A Kubernetes Dashboard alternative
The Kubernetes Dashboard project has been archived. If your team used it, here are the options and how Kubby compares.
What happened to the Kubernetes Dashboard
In 2026 the Kubernetes Dashboard project was archived. The Kubernetes community recommends Headlamp, now part of SIG UI, as its successor and published a guide that maps Dashboard workflows to Headlamp (Kubernetes blog). Existing Dashboard installs keep running, but they no longer get fixes or security updates.
Your options
| Topic | Kubernetes Dashboard | Headlamp | Kubby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Archived | Active, SIG UI | Active |
| Where it runs | In the cluster (web UI) | In the cluster or on the desktop | On your Windows desktop |
| Required in the cluster | Yes | Optional | Nothing |
| Multi-cluster | One per install | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Free, open source | Free, open source | Free, every feature (not open source) |
Headlamp is a CNCF project and a good choice, especially if you want a web UI in the cluster. Kubby is for teams that want a desktop tool with problems first, guard rails and integrations built in.
What Kubby adds over a dashboard
Everyday work
- Problems first: CrashLoopBackOff, OOMKilled, Pending and failing Jobs at the top, with the reason
- Logs before the crash, describe, events, pod and node shells, port forwarding
- Safe edits: YAML validation, diff review and PROD protection with typed confirmation
- Helm releases with values, upgrade and rollback
Security and integrations
- No web endpoint and no service account token to expose: Kubby uses your own kubeconfig and RBAC
- Credentials in Windows Credential Manager; cluster data stays on your computer
- Prometheus monitoring, Argo CD centre, audit log and Ask Kubby, included
Moving from the Dashboard to Kubby
Kubby connects with your kubeconfig, so there is nothing to deploy. Once your team has moved, you can remove the Dashboard and its service account from the cluster. Adding clusters
Try Kubby on your own clusters
Free for Windows, with every feature. Nothing to activate.