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srelens

srelens.com

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Spec score 8.3 #3 of 23 in Local Kubernetes Tools

What it is

srelens is a Kubernetes desktop workspace for browsing, inspecting, and operating clusters. It covers more than 40 resource kinds, including workloads, networking, storage, RBAC, admission, autoscaling, and custom resources. Investigation tools include live watches, log streaming, in-pod terminals, port forwarding, Helm release views, and a schema-aware YAML editor. CPU and memory metrics for nodes and pods come through Kubernetes Metrics Server. Users can scale or restart workloads and cordon, drain, or evict nodes; destructive actions require confirmation. The desktop app connects directly to Kubernetes API servers using local kubeconfig credentials, without an intermediary srelens cloud service. Available operations depend on the selected context’s credentials and RBAC permissions. Added kubeconfig files stay local, and pasted configs are stored in the application directory. Secret values are masked by default and revealed per key. The built-in MCP server connects to clients such as Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Codex. srelens is free, open source under the MIT license, and requires no account or license key.

Spec sheet

What it does
srelens is a Kubernetes workspace for investigating, analyzing and operating clusters through a desktop GUI, terminal UI or MCP server.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Purpose
srelens is a Kubernetes desktop workspace for browsing, inspecting, and operating clusters.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Intended users
The project describes srelens as built for engineers and AI agents, and its repository names SREs, platform engineers, and DevOps engineers as users.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Integrations
The built-in MCP server connects to MCP clients such as Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Codex over stdio or loopback HTTP.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Support
The documentation directs users to open a GitHub issue with safely shareable application log details for reproducible bugs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
License
The source repository and project documentation identify srelens as MIT licensed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
AI assistant
The built-in assistant supports Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and local Ollama models.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Architecture
The application uses Tauri v2, React and a pure-Rust core built around kube-rs and tokio.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Authorization
Available operations are governed by the selected context’s Kubernetes credentials and RBAC permissions.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Build requirements
Building from source requires stable Rust, Node.js 22 or newer, pnpm 9 or newer and platform-specific Tauri v2 prerequisites.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Cluster actions
Users can scale and restart workloads and cordon, drain, or evict nodes; destructive actions require confirmation.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Credential handling
Desktop builds read local kubeconfig files and connect directly to Kubernetes APIs without an intermediary srelens cloud service.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Development status
The GitHub organization describes the project as early and actively developed, with contributions welcome.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Documentation
Official documentation includes quick-start, usage, terminal UI, MCP, security, architecture, installation and SRE troubleshooting guides.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Extensions
The GitHub organization publishes native Flux and Argo CD extensions plus an extension discovery catalog.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Helm
Helm releases can be inspected, upgraded, rolled back or uninstalled with rendered-diff previews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Investigation tools
The workspace includes live watches, log streaming, in-pod terminals, port forwarding, Helm release views, and a schema-aware YAML editor.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Kubernetes resources
The desktop interface covers 35 built-in Kubernetes resource kinds and arbitrary CRDs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Limit: dependency advisories
The repository reports Linux-only transitive advisories involving glib and the unmaintained GTK3 stack used by Tauri.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: metrics availability
Metrics are unavailable when a cluster lacks an accessible Metrics Server or the required RBAC permissions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Limit: production web setup
The optional shared web deployment has additional authentication, TLS, key-management and tmpfs requirements that do not apply to the desktop path.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Limit: Windows trust prompt
Windows installers may trigger SmartScreen because Windows code signing remains on the roadmap.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Linux dependency
Linux desktop packages require a WebKitGTK runtime, which Debian and RPM packages install automatically.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Live watches
Resource tables update through streaming Kubernetes watch connections rather than polling.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Local access
The desktop app connects directly to Kubernetes API servers using credentials from local kubeconfig files, with no intermediary srelens cloud service.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Logs
Pod and workload logs support streaming, previous-container output, timestamps, filtering and export.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
MCP client integrations
The documentation provides configurations for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP clients.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
MCP safety
Mutating MCP tools require an explicit confirmation argument, and the desktop HTTP server binds to loopback rather than external interfaces.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
MCP scale
The terminal MCP server exposes more than 100 Kubernetes, Helm, toolbox and server tools.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
MCP server
MCP is available over stdio or loopback HTTP, with mutating calls requiring an explicit _confirm=true argument.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Metrics
CPU and memory views depend on Kubernetes Metrics Server being installed and accessible under the user's RBAC permissions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Multi-cluster
Users can load multiple kubeconfig files, preserve duplicate context names and switch clusters from a hotbar.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Package security
macOS builds are Developer ID signed and notarized; Windows code signing is on the roadmap, and Linux assets include Tauri updater signatures.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Package signing
macOS builds are Developer ID signed and notarized; updater artifacts are signed, while Windows code signing and GPG asset signatures are planned.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Port forwarding
Port forwards are created, inspected, copied and stopped in a dedicated view.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Release news
GitHub lists srelens v0.15.0 as released on 20 September 2026, adding a headless stdio MCP command, Cilium BGP views and extension controls.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Resource coverage
It supports browsing across 40+ Kubernetes resource kinds, including workloads, networking, storage, RBAC, admission, autoscaling, and custom resources.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Safe actions
Delete, evict, drain, uninstall and similar destructive operations are confirmation-gated and preflighted against Kubernetes RBAC.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Secret handling
Kubernetes Secret values are masked by default and revealed per key, subject to the selected context's RBAC.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Secrets
Kubernetes Secret values are masked by default and revealed per key.Read 30 Sep 2026 · srelens.com
Self-hosting security
Web deployments require authentication, TLS termination, a stable SRELENS_MASTER_KEY and RAM-backed storage for decrypted runtime files.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Shell access
Users can open interactive in-pod terminals and attach ephemeral debug containers to minimal images.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
System requirements
The published desktop targets are macOS 11 or newer, Windows 10 x64 or newer, and Linux x86_64.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com
Telemetry
The repository security policy states that the desktop application has no telemetry and no srelens backend account system.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Web deployment
A Docker web mode supports multi-user browser access with OIDC authentication and isolated uploaded kubeconfigs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
YAML editing
The YAML editor uses cluster OpenAPI schemas, supports CRDs, server dry-run diffs and server-side apply.Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com

Plans and prices

Free Free No account · No license key · Desktop, terminal UI and MCP access Read 15 Oct 2026 · srelens.com

Every srelens plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Covers more than 40 Kubernetes resource kinds.
  • Streams logs and provides live watches and in-pod terminals.
  • Shows node and pod CPU and memory metrics.
  • Connects directly with local kubeconfig credentials.
  • Free to download, with no account or license key.

Limits

  • Operations depend on the selected context’s RBAC permissions.
  • Windows code signing is on the roadmap.
  • Production web deployments require authentication and TLS termination.

Who it suits

It suits SREs, platform engineers, DevOps engineers, and other engineers who work with Kubernetes clusters. Its MCP server also provides a connection for AI agents and compatible clients.

Verdict

srelens combines cluster inspection, investigation tools, and operational actions in one Kubernetes workspace. Its local credential handling and free, open-source plan are useful details for teams evaluating access and deployment.

Where Specifiction places it

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