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nicolargo/glances

Cross-platform terminal and web system monitor for CPU, memory, disk, network, processes and containers, with a REST API and exports.

Open-source alternative to:htoptop

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What is it?

Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool written in Python, positioned as a top/htop alternative for GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS and Windows. It shows real-time CPU, memory, disk, network, process, logged-in user, temperature and fan information in a single dashboard, and it can also monitor Docker and LXC containers.

Beyond the local terminal interface, Glances can run as a server that exposes a web interface and a RESTful API for remote monitoring, and it can connect to other instances in client mode. Stats can be exported to CSV or JSON files, printed to stdout, or sent to databases and brokers such as InfluxDB, Prometheus, Kafka and PostgreSQL. A built-in MCP server lets AI assistants query system stats.

Glances is installed with pip, uvx, Docker, Homebrew or system packages, and it is extended through plugins and export modules.

Key features

  • 01Real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, disk, network, processes and sensors in a terminal dashboard.
  • 02Web interface and RESTful API in server mode, with optional password protection.
  • 03Client mode for viewing remote Glances servers, plus network autodiscovery.
  • 04Monitoring of Docker, Podman and LXC containers.
  • 05Export of stats to files, stdout, databases, brokers and REST endpoints.
  • 06Built-in MCP server for AI assistant integration and a Python API for scripting.

Use cases

  • Checking CPU, memory and disk load on a Linux server over SSH.
  • Monitoring several remote machines from one web dashboard.
  • Watching container resource usage on a Docker host.
  • Sending system metrics to Prometheus, InfluxDB or Kafka for long-term tracking.
  • Giving an AI assistant read access to live system stats.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Create and activate a virtual environment, then install Glances with pip

    python3 -m venv ~/.venv && source ~/.venv/bin/activate && pip install glances
  2. 2

    Run the standalone terminal monitor

    glances

Things to know

  • Installing psutil may need Python headers or a system package on Linux, and Windows requires the binary installer.
  • The web server is unprotected by default and must be given a password manually before exposing it.

Topics

#monitoring#system-monitoring#terminal#python#restful-api#docker#cli#observability#multi-platform#restful

FAQ

What is glances?
Cross-platform terminal and web system monitor for CPU, memory, disk, network, processes and containers, with a REST API and exports. Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool written in Python, positioned as a top/htop alternative for GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS and Windows. It shows real-time CPU, memory, disk, network, process, logged-in user, temperature and fan information in a single dashboard, and it can also monitor Docker and LXC containers.
Is glances free to use? What license does it have?
glances is open source under the Other license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is glances still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to glances was on Oct 18, 2026.
What can I use glances for?
Checking CPU, memory and disk load on a Linux server over SSH. Monitoring several remote machines from one web dashboard. Watching container resource usage on a Docker host. Sending system metrics to Prometheus, InfluxDB or Kafka for long-term tracking. Giving an AI assistant read access to live system stats.
How do I install glances?
Create and activate a virtual environment, then install Glances with pip: python3 -m venv ~/.venv && source ~/.venv/bin/activate && pip install glances Run the standalone terminal monitor: glances
Where can I get glances?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/nicolargo/glances

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