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Compare · checked 2026-10-30

KubeDrive vs Headlamp

Headlamp is a Kubernetes sub-project under SIG UI, Apache-licensed, and the only client here that runs inside the cluster as a shared web UI with OIDC sign-in. Its plugin system is the point: Helm, Prometheus and the AI assistant are plugins. KubeDrive is a desktop app only, closed source, faster on large clusters and with more built in: diagnosis by rules, upgrade check, rightsizing, a map, and an MCP server for your agents.

Choose Headlamp if

  • A UI for the whole team in the browser, with OIDC sign-in and nothing to install on laptops.
  • Your own plugins, or a branded UI for a platform you offer to others.
  • Open source is a requirement.

Choose KubeDrive if

  • Clusters with tens of thousands of pods: first rows in 3 s instead of 6, with less memory.
  • Why a pod fails, what breaks on the next Kubernetes version, which containers are mis-sized: built in, by rules, not plugins.
  • Claude Code, Codex or Cursor reading your clusters without a kubeconfig.
  • Production contexts protected from the first launch.

Speed, measured

Cold start on the same Mac and the same clusters, median of five runs. From launch to the first pod rows on screen, and memory of the whole process tree with the list open. All clients and the method

50,000 pods · 470 nodes

First rows
  • KubeDrive3.0 s
  • Headlamp6.4 s
Memory
  • KubeDrive428 MB
  • Headlamp590 MB

500 pods

First rows
  • KubeDrive1.5 s
  • Headlamp3.9 s
Memory
  • KubeDrive291 MB
  • Headlamp349 MB

Headlamp needs three clicks to reach the pod list; about 5 s of its 6.4 s on 470 nodes are those clicks, made by the script as soon as each item appears. Headlamp shows no object count, so the full list could not be timed.

Feature by feature

Headlamp 0.46, from its site and release notes on 2026-10-30; KubeDrive as released. Tell us what we got wrong: [email protected]

KubeDriveHeadlamp

Clusters and tables

Live tables of every resource typeevery type, streamed liveyes
Health of all clusters on one screenClusters overviewper cluster
Protected production contextsprod contexts, from the first launchno
Logs, shell, YAML editingyesyes
Port forwarding3 on Free, unlimited in Proyes
Shared web UI inside the clusterdesktop onlyHelm chart, OIDC

Troubleshooting

Why an object is unhealthy, with evidencerules first, then AI if you askthe AI assistant can look
Map of a namespacewith the links that lead nowhereMap view; broken links not flagged
Upgrade check for the next Kubernetes versionyesno
Rightsizing from real usagefrom the cluster's Prometheusno
Compare two objectsProyesno
History of changes made in the appProyesno

Metrics and Helm

CPU and memory from metrics-serveryesyes
Charts from the cluster's Prometheusfound in the cluster, no setupPrometheus plugin
PromQL, dashboards, firing alertsProqueries, dashboards, alertsno
Helm releases, values, historyreleases, values, historyApp Catalog plugin
Install charts from repositoriesrepositories and OCI, dry run firstApp Catalog plugin
Upgrade with a diff, roll backPromanifest diff, roll backApp Catalog plugin

AI

Assistant with your own keyClaude, OpenAI or a local modelAI Assistant plugin, alpha
MCP server for Claude Code, Codex, Cursorreads free; changes wait for Allowits assistant uses MCP servers

Platform

PluginsnoArtifact Hub
Open sourcebenchmarks and extension areApache 2.0
PriceFree; Pro $8/mofree

✓ yes – partly, or with a plugin ✕ noPro: in KubeDrive Pro, $8 a month or $79 a year

Also compared

Try it on your largest namespace.

Free for two clusters of any size. No account, no card: open KubeDrive and pick a context.

Download for macOS
brew install --cask aleksskoz/tap/kubedrive

macOS 13 or later · Apple silicon and Intel · signed and notarized by Apple

Download for Windowsx64 · Arm64

Windows 10 1809 or later, Windows 11 · not code-signed yet: More info → Run anyway

Download .debDownload .rpmArm64: .deb · .rpm
sudo apt install ./kubedrive_0.6.3_amd64.deb

Debian 13, Ubuntu 24.04, Fedora 40 and newer · GTK 4 and WebKitGTK 6.0 come as dependencies