Headlamp vs Portainer
Headlamp
headlamp.dev
Portainer
portainer.ioSide by side
| Figure | Headlamp | Portainer |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $12.92/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 7 |
| Spec score · Container Management Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.8 (#4) |
| Integrations | Documented CNCF-related integrations include Backstage, Flux, Inspektor Gadget, Kompose, KubeScape, KubeVirt, OpenCost, Prometheus, and Trivy. | The product pages identify Talos Omni integration for provisioning Kubernetes clusters and support deployment from Helm charts. |
| Multi-cluster | Headlamp can monitor and switch among multiple Kubernetes clusters. | The platform provides centralized governance across Kubernetes clusters on EKS, AKS, GKE, bare metal, or on-premises infrastructure. |
| Purpose | Headlamp is a graphical user interface tailored to simplify Kubernetes cluster management. | Portainer is a centralized multi-cluster management platform for managing Kubernetes clusters and container environments. |
| Rating on G2 | 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews; the G2 page is for a different product, Headlamp Health, rather than the Kubernetes project. | 4.8 out of 5 from 298 reviews |
| Support | The project directs users to its documentation, community Slack, GitHub issues, and monthly community meeting for help. | The Scale plan includes 9x5 next business day support, while Enterprise offers prioritized 9x5 support with a 24/7 option. |
| What it does | Headlamp is a graphical web interface for managing Kubernetes clusters and resources. | Portainer is a self-hosted control plane that manages Docker, Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, Podman and Azure ACI environments through a web interface. |
Plans
Portainer
- Business Edition free tierFree
- Home & Student$155 a year
- Starter$1,045 a year
- Starter$1,045 a year
- Scale$2,095 a year
- Scale$2,095 a year
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Headlamp
Headlamp is a free graphical interface for managing Kubernetes clusters, available as a browser-based application and a desktop app. It adjusts its controls to Kubernetes role-based permissions, so users see only actions their role allows. Users can monitor multiple clusters and switch between them in the interface. A plugin system extends core functionality for specific workflows, with integrations including Backstage, Flux, Inspektor Gadget, Kompose, Kubescape, KubeVirt, OpenCost, Prometheus, and Trivy. Headlamp can be deployed in a Kubernetes cluster using Helm or YAML configuration. Documented sign-in methods include client certificates, bearer tokens, and OIDC. The project says a user token may be stored in browser local storage, but not in its backend or server. Its plugin guidance warns that plugins share the main application’s JavaScript context and recommends installing only trusted plugins. Headlamp is available at no charge under Apache 2.0. The project says it tests its desktop app on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Support options include documentation, community Slack, GitHub issues, and monthly community meetings.