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cdkd: Deploy AWS CDK Apps Faster with Direct AWS SDK Calls

cdkd is a drop-in CLI for AWS CDK apps, using direct AWS SDK calls instead of CloudFormation for faster dev and test deployments. It complements the AWS CDK CLI, with the project advising against production use for now.

ActiveTypeScriptApache-2.0CLIDeveloper ToolsAWS Cdk
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156
Forks
12
Last commit
today
Contributors
12
Releases, 12 months
100+

Our take

Activeregular commits and releases

Health score

77/100

How it is scored
Activity
90
Community
44
Issues
90
Pull requests
85
  • Merges more pull requests than 98% of the projects we track
  • Releases more often than 93% of the projects we track
  • Closes issues faster than 81% of the projects we track

cdkd is an actively maintained, clearly scoped accelerator for CDK development, but its own guidance limits it to dev and test rather than production.

Good fit if

  • Your team already has AWS CDK apps and wants to try direct-SDK deploys without migrating app code.
  • Short deploy and destroy cycles matter for development or AI-agent-driven iteration.
  • You can run Node.js 22.12 or later and keep production deployments on the AWS CDK CLI.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need a production-ready replacement for the AWS CDK CLI or rely on full CloudFormation tooling in every environment.
  • You cannot meet the Node.js 22.12 minimum runtime requirement.
  • Your workflow depends on CloudFormation behavior that cdkd's direct AWS SDK approach does not provide.
All health signals
Last commit2026-10-30 (today)
Commits, last 90 days100+
Releases, last 12 months100+ (latest v0.311.0, 2026-10-30)
Contributors12 (top contributor: 70% of commits)
Issues closed, last 90 days27+ (typically closed in 0 days)
Pull requests merged, last 90 days98 (typically merged in 0 days)
Project age7 months

Checked on 2026-10-30 with the GitHub API.

Overview

cdkd (CDK Direct) is a TypeScript CLI for existing AWS CDK apps. It uses direct AWS SDK calls rather than CloudFormation to deploy resources, aiming to shorten the development and testing feedback loop without requiring changes to CDK app code.

The project positions itself as a companion to the AWS CDK CLI, not a production replacement. Teams can use cdkd for rapid iteration and retain the standard CLI for production workflows that need full CloudFormation tooling. It also provides local execution against deployed stacks and import/export paths between cdkd and CloudFormation.

Key Features

  • Deploy and destroy existing CDK apps through the cdkd CLI.
  • Use --no-wait to skip resource stabilization waits for faster iteration.
  • Run list and diff to inspect stacks and proposed changes.
  • Run functions, APIs, and ECS tasks locally with references to a deployed stack's environment variables, secrets, and resources.
  • Import existing stacks into cdkd or export them back to CloudFormation.
  • Includes a skill for AI coding agents to guide cdkd usage.

Use Cases

  • CDK developers iterating on dev or test stacks who want shorter deploy and teardown cycles.
  • Teams building with AI coding agents that need repeated infrastructure spin-up and tear-down during development.
  • Developers testing functions, APIs, or ECS tasks locally while resolving configuration and resources from a real deployed stack.
  • Teams evaluating a faster deployment path for existing CDK apps while keeping the AWS CDK CLI for production.

What you need

Detected in the repository

  • Node.js >=22.12.0 (from package.json)
  • A test suite and automated checks on GitHub Actions

License in plain words

Apache-2.0permissive

  • Commercial use: yes
  • Modify and redistribute: yes
  • You must keep: the license, the NOTICE file and a note of your changes
  • Share your changes: no
  • Includes an explicit patent grant from the contributors:

A summary, not legal advice: the LICENSE file is what applies.

Getting Started

Install the CLI with npm:

npm i -g @go-to-k/cdkd

Run cdkd bootstrap once per AWS account, then use cdkd deploy in a CDK app. See the README and documentation for setup and command details.

Considerations

  • The project explicitly describes itself as not yet production-ready and recommends it for dev/test workflows.
  • The CLI requires Node.js 22.12 or later.
  • Direct SDK deployment differs from CloudFormation-based deployment. Validate behavior against your app and AWS resources before adopting it in development workflows.
  • The repository is actively maintained, with recent commits and releases and ongoing issue and pull-request activity. Its measured contributor base is not concentrated in a single contributor.

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