Kubernetes GUI clients in 2020: kube-dashboard, Lens, Octant and kubenav (2024)

Kubernetes is one of the leading standards on container orchestration platforms since recent years. And every Kubernetes System Administrators are familiar with its command-line client, kubectl . I was a fan of it for a few years. Even though it is so powerful, it is hard to use it to understand the cluster entirely without interactive UI and data visualization.

At the same time, the learning curve of kubectl may stop every junior developer from adopting Kubernetes, especially not everyone is very interested in memorizing every command-line statement before starting to use Kubernetes.

Hence, I am going to select some Kubernetes UI clients, with some of my own selection criteria (although not every selected client covers all).

  • Easy-to-use
    Make sure it is not hard to use, even for a newcomer, since Kubernetes concept itself is already not a simple one.
  • Multi-platform support
    Although my primary working environment is macOS, I am also a heavy Ubuntu / ChromeOS user. I prefer a tool that can be running on multiple platforms.
  • Resources YAML manifests viewing (and editing)
  • Pod Log viewing (and command execution)
  • Cluster Metric support (Prometheus Stats)
  • CRD (custom resource definition) support
    Nowadays the community extends Kubernetes via Operator framework (see OperatorHub) and those implementations require storing the configuration in custom resource definition (CRD) (read more about here).
    CRD support is (almost) a must in this modern Kubernetes world.

There are the finalist (with tl;dr):

  • Kubernetes Dashboard (kube-dashboard) [most mature and popular]
  • Lens [most powerful one]
  • Octant [easy to install and most portable]
  • kubenav [Android and iOS support]
Kubernetes GUI clients in 2020: kube-dashboard, Lens, Octant and kubenav (3)

Kubernetes Dashboard is the most popular and mature for Kubernetes GUI client. This web UI dashboard gives an overview of applications running on your cluster, as well as for creating or modifying individual Kubernetes resources…

Kubernetes GUI clients in 2020: kube-dashboard, Lens, Octant and kubenav (2024)

FAQs

Is there a GUI for Kubernetes? ›

Aptakube is a desktop GUI client to manage Kubernetes clusters, while kubectl is a CLI. They have similar functionality, but Aptakube is easier to use and more intuitive. Aptakube can also connect to multiple clusters simultaneously, reducing the time it takes for you to get stuff done.

What is the best Kubernetes desktop client? ›

Trusted by the world's best product teams

From innovative startups to iconic enterprises; Lens is the #1 choice for Kubernetes with over 1 million users globally.

What is the alternative to K9s GUI? ›

Aptakube is a user-friendly, rich and interactive Kubernetes GUI that runs on your desktop, the perfect alternative to K9s. Aptakube demo of the multi-cluster functionality, quick actions and aggregated logs. If you're looking for an alternative to K9s, Aptakube is a great choice.

How do I run a GUI application in a container? ›

By default, the container user has the same UID as the host user. When we execute the GUI application in the container, it checks for a cookie entry in the . Xauthority file that matches the name and $DISPLAY of the host. Once found, the client passes the request via the socket /tmp/.

What is the difference between Kubernetes dashboard and rancher? ›

Kubernetes: Kubernetes focuses on managing individual clusters, and it does not have built-in support for managing multiple clusters out of the box. Rancher: Rancher provides a unified interface to manage multiple Kubernetes clusters across different environments (on-premises, cloud, or hybrid).

Is the K8s lens free? ›

Experience the future of Kubernetes with this intuitive IDE, transforming complexity into clarity for beginners and seasoned professionals alike. Starting at $24.90 / month. Free trial available.

What is the difference between K8Studio and lens? ›

Both K8Studio and Lens offer personal and professional versions, as well as an airtight version for computers without internet access. However, the key distinction between the two lies in pricing. In K8Studio, the airtight version does not incur any extra cost and is priced the same as the online professional version.

Is there anything better than Kubernetes? ›

We have compiled a list of solutions that reviewers voted as the best overall alternatives and competitors to Kubernetes, including Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS), Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (formerly Docker Enterprise), Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).

What is the difference between K8s and k9s? ›

In summary, Kubernetes (K8s) is the container orchestration platform itself, while K9s is a tool designed to enhance the management and monitoring of Kubernetes clusters through a terminal-based UI. They serve different purposes but are often used together to streamline Kubernetes cluster operations.

What is the difference between k9s and rancher? ›

Key Differences between K9s and Rancher. Installation and Deployment: K9s is a command-line tool that can be easily installed and deployed on any Kubernetes cluster, while Rancher is a comprehensive container management platform that requires a dedicated setup process and infrastructure.

What is the alternative to k9s in Kubernetes? ›

Top Alternatives to K9s
  • Octant. A tool for developers to understand how applications run on a Kubernetes cluster. ...
  • Kubernetes. Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers. ...
  • Docker Compose. ...
  • Rancher. ...
  • Docker Swarm. ...
  • Argo. ...
  • Portainer. ...
  • Docker Machine.

What are the limitations of Kubernetes dashboard? ›

Limitations of Kubernetes Dashboard

Lack of multicluster view: Kubernetes Dashboard provides the view pertinent to namespaces in a single cluster. It does not offer a view of multiple clusters.

What is the biggest problem with Kubernetes? ›

15 Common Kubernetes Pitfalls & Challenges
  • Deploying Containers With the “Latest” Tag.
  • Not Using Liveness and Readiness Probes.
  • Broken Pod Affinity/Anti-Affinity Rules.
  • Forgetting Network Policies.
  • No Monitoring/Logging.
  • Label Selector Mismatches.
  • Service Port Mismatches.
  • Using Multiple Load Balancers.
May 12, 2023

What are the pros and cons of Kubernetes dashboard? ›

The Kubernetes Dashboard is a convenient way to manage various aspects of your Kubernetes cluster without having to run kubectl commands. However, it is subject to some distinct drawbacks: No multi-cluster support: The Kubernetes Dashboard only lets you manage one cluster at a time.

Is there a Kubernetes desktop? ›

Docker Desktop includes a standalone Kubernetes server and client, as well as Docker CLI integration that runs on your machine. The Kubernetes server runs locally within your Docker instance, is not configurable, and is a single-node cluster.

Do Docker containers have a GUI? ›

It provides a straightforward GUI (Graphical User Interface) that lets you manage your containers, applications, and images directly from your machine. Docker Desktop reduces the time spent on complex setups so you can focus on writing code.

How do I open Kubernetes dashboard locally? ›

Ans: In a terminal window, enter kubectl proxy to make the Kubernetes Dashboard available. Open a browser and go to http://localhost:8001/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/https:kubernetes–dashboard:/proxy/#!/login to display the Kubernetes Dashboard that was deployed when the cluster was created.

Can we run GUI in Docker container? ›

You can run GUI apps in containers but that is not the main usecase of Docker containers. If you want containerized GUI apps, you can use other kind of containers like snap. In fact, when you install Firefox on Ubuntu, it is installed as a snap package.

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