Glances is a free, open-source system monitor for viewing live CPU, memory, disk, network, process, user, and sensor information. It presents data in a terminal or web interface, with the terminal layout adapting to its available size. Client/server mode lets users monitor remote systems through a terminal, web interface, XML-RPC, or RESTful APIs. Glances also monitors Docker and LXC containers. Statistics can be exported to CSV or JSON files, databases such as InfluxDB, Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL/Timescale, Cassandra, and Prometheus, or brokers including RabbitMQ, NATS, ZeroMQ, and Kafka. An open architecture supports added plugins and export modules. From version 4.5.1, its built-in MCP server lets AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor query Glances. It is available for Linux, BSD, macOS, Windows, Android, web, API, and self-hosted use. The listed plan is free. Version 4 requires Python 3.10 or later; web interface dependencies are optional in a standard pip installation.
Who it is for
Glances suits people who need live system information locally or remotely, including users monitoring Docker or LXC containers. Its export options and extensible architecture also suit developers integrating monitoring data with other systems.
What is good
- Displays CPU, memory, disk, network, and sensor data.
- Remote monitoring supports terminal, web, and APIs.
- Monitors Docker and LXC containers.
- Exports statistics to files, databases, and brokers.
- Free and open source.
What to know first
- Version 4 requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Standard pip installation omits web dependencies.
- XML-RPC accepts any HTTP Host header by default.
Verdict
Glances combines live system monitoring with remote access, container monitoring, and a wide range of data exports. Check the Python requirement and XML-RPC host guidance when setting it up.
Get started with Glances
- Open the Glances project website on GitHub.
- Choose an installation route such as pip, uvx, pipx, Docker, a package manager, or a source build.
- Use Python 3.10 or later for Glances 4.
- Add the web extra to a standard pip installation if you need web-interface dependencies.
- Use client/server mode for remote monitoring, or enable an export route for statistics.
What the free plan stops at
Glances 4 requires Python 3.10 or later. A standard pip installation excludes web-interface dependencies, which require the web extra; the all extra installs dependencies for all features.
Questions about Glances
How much does Glances cost?
Glances is free open-source software, listed at no cost.
Is Glances open source?
Yes. It is distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3.
Which platforms does Glances support?
Supported platforms include Linux, BSD, macOS, Windows, Android, web, API, and self-hosted use.
What does Glances monitor?
It reports CPU, memory, disk, network, process, user, and sensor information, and supports Docker and LXC container monitoring.
Does Glances have a web interface?
Yes. It provides a web interface, but the standard pip installation does not include its dependencies; add the web extra.
What is required for Glances 4?
Glances 4 requires Python 3.10 or later. Python 2 and Python 3 releases below 3.10 are unsupported.
Glances plans and pricing
All plansCompared on container monitoring
- Supported platforms
- Linux, BSD, macOS, Windows, Android, Web, API, Self-hosted
