Glances

Glances is an open-source system monitor for people who need a live view of machine health and running processes across different operating systems. It suits administrators and technically minded users who want remote access or to feed statistics into other tools. Its breadth is a strength, but optional dependencies and a Python 3.10 minimum make setup part of the decision.

Overview

CPU, memory, load, process activity, network and disk I/O, sensors, filesystems, containers, alerts and uptime sit within the same monitoring scope. That makes Glances a practical choice for checking both overall machine health and individual processes without relying on a hosted service. It runs as an agent, supports server auto-discovery, and offers script or command actions as alert channels.

The project supports GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X and Windows, with Android, Web, API and self-hosted platforms also listed. It is distributed under the LGPL version 3 license. Help is directed through the manual, official Reddit forum and GitHub Discussions.

Key features

Remote access and interfaces

Client/server mode lets users monitor a remote machine from a terminal, a browser or an API. The built-in Web interface is useful when a browser is more convenient than a terminal, while the APIs make the metrics accessible to other software. Glances provides XML-RPC and RESTful JSON APIs, and Web server mode exposes a REST API.

Exports and containers

Statistics can be exported to CSV or JSON files, databases including InfluxDB and Prometheus, brokers including RabbitMQ and Kafka, or a REST endpoint. This flexibility suits users who want to route metrics into existing systems rather than keep them only in Glances. Docker and Podman monitoring are documented, and the README describes Docker and LXC monitoring. Version 4.5.1 and later can provide an MCP server for AI assistants.

Setup and maintenance

Glances can be installed with pip, pipx, Homebrew, Linux or FreeBSD packages, or Docker images. The range of installation routes helps fit different environments, but feature availability is not automatic: the default installation omits Web interface dependencies, and separate extras cover options such as Web, GPU, containers, exports and MCP. Glances 4 requires Python 3.10 or later, so older Python environments cannot run current major versions. Version 4.x is supported for security updates; versions below 4.0 are unsupported.

Pricing

Glances is free and open source. Its Glances plan costs nothing. There is no paid tier to unlock the core product, but optional features can require extra dependencies, so users should account for installation and maintenance effort when choosing it.

Platforms

Supported operating systems include GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X and Windows. Android, Web, API and self-hosted are also listed as platforms. Docker images and multiple package-based installation routes give administrators several ways to deploy it, while the Python 3.10 requirement applies to Glances 4 and later.

Who it's for

Glances is a good fit for administrators and technical users who want one tool to inspect system and process metrics locally or remotely, especially when they need exports, APIs, or container monitoring. It is less suitable for users who want a turnkey web interface without managing dependencies, or who need to run current Glances on Python earlier than 3.10.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Broad coverage spans system health, processes, containers and uptime, making it useful beyond a process-only view.
• Pros: Terminal, browser and API access offer practical ways to reach remote metrics and integrate them elsewhere.
• Pros: Free, open-source distribution and multiple installation routes suit self-managed environments.
• Cons: The default installation lacks Web dependencies, and other capabilities also need optional extras, adding setup work.
• Cons: Glances 4 and later require Python 3.10 or higher, excluding older Python environments.

Alternatives

For a process-management focus, PM2 is an open-source alternative with a real-time web interface on its free Runtime plan; its Plus plan costs $79 a month. Supervisor is another free option for readers comparing process-monitoring software.

Owlette is a paid alternative with a free plan and a Core plan priced at $20 a month. Process Lasso is a Windows-only alternative with free and paid plans, including a $4.95 a month Single PC Monthly plan and a $24.95 a year Single PC Annual plan.

runit is a free option for Linux, macOS and self-hosted environments. AppControl is a free Windows alternative, while System Informer is another free Windows option. Ambih Monitor is a freemium option for Windows.

Browse Process Monitoring Software, Hardware Monitoring Software or Container Monitoring for more options by category.

Verdict

Choose Glances if you want broad, free system and process monitoring with remote access and flexible exports, and are comfortable managing dependencies yourself. Look elsewhere if you need a ready-to-use Web interface without extra setup or must support Python versions below 3.10.