Glances review
A free, lightweight monitor for hosts, processes, containers, and remote systems.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Glances is a free, open-source system monitoring tool written in Python. It is aimed at users who need lightweight, self-hosted visibility into operating-system and server resources across GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X, and Windows. Monitoring covers CPU, memory, load, disk, network, filesystems, sensors, uptime, and running processes. Docker and Podman container monitoring extends that coverage to containerized workloads, while local and remote operation supports both individual machines and client/server deployments.
Its main strength is the range of access and data options for an open-source monitor. Users can work from a terminal-based interface or built-in web interface, monitor systems remotely, and use RESTful JSON or XML-RPC APIs. Glances also supports export to CSV and external databases or services, with integrations including InfluxDB, Cassandra, OpenTSDB, StatsD, Elasticsearch, RabbitMQ, and Grafana. Network server discovery through the central browser can help locate monitored systems within the supported setup. These capabilities make it a practical fit when direct resource visibility and flexible data handling matter more than a large management layer.
Glances is narrower than a full enterprise monitoring platform. Its focus is operating-system resources, processes, containers, and related statistics rather than a broader suite of enterprise monitoring functions. The agent-based monitoring method and self-hosted model also suit teams comfortable managing their own monitoring environment. Choose Glances for free, cross-platform host monitoring with terminal, web, remote, API, export, and integration options. Consider an alternative if your priority is a wider enterprise monitoring platform rather than lightweight system-level visibility.
Glances pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free and open source with GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X, and Windows support
- Covers host resources, processes, Docker, Podman, and uptime
- Offers web, terminal, remote monitoring, APIs, exports, and integrations
- Where it doesn't
- Primarily focuses on lightweight system monitoring rather than enterprise monitoring
- The monitoring method is agent-based
- Its interface centers on terminal and web views rather than a broader platform
Glances fact sheet, pricing and score →
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