible to Helm later?

  **A:** Yes, but it requires a migration — you cannot upgrade in place from an Ansible deployment to Helm. Plan your target method before moving to production.

  ##### Q: Which products are only available via Helm?

  **A:** JFrog Catalog and certain newer services are Helm-only. See [Installation Method Selection](installation-method-selection) for the full compatibility matrix.
</Accordion>

## Related Topics

* [Why Platform Helm Chart?](why-platform-helm-chart)
* [System Requirements](system-requirements)