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Inspektor Gadget

Free#13 of 29 in eBPF Observability Tools

Inspektor Gadget: A broad open-source toolkit for Kubernetes inspection, network tracing, profiling, and packet capture. Ranked #13 of 29 in eBPF Observability Tools by our editors (8.0/10); pricing: Open source; best for kubernetes and container system inspection.

8.0/10Editor score

Explore Inspektor

Inspektor Gadget8.0 Explore Inspektor

At a glance

Editor score
8.0 / 10
Pricing
Open source
Best for
Kubernetes and container system inspection
Paid from
Free
Deployment model
Self-hosted
Facts checked
22 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Broad eBPF inspection across Kubernetes, containers, and Linux hosts
- Network, DNS, packet capture, and CPU profiling in one toolkit
- OpenTelemetry profile export and OCI-based Gadget packaging
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted execution requires your team to operate the deployment
- Linux is required for host tracing and eBPF collection
- The broad CLI, API, client-server, and Go modes add technical scope

Our verdict on Inspektor Gadget

Inspektor Gadget is an open-source toolkit and framework for collecting data from Kubernetes clusters and Linux hosts with eBPF. It is aimed at teams that need low-level system inspection with Kubernetes and container context, including platform engineers, cluster operators, and developers investigating network, DNS, runtime, or CPU behavior. Kubernetes deployment uses a DaemonSet, while the ig binary supports Linux host tracing. Automatic metadata enrichment connects low-level events to Kubernetes and container objects.

Its ecosystem fit is a central strength. Inspektor Gadget integrates with Kubernetes, Docker, containerd, CRI-O, Podman, and OpenTelemetry, and supports command-line, client-server, API, and Go-library usage modes. Gadgets can be packaged as OCI images for reuse, while pod and container filtering helps narrow inspection to relevant workloads. The feature set covers TCP connection tracing, DNS query and response tracing, container packet capture with pcap-compatible filters, and export of profiles over OTLP. This makes it suitable for environments that already use Kubernetes and want inspection tools close to the container runtime.

The project favors breadth over a single guided workflow. Alongside tracing and filtering, it includes networking, profiling, packet capture, export, and extensibility capabilities, so teams can address several observability tasks without adopting separate utilities. That scope also means it is better suited to technically capable teams comfortable with self-hosted execution and multiple interfaces than to buyers seeking a hosted, narrowly focused monitoring product. Linux hosts are the primary execution environment; macOS and Windows are supported as clients through gadgetctl.

Your product? Our editors can test Inspektor Gadget in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Inspektor Gadget pricing

Plans Open sourceFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on inspektor-gadget.io

Inspektor Gadget fact sheet

Free plan	Not verified
Paid from	Free
Deployment model	Self-hosted
Kubernetes support	Yes
Network visibility	Yes
Application tracing	Yes
Kernel profiling	Yes
Supported operating systems	Linux; macOS and Windows clients via gadgetctl
Deployment	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
Integrations	6 integrations: Kubernetes, Docker, containerd, CRI-O, Podman, OpenTelemetry
Pricing	Open source
Website	inspektor-gadget.io
Facts checked	22 Sep 2026

Inspektor Gadget integrations

Inspektor Gadget lists 6 integrations on its own site.

Kubernetes
Docker
containerd
CRI-O
Podman
OpenTelemetry

Alternatives to Inspektor Gadget

See all Inspektor Gadget alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

Inspektor Gadget is listed in our eBPF Observability Tools directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update