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Pixie

Pixie is open-source Kubernetes observability and debugging software for developers.

Place
#9 of 29
Score
6.5
Pixie's website

What Pixie is

Pixie is open-source Kubernetes observability and debugging software for developers. It gathers metrics, events, traces, and logs without code changes, using dynamic eBPF probes and ingestors. Developers can run community, team, or custom scripts to debug as code and share sessions. Its CLI offers health checks and charts, with a browser interface available when needed. Pixie supports hosted and self-hosted deployments; its Vizier data collection component runs in the Kubernetes cluster. It requires Kubernetes v1.21 or later and Linux nodes, and pods that install BPF programs need privileged access to the Linux kernel. Pixie lists Cosmic Cloud and New Relic Cloud as free hosted versions of the open-source project. Telemetry traffic is encrypted in transit. Pixie's requirements page says telemetry passes through Pixie Cloud without persistence, while its install guide says telemetry used with a hosted backend is stored exclusively on the Kubernetes cluster, not Pixie Cloud. The project lists EKS Fargate, GKE Autopilot, Docker Desktop, k3d, kind, and Windows as unsupported.

Good

  • Collects metrics, events, traces, and logs without code changes.
  • Supports hosted and self-hosted deployment.
  • Community, team, and custom scripts support debugging.
  • Free hosted versions are listed by Pixie and New Relic.

Watch out

  • Requires Kubernetes v1.21 or later and Linux nodes.
  • BPF-installing pods require privileged kernel access.
  • EKS Fargate, GKE Autopilot, and Windows are unsupported.

Who it suits

Pixie is for developers who need observability and debugging for supported Kubernetes environments. It may suit teams comfortable with Linux nodes and privileged kernel access for BPF installation.

Verdict

Pixie offers scriptable observability for Kubernetes, with both hosted and self-managed deployment options. Check its environment requirements and privileged-access requirement before adopting it.

Plans and prices

From Pixie's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.

All about pricing
PlanPriceWhat it gives you
Cosmic Cloud hosted PixieFree100% free hosted version of the open source project · community offering by Pixie maintainers
New Relic CloudFreeFree hosted version of the open source project

The facts

Each one read from Pixie's own pages, with the date it was checked.

What it does

Cloud options
The maker lists Cosmic Cloud and New Relic Cloud as free hosted versions of the open-source project.checked 4 Oct 2026
Data collection
Pixie accesses metrics, events, traces, and logs without code changes using dynamic eBPF probes and ingestors.checked 4 Oct 2026
Debugging
Users can run community, team, or custom scripts to debug as code and share sessions.checked 4 Oct 2026
Deployment
Pixie supports hosted and self-hosted deployments, and its Vizier data collection component runs in the Kubernetes cluster.checked 4 Oct 2026
Integrations
The homepage lists Minikube, EKS, GKE, AKS, and self-managed Kubernetes environments.checked 4 Oct 2026
Interface
Pixie provides a CLI for health checks and charts, with a browser interface available when needed.checked 4 Oct 2026
Permissions
Pixie pods that install BPF programs require privileged access to the Linux kernel.checked 4 Oct 2026
Purpose
Pixie is open-source Kubernetes observability and debugging software for developers.checked 4 Oct 2026
Requirements
Pixie requires Kubernetes v1.21 or later and runs on Linux nodes.checked 4 Oct 2026
Security
Pixie telemetry traffic is encrypted in transit, and the requirements page says telemetry passes through Pixie Cloud without persistence.checked 4 Oct 2026
Storage
The install guide says telemetry data used with a hosted backend is stored exclusively on the Kubernetes cluster, not in Pixie Cloud.checked 4 Oct 2026
Support
The project directs users to its Community Slack, troubleshooting guide, and GitHub issue tracker for help.checked 4 Oct 2026
Unsupported environments
The requirements page lists EKS Fargate, GKE Autopilot, Docker Desktop, k3d, kind, and Windows as unsupported.checked 4 Oct 2026

The company

Founded
2018checked 28 Sep 2026

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