Headlamp

App in the BluixApps catalog

What it is

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.

What it's for

  • Kubernetes cluster mgmt — visual interface for kubectl operations
  • 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

  • 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

Why teams pick Headlamp over 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

  • 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

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

Tips & operations

  • kubeconfig location — Headlamp expects /headlamp/.config/Headlamp/kubeconfigs
  • K3s auto-detection — installer auto-mounts K3s kubeconfig if present
  • External K8s — copy ~/.kube/config to /opt/headlamp/config/
  • Plugin development — JavaScript-based, see headlamp.dev/docs/latest/development/plugins
  • No K8s cluster? — Headlamp installs but shows "no clusters"; works fine for evaluation
  • Backup config dir — kubeconfigs + plugins

What we ship in BluixApps

  • 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
Read this app's deep dive on bluix.app ↗

Get this app — pick a BluixApps plan

Same catalog. Scaling tenant isolation, white-label and support tier.

TierTenantsCatalogSupportWhite-labelMonthly
Stacks119 curated stacksStandard$19/moDetailDeploy
Starter10Full catalogStandard+$15–25/mo$49/moDetailDeploy
Pro25Full catalogPriority bugfix+$15–25/mo$149/moDetailDeploy
Growth100Full catalogPriority bugfix+$15–25/mo$349/moDetailDeploy
Scale500Full catalog7-day window+$15–25/mo$799/moDetailDeploy
EnterpriseUnlimitedFull catalogPriority 7-dayBundled$1,499/moDetailDeploy

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