Istoctl vs Helm: Which is Preferred for Installation

[ghost]

Hello all, I tried searching open and closed discussions for this but was unable to find a similar discussion.

What is the preferred way to install istio, istioctl or Helm?

If Helm is back and not deprecated (see context below), what are the chances that it becomes deprecated again in the future?

Context:

Per the docs, the recommended way to install Istio is using istioctl. The Helm way will be deprecated in the future.

Source: https://discuss.istio.io/t/to-istioctl-or-to-helm/4498

Another discussion on Reddit:

• helm listed as to be deprecated in 1.4: https://istio.io/v1.4/docs/setup/install/helm/
• helm used to be a first class citizen: https://istio.io/v1.5/docs/setup/install/
• helm removed in 1.6: https://istio.io/v1.6/docs/setup/install/
• helm back in 1.8: https://istio.io/v1.8/docs/setup/install/ as an alpha apparently. :-)

https://www.reddit.com/r/istio/comments/m6iwy8/why_is_helm_installation_being_deprecated_for/gr6y52y/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I know that the FAQ states that istioctl is the recommended way of installing Istio, but I was hoping to get extra confirmation that this will continue to be the recommended way.

The simplest and most qualified installation and management path with high security. This is the community recommended method for most use cases.

https://istio.io/latest/about/faq/#install-method-selection

[zirain]

We cannot deprecate helm, it is widely used in the kubernetes community. Both will be supported in the long run.
For those new to istio, try istioctl.