orb8
orb8: A focused, open-source toolkit for capturing enriched Kubernetes network flows. Ranked #26 of 29 in eBPF Observability Tools by our editors (6.6/10); pricing: Free plan; best for lightweight Kubernetes flow capture.
At a glance
- Editor score6.6 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forLightweight Kubernetes flow capture
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Deployment modelSelf-hosted
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Captures TCP, UDP, and ICMP flows with ingress and egress visibility
- Enriches flows with Kubernetes pod and namespace mappings
- Streams real-time events and exposes aggregated queries through gRPC
Where it doesn't
- Focuses on network flows rather than application tracing or kernel profiling
- Kubernetes deployment requires a Linux-based agent and DaemonSet
- Integrations are limited to Kubernetes
Our verdict on orb8
orb8 is an open-source eBPF observability toolkit for Kubernetes clusters, with particular relevance to AI/ML environments. It captures ingress and egress network traffic for TCP, UDP, and ICMP, extracts IPv4 five-tuples, and connects observed flows to Kubernetes pods and namespaces through pod IP mappings. The tool is aimed at teams that need lightweight network visibility without changing application code, adding sidecars, or installing kernel modules.
Its strongest capability is focused flow capture with several ways to consume the resulting data. Real-time network events can be streamed, while the command-line interface supports filtering by namespace, pod, and duration. Aggregated flow queries are available through a gRPC API, which gives engineering teams a programmatic path to network data alongside interactive CLI workflows. Kubernetes deployment uses a DaemonSet with RBAC and Linux capabilities, keeping collection close to the workloads being observed.
orb8 is deliberately narrower than a full observability suite. Its documented scope centers on network visibility and Kubernetes enrichment; application tracing and kernel profiling are outside that scope. GPU telemetry, syscall monitoring, Prometheus metrics, and cluster-wide aggregation are described as planned capabilities rather than current functionality. Linux is the operational foundation, while macOS support is for development through Lima and QEMU. Choose orb8 when Kubernetes flow capture, filtering, streaming, and a gRPC interface are the priority. Teams seeking broader integrations or application-level and system-level telemetry should consider a tool with wider coverage.
Your product? Our editors can test orb8 in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
orb8 pricing
orb8 fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Deployment model | Self-hosted |
| Kubernetes support | Yes |
| Network visibility | Yes |
| Application tracing | No |
| Kernel profiling | No |
| Supported operating systems | Linux; macOS development via Lima and QEMU |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS |
| Support | Docs, Community |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 1 integrations: Kubernetes |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | github.com |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
orb8 integrations
orb8 lists 1 integrations on its own site.
- Kubernetes
Alternatives to orb8
- CorootBroad eBPF observability with a free edition and $1-per-core Standard pricing.9.3
- DeepFlowA broad open-source platform for application, network, and system observability.9.1
- groundcoverA broad eBPF observability platform for teams connecting traces, RUM, logs, and metrics.9.0
Used orb8? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used orb8 for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
orb8 is listed in our eBPF Observability Tools directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/orb8/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/orb8.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update