alecthomas/kingpin
CONTRIBUTIONS ONLY: A Go (golang) command line and flag parser
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcekingpin is kingpin is an open-source project written in Go: CONTRIBUTIONS ONLY: A Go (golang) command line and flag parser..
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), alecthomas/kingpin has accumulated 3,567 GitHub stars and 281 forks. It is written in Go, licensed under MIT, and ranks #3,791 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Sep 30, 2026.”
| Repository | alecthomas/kingpin ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | cli |
| Language & Stack | Go |
| Software License | MIT |
| Community Traction | ★ 3.6K stars · ⑂ 281 forks · #3,791 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Sep 30, 2026) · 30 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 92/100 · Grade AYes, kingpin is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Sep 30, 2026 (43 days ago). Supported by 3,567 stars and 281 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 92/100, reflecting regular maintenance (43 days ago) and healthy issue cadence.
Star History
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+0
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
1
PER DAY
#500
MOST-STARRED Go
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +0 | +90 |
| Per day | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +0 | +14 |
kingpin gained 0 stars in the last 30 days, about 1 a day, and now has 3.6K. It is about 12 years old and has averaged roughly 297 stars a year. It ranks #500 among Go repositories and #3,791 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
42
DAYS ON TRENDING
#1438
BEST RANK
Sep 26, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
kingpin has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #1438. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
kingpin is an open-source project written in Go: CONTRIBUTIONS ONLY: A Go (golang) command line and flag parser.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in cli, command-line, go. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in Go for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ go install github.com/alecthomas/kingpin@latest⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
Go >= 1.21 runtime environment
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
kingpin coordinates its core functionality through a modular Go pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Command-Line Automation
Execute automated build, deployment, and maintenance tasks directly from the terminal.
CI/CD Workflow Integration
Run non-interactive validation checks in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or local pre-commit hooks.
Developer Environment Setup
Standardize local engineering workstations with single-binary utility commands.
Scripting & Pipeline Orchestration
Chain complex multi-stage scripts with reliable error reporting and exits.
🚀 Getting Started
Install kingpin using your package manager: `go install github.com/alecthomas/kingpin@latest`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for kingpin.
Import kingpin into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `kingpin --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
alecthomas/kingpin is currently ranked #3,791 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3,785 | arsduo/koala | Ruby | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,785 | espocrm/espocrm | PHP | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,785 | ExTV/Podroid | Kotlin | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,789 | ViewComponent/view_component | Ruby | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,790 | NVIDIA/TransformerEngine | Python | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,791 | alecthomas/kingpin This Project | Go | ★ 3.6K | |
| #3,792 | gkjohnson/three-mesh-bvh | JavaScript | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,793 | symfony/framework-bundle | PHP | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,793 | p-ranav/argparse | C++ | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,795 | denoland/std | TypeScript | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,796 | model-checking/kani | Rust | ★ 3.6K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kingpin do? +
CONTRIBUTIONS ONLY: A Go (golang) command line and flag parser
Is kingpin actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, kingpin is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Sep 30, 2026 (43 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 92/100 (A rating) with 3,567 stars and 30 open issues.
What language is kingpin written in? +
The primary language is Go. Topics include: cli, command-line, go, kingpin.
How many stars does kingpin have? +
kingpin has 3,567 stars and 281 forks on GitHub.
How does kingpin rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 3,567 stars, alecthomas/kingpin is ranked #3,791 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #500 among Go projects.
What license is kingpin distributed under? +
The repository reports a MIT license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
