Comparison
KubeGlance vs Headlamp
Headlamp is a free, open-source Kubernetes UI from Kubernetes SIG UI. It runs as a desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux or inside the cluster as a web app, adapts to your RBAC permissions, and extends through plugins. It is the tool the archived Kubernetes Dashboard now points to. KubeGlance is a native dashboard for Mac, iPhone and iPad with multi-cluster merged views, built-in GitOps, capacity and efficiency views, and read-only-by-default access, with nothing installed in the cluster.
Updated 25 September 2026
Choose KubeGlance if
- You want a native Mac app and a native iPhone and iPad app
- You want Flux, Argo CD, capacity and efficiency views without adding plugins
- You want widgets, alerts and Siri on your devices
Choose Headlamp if
- You want free, open-source software backed by a Kubernetes SIG
- You want a web dashboard deployed in the cluster for a whole team
- You need Windows or Linux, or a plugin ecosystem you can extend
At a glance
| KubeGlance | Headlamp | |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained by | FancyGames (commercial) | Kubernetes SIG UI |
| Forms | Native Mac, iPhone and iPad app | Desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) and in-cluster web app |
| Price & license | Free on Mac · iPhone and iPad: KubeGlance Pro subscription, 3-day free trial | Free, open source (Apache 2.0) |
| Several clusters | Enabled contexts merged into one view, every row tagged with its cluster | Multi-cluster |
| Kubernetes platform views | Flux chain, Argo CD, HPA/KEDA, Flagger, cert-manager, Gateway API — shown when detected | Official plugins, including Flux, KEDA, cert-manager, Prometheus, Karpenter and OpenCost |
| Access model | Read-only by default — watches, streams, inspects | Adapts to the user's RBAC permissions |
| Mobile | Full iPhone and iPad app | No native app; the in-cluster deployment is a web app |
After the Kubernetes Dashboard
The kubernetes/dashboard project is archived; its README asks users to consider Headlamp instead. If you want the classic in-cluster web dashboard for a team, Headlamp is that successor. KubeGlance is a different shape: a personal client on your own devices, connecting with your kubeconfig, installing nothing in the cluster.
Built in versus plugged in
Headlamp keeps its core small and adds capabilities — Flux, KEDA, cert-manager, OpenCost and more — as plugins. KubeGlance ships its platform views built in and shows each one only when the cluster has the capability, so a plain cluster stays uncluttered.
Questions
What replaced the Kubernetes Dashboard?
The Kubernetes Dashboard repository is archived and recommends Headlamp. For a native app on Mac, iPhone and iPad instead of a web dashboard, KubeGlance is an alternative.
KubeGlance is free on the Mac, with a 3-day free trial on iPhone and iPad. No account, nothing installed in your cluster.
Download on theApp StoreAlso compare: vs Lens vs k9s vs Aptakube Kubernetes on iPhone
Checked against each tool's own site, docs or repository on 25 September 2026: Headlamp repository · Headlamp website · Headlamp official plugins · kubernetes/dashboard (archived). Both products change; tell us at hello@kubeglance.com if something here is out of date.