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KubeGlass

KubeGlass vs Kubernetes Dashboard

Kubernetes Dashboard is the web UI the Kubernetes project used to offer, installed in a cluster with a Helm chart. KubeGlass is a web console that runs as one binary on your computer or in a cluster.

Kubernetes Dashboard was archived on 21 January 2026 and gets no more fixes, security fixes included. Its README suggests Headlamp instead. Kubernetes Dashboard is archived: moving to KubeGlass has what happened, with sources, and the steps to move a cluster.

At a glance

Section titled “At a glance”
Feature KubeGlass Kubernetes Dashboard
Status Maintained Archived on 21 January 2026; last release 30 October 2025
License AGPL-3.0 Apache-2.0
Runs as A binary that opens the UI in your browser, a container, or a Helm chart in a cluster A Helm chart in a cluster, with a Kong gateway in front of its API, auth, web and metrics containers
Sign-in Built-in OIDC sign-in, a token on the sign-in page, or an auth proxy such as OAuth2 Proxy; every request runs as the person A bearer token on the login page, or an Authorization header from a proxy
Clusters Installed in a cluster, that cluster only; run from a kubeconfig, every context in one list One cluster per install
Updates Live, over watches Refreshes every 10 seconds by default
Logs One container, all of a pod’s containers, or merged across a workload’s pods One container at a time
Shell Pod exec, debug containers, and node shells if you turn them on Pod exec
Port forward Pods and Services, when KubeGlass runs on your computer No
YAML Edit with a server-side dry run and a diff; create from YAML Edit as YAML or JSON; create from YAML, a file or a form
Helm Releases, history, upgrade, rollback, chart catalog No
Argo CD and Flux Yes No
Custom resources Yes Yes
Metrics CPU and memory from metrics-server or Prometheus, PromQL, Alertmanager alerts CPU and memory graphs from metrics-server, through its metrics scraper
Access An access matrix and who can do something Lists of roles and bindings
Change history Yes, with revert No
Keyboard k9s-style keys and a command palette No shortcuts
UI languages 8 9

Choose Headlamp or KubeGlass

Section titled “Choose Headlamp or KubeGlass”

The Kubernetes project points Dashboard users to Headlamp, which runs in a cluster the same way and is maintained by the same SIG. Choose Headlamp if you want that recommendation, a desktop app as well as the in-cluster install, plugins, or one in-cluster install that shows several clusters. KubeGlass vs Headlamp goes through the differences.

Choose KubeGlass if you want Helm, Argo CD and Flux in the same UI, change history with revert, access reviews, a map that traces what is broken, or k9s-style keys.

Moving from Kubernetes Dashboard

Section titled “Moving from Kubernetes Dashboard”

Install KubeGlass in the cluster with its Helm chart, sign people in with token mode the way Dashboard’s login page did, or with your identity provider, and then remove Dashboard. Kubernetes Dashboard is archived: moving to KubeGlass has each step, and the tasks people did in Dashboard next to where they are in KubeGlass.

Sources

Section titled “Sources”

Checked on 5 October 2026, and the archive date on 6 October 2026.