Krossboard

Overview

Krossboard is a Kubernetes usage analytics tool for tracking resource consumption and planning capacity across clusters. It is a strong fit for teams that want namespace-level reporting and a self-hosted deployment without a software charge.

The trade-off is that managed-cluster discovery and support sit behind custom-priced Enterprise plans, and cloud discovery adds permissions and setup work. Teams that need those capabilities should weigh that against the broad free core.

Key features

Krossboard consolidates clusters configured through one or more KUBECONFIG files, with reporting for namespaces, nodes, and clusters at minute, hour, day, and month intervals. The multiple time scales support both investigating shorter-term usage and reviewing longer trends for capacity planning. Namespace allocation granularity is useful when teams need to attribute usage within a cluster, while cost forecasting adds a forward-looking planning view.

CSV export lets teams carry analytics into their own analysis workflows. A deployed instance includes both a UI and a REST API, a practical combination for people who want dashboards and programmatic access. The Kubernetes Operator deploys and manages instances as pods, which suits teams already operating Kubernetes workloads.

Normal operation uses read-only access to Kubernetes metrics and core APIs. Enterprise managed-cluster autodiscovery covers AKS, EKS, and GKE, but requires read-only cloud IAM permissions; configuring deployment access requires cloud administration permissions. That distinction matters: read-only runtime access is narrower than the permissions needed to configure cloud access, so teams should account for the latter in their deployment process.

Pricing

ALWAYS FREE: 0.00 EUR per free. It includes unlimited clusters, core analytics, and CSV export, but not managed-cluster discovery or support. That makes it a compelling starting point for teams comfortable configuring clusters themselves and handling operations without vendor support.

ENTERPRISE: custom pricing, billed on-demand. It includes unlimited clusters, managed-cluster discovery, and one year of access to maintained versions for bug and security fixes. This is the relevant step up for organizations that need AKS, EKS, or GKE discovery and a defined maintenance period.

ENTERPRISE ADVANCED: custom pricing, billed on-demand. It includes unlimited clusters, managed-cluster discovery, up to three years of support, and specific onboarding support. It suits teams needing a longer maintenance horizon or help getting started; the trade-off is that cost depends on an on-demand quote.

All three plans allow unlimited clusters, so the key differences are discovery and support rather than cluster count. The free plan's lack of support is a meaningful limitation for teams that need vendor assistance.

Platforms

Krossboard supports web, self-hosted, and API access. The self-hosted Operator approach gives teams control over deploying instances as Kubernetes pods, while the web UI and REST API provide interface and programmatic access within a deployed instance.

Who it's for

Krossboard is best suited to Kubernetes operators and platform teams that need consolidated multi-cluster usage views, namespace-level allocation, exportable data, and cost forecasting. Its free plan is especially attractive when teams can manage deployment and support themselves. It is less suitable for teams that need managed-cluster discovery or vendor support without moving to a custom-priced plan, or that cannot accommodate the cloud permissions needed to configure discovery.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Unlimited clusters on every plan: teams can consolidate broad cluster estates without a stated cluster cap.
• Useful reporting range: namespace, node, and cluster views across minute-to-month intervals support both operational review and capacity planning.
• Portable and programmable analytics: CSV export and a REST API give teams options beyond the UI.
• Free core includes forecasting: the product offers cost forecasting and namespace allocation alongside core analytics at no software charge.

Cons

• No support on the free plan: teams must handle setup and operation themselves.
• Managed-cluster discovery is paid: autodiscovery for AKS, EKS, and GKE requires Enterprise or Enterprise Advanced.
• Cloud setup carries a permissions burden: configuring access requires cloud administration permissions, even though normal operation uses read-only Kubernetes access.
• Enterprise costs are custom: teams cannot compare a fixed price without obtaining an on-demand quote.

Alternatives

Kubernetes Cost Management Software is a useful category page for comparing other options. Consider Atmosly Kubernetes Cost Optimization instead if its free Personal plan's one-cluster, one-seat, one-project, two-environment, and ten-application limits suit your scope; it also includes a cost recommendations view.

KubeAdapt may fit teams that prefer an allowance based on the first 100 vCPU across an account, with all features and email support, rather than Krossboard's unlimited-cluster free core. PerfectScale is another option if a free allowance of up to 200 vCPU per month with unlimited clusters, nodes, and pods better matches the workload.

CloudBolt may be preferable for teams seeking full core CMP capabilities free up to 100 resources. For open-source alternatives, Klustercost is available under GPL-3.0, while KubeLedger is free for internal use, with source code available but not for resale as a managed service.

Podledger is an alternative for teams seeking a self-hosted, single-cloud community plan with basic cost dashboards and pod-level cost visibility. IBM Kubecost is another option for teams comparing Kubernetes cost monitoring plans.

Verdict

Choose Krossboard if your priority is unlimited-cluster usage analytics with namespace allocation, forecasting, and CSV/API access, and you can run the deployment without included support. Look elsewhere if managed-cluster discovery, vendor assistance, or a published Enterprise price is essential to your decision.