Kubernetes cluster mgmt
visual interface for kubectl operations
// official site: headlamp.dev ↗
KUBERNETES · PRO TIER
Headlamppro
Headlamp is the open-source Kubernetes web UI maintained by the CNCF — multi-cluster dashboard, customizable views, plugin system, Lens-compatible UX. Vendor-neutral alternative to Lens Desktop (commercial since 2024).
// What it is
A closer look.
Headlamp is the open-source Kubernetes web UI maintained by the CNCF — multi-cluster dashboard, customizable views, plugin system, Lens-compatible UX. Vendor-neutral alternative to Lens Desktop (commercial since 2024).
For K8s operators who want a powerful UI without commercial lock-in, Headlamp is the post-Lens-commercialization choice.
// Use cases
What it's for.
Concrete scenarios where teams pick Headlamp over the SaaS alternative.
Multi-cluster dashboard
manage many clusters from one UI
Resource inspection
drill into pods, deployments, services
Log + exec into pods
debugging UI
Plugin extensibility
custom views per organization
// Who it's for
Built for these teams.
If your team profile matches one of these, Headlamp is a strong fit out of the box.
K8s operators
wanting visual cluster mgmt
DevOps teams
moving off Lens post-commercialization
Platform engineering teams
building internal K8s portals
K8s learners
wanting visual aid alongside kubectl
MSPs
managing customer K8s clusters
// Differentiators
Why teams pick Headlamp.
When evaluating self-hosted options for this category, here are the dimensions on which Headlamp consistently lands above the alternatives.
- ✓Apache 2.0 — fully open
- ✓CNCF Sandbox — vendor-neutral governance
- ✓Multi-cluster — proper multi-context switching
- ✓Plugin system — JavaScript plugin framework
- ✓Self-hosted — keep K8s API access in-network
- ✓Active development — backed by Microsoft (Kinvolk) + CNCF community
// Integrations
Connects to.
The stack you'll plug Headlamp into — services, protocols, and adjacent apps in the BluixApps catalog.
◇
kubeconfig
standard K8s auth (any cluster with kubeconfig works)
◈
Multi-cluster
drop multiple kubeconfigs in /config
◆
K3s
auto-detects K3s kubeconfig on same VPS
▣
EKS / GKE / AKS
works with any K8s cluster
▦
OIDC
supports OIDC auth for cluster access
▩
Plugins
JavaScript plugin framework
▼
Headlamp Desktop
standalone Electron version available too
// Adoption & deployment
Notable users & community
- 4k+ GitHub stars (growing post-Lens commercialization)
- Backed by Microsoft (Kinvolk acquisition) + CNCF
- Active community on Slack
- Featured in modern K8s tooling guides
- Standard Lens replacement in OSS-only environments
What we ship
- Docker image:
ghcr.io/headlamp-k8s/headlamp:latest - Persistent volumes:
/opt/headlamp/config+/opt/headlamp/plugins - Auto-detects K3s on same VPS — wires kubeconfig automatically
- Port 4466 exposed
- HTTPS via Let's Encrypt reverse proxy
- Multi-cluster ready — drop additional kubeconfigs in
/opt/headlamp/config - Backup hook covers kubeconfigs + plugins
// Tips & operations
Run it properly.
Operational guidance from running this in production — what to lock down, what surprises people.
// PERFORMANCE
kubeconfig location
Headlamp expects /headlamp/.config/Headlamp/kubeconfigs
// SECURITY
K3s auto-detection
installer auto-mounts K3s kubeconfig if present
// OPERATIONS
External K8s
copy ~/.kube/config to /opt/headlamp/config/
// RELIABILITY
Plugin development
JavaScript-based, see headlamp.dev/docs/latest/development/plugins
// DEPLOYMENT
No K8s cluster?
Headlamp installs but shows "no clusters"; works fine for evaluation
// SCALING
Backup config dir
kubeconfigs + plugins
512
// min ram (MB)
2
// min disk (GB)
4466
// access port
http
// protocol
pro
// bluixapps tier
Project resources
Official siteheadlamp.dev ↗