compare / headlamp
Klustr vs Headlamp: desktop client or in-cluster dashboard
Headlamp is a Kubernetes SIG UI project with a plugin system, an in-cluster deployment mode and desktop builds. It is a natural comparison: both tools are open source, both read your kubeconfig, both support several clusters and both render Gateway API resources.
Facts about Headlamp come from its documentation and release notes and were reviewed on 2026-09-20. Corrections are welcome as an issue.
At a glance
| Criterion | Klustr | Headlamp |
|---|---|---|
| The project | ||
| License and price | Apache-2.0, free | Apache-2.0, free |
| Runtime | Go + OS webviewWails, no bundled browser | Electron or in-cluster webGo backend, React frontend |
| Platforms | macOS, Linux, WindowsWindows build not code-signed | macOS, Windows, Linux, browser |
| What it needs from your cluster | ||
| Installed in the cluster | NothingOptional one-click metrics-server, removable from Klustr | OptionalDesktop app runs locally; web mode is deployed in-cluster |
| Account or sign-in | NoneYour kubeconfig is the only credential | None on desktopToken or OIDC when deployed in-cluster |
| Working across clusters | ||
| Several clusters at once | Aggregated tableTwo or more contexts in one list, named groups, color tags | Multi-cluster viewSelect clusters and compare side by side |
| RBAC | Access Review matrixSubject to effective permissions with the binding chain | Roles and bindings |
| Platform tooling | ||
| Helm | Built inInstall, upgrade, rollback, uninstall with a dry-run diff; repo search | Via pluginApp catalog plugin |
| Argo CD and Flux | Built in, through the APISync, refresh, reconcile, suspend; no CLIs | Flux via plugin |
| Gateway API | Typed viewsListeners, rule matrix, RouteParentStatus | Built inIncluding TCPRoute and UDPRoute |
| cert-manager | Typed viewsIssuance chain and one-click renew | Generic CRDs |
| Day-to-day operations | ||
| Logs | Multi-pod streamPer-pod colors, follow, regex, save | Per container |
| Shell access | Exec, debug container, node shell | Pod terminal |
| Local terminal | Drawer per contextKUBECONFIG preset to the active context | None |
Where Klustr is different
- Never runs in the cluster. Headlamp can be deployed as an in-cluster web UI or run as a desktop app. Klustr only runs on your machine and installs nothing in the cluster; there is no deployment to expose, upgrade or secure.
- Helm, Argo CD and Flux are built in. Headlamp covers Helm and Flux through plugins. Klustr ships Helm v3 with a dry-run diff, Argo CD sync and refresh, and Flux reconcile and suspend without plugins or CLIs.
- cert-manager, Istio, Karpenter and KEDA. Klustr promotes these CRD families to typed views with status and actions, including the full certificate issuance chain and one-click renew.
- Access Review. Headlamp lists roles and bindings. Klustr computes a subject’s effective permissions as a matrix with the binding chain behind every entry.
- Aggregated rows, not side-by-side panes. Both tools support several clusters. Headlamp compares clusters side by side; Klustr merges them into one table with a Context column so a fleet reads as one cluster.
- Operations from the desktop. A local terminal drawer bound to the active context, a root node shell, cordon and PDB-aware drain, and ephemeral debug containers for shell-less images.
Where Headlamp is stronger
- In-cluster mode for a team. Deploy Headlamp once with OIDC and every teammate gets a browser UI without installing anything locally.
- Plugin ecosystem and resource map. Headlamp has a documented plugin API and a resource relationship map.
- CNCF governance. Headlamp is a Kubernetes SIG UI project with community governance. Klustr is a single-maintainer open-source project.
Which one to pick
Pick Headlamp for a shared, in-cluster web UI or if you want to write plugins. Pick Klustr for a desktop client that installs nothing, treats Helm, GitOps and cert-manager as first-class and can show several clusters as one.
Try Klustr with your own kubeconfig
Free, Apache-2.0 licensed, nothing installed in the cluster.