Retina review
A self-hosted Retina gives Kubernetes teams detailed network telemetry and packet capture.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Retina is an open-source, self-hosted Kubernetes network observability platform maintained in Microsoft's public repository. It is designed for cluster network and security administrators and DevOps engineers investigating application health, network health, security, and compliance use cases. Its eBPF-based plugins collect network telemetry, enrich flows with Kubernetes context, and export Prometheus-compatible metrics across supported environments including Linux, Windows, and Azure Linux.
Network visibility is Retina's central strength. It supports continuous metrics alongside on-demand and rotating distributed packet captures across nodes and pods. Teams can inspect DNS request and response metrics, TCP and UDP statistics, network-interface statistics, and dropped-packet reasons and directions. Kubernetes-aware flow enrichment adds cluster context, while Hubble control-plane integration supports flow visibility. Prometheus and Grafana fit established metrics workflows, and Wireshark supports packet analysis. Azure Monitor and Azure Log Analytics extend its fit for Azure-oriented monitoring environments.
Retina suits teams that want detailed Kubernetes network telemetry without adopting a commercial plan, particularly when they already operate Kubernetes and supporting observability systems. The self-hosted model also means deployment, storage, visualization, and ongoing operations remain part of the team's environment; external storage and visualization systems may incur separate costs. Its focused network scope makes it a strong choice for packet capture, DNS analysis, flow visibility, and dropped-packet investigation, but less suitable for organizations seeking a broader application observability platform in one product. Choose Retina for Kubernetes network and security investigations; consider an alternative when network visibility is only a small part of the required monitoring scope.
Retina pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Distributed packet captures across Kubernetes nodes and pods
- DNS, dropped-packet, TCP, UDP, and interface metrics
- Prometheus, Grafana, Hubble, and Wireshark integrations
- Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires managed Kubernetes infrastructure
- Its scope is focused on network observability
- External storage and visualization systems may add costs
Retina fact sheet, pricing and score →
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