Kube Inspector
Kube Inspector is a free visual desktop client for viewing and managing Kubernetes clusters on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What Kube Inspector is
Kube Inspector is a free visual desktop client for viewing and managing Kubernetes clusters on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can inspect and manage Pods, Deployments, StatefulSets, Jobs, and CronJobs. A Monaco YAML editor with schema validation lets users review and apply changes. The app displays CPU and memory readings over time for clusters, nodes, pods, and workloads, though this requires metrics-server in the cluster. Security features include an interactive RBAC graph and Trivy image vulnerability scanning. It reads existing kubeconfig files and supports local and managed clusters such as kind, minikube, k3s, EKS, GKE, and AKS. Multiple clusters can be added, and open panels stay attached to the cluster they were opened with. A separate terminal interface provides the same features for terminal and SSH use. The project says the release is beta and bugs are expected. It also says it has no telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, or usage statistics.
Good
- Free and open source, with no account or sign-in.
- Manages common workloads and edits validated YAML.
- Supports multiple clusters and existing kubeconfig files.
- Includes RBAC visualization and Trivy image scanning.
Watch out
- Beta release; bugs are expected.
- Metrics readings require metrics-server.
- macOS builds are Apple Silicon only.
- No support desk or guaranteed response times.
Who it suits
Kube Inspector suits Kubernetes users who want a graphical desktop client, or a terminal interface for SSH use. It may also fit users who prefer cluster data to travel between their machine and the cluster API server rather than being collected as usage data.
Verdict
Kube Inspector provides cluster management and security features in a free desktop package, plus a terminal option. Keep its beta status, platform limits, and scanning requirements in mind.
Plans and prices
From Kube Inspector's own pricing page, checked 3 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free and open source · no paid tier, account, or sign-in |
The facts
Each one read from Kube Inspector's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- CLI
- A separately packaged terminal UI, kube-inspector-cli, provides the same features and is intended for terminal and SSH use.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Cluster compatibility
- It reads existing kubeconfig files and supports conformant local and managed Kubernetes clusters, including kind, minikube, k3s, EKS, GKE, and AKS.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Local AI integration
- The optional AI assistant uses Ollama, with prompts and tool results sent to the configured Ollama host rather than a cloud provider by default.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Monitoring
- It displays CPU and memory usage for clusters, nodes, pods, and workloads over time; these readings require metrics-server in the cluster.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Multi-cluster
- Users can add multiple clusters, and each open panel stays pinned to the cluster it was opened with.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Notable limitations
- macOS builds are Apple Silicon only, and builds are not code-signed.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The app states that it has no telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, or usage statistics; cluster data travels between the user's machine and the cluster API server.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Release maturity
- The support page describes the release as beta and says bugs are expected.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Resource management
- It supports inspecting and managing workloads including Pods, Deployments, StatefulSets, Jobs, and CronJobs.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Scanning limits
- Vulnerability scanning needs network access to download Trivy's database on first use, does not scan images in private registries, and does not scan cluster misconfiguration.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Security features
- It includes an interactive RBAC graph and Trivy image vulnerability scanning.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Support
- There is no support desk; the project directs users to its issue tracker and does not guarantee response times.checked 3 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Kube Inspector is a visual desktop client for viewing and managing Kubernetes clusters.checked 3 Oct 2026
- YAML editor
- The app includes a Monaco YAML editor with schema validation for viewing and applying changes.checked 3 Oct 2026
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