Glances vs Zabbix
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted monitoring & status options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Glances
Cross-platform system monitoring at a glance
VS
Zabbix
Enterprise-grade open-source monitoring solution
| Feature | Glances | Zabbix |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go Template |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 33,666 | ★ 6,411 |
| First released | 2012 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Datadog | Datadog, Nagios |
What are Glances and Zabbix?
Glances
Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool that presents a wide range of host metrics in a terminal or web view. It targets administrators wanting a quick overview of a single machine. It is deployed via Docker, pip, or packages.
- Terminal and web monitoring views
- Wide range of metrics
- REST API and exporters
- Cross-platform support
Zabbix
Zabbix is an enterprise-class monitoring solution for networks, servers, cloud, and applications with deep alerting. It targets organizations needing comprehensive infrastructure monitoring. It is deployed via Docker or native packages.
- Agent and agentless monitoring
- Powerful triggers and alerting
- Network discovery and maps
- Highly scalable
Glances vs Zabbix: key differences
Glances is written in Python, while Zabbix is built with Go Template. Licensing differs — LGPL-3.0 for Glances versus AGPL-3.0 for Zabbix. Glances is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Zabbix. Zabbix is the more established project (first released 2001), while Glances arrived in 2012. Glances has the considerably larger community, at 33,666 GitHub stars versus 6,411.
Why pick each one
Choose Glances if…
- Very easy to run
- Lightweight
- Good single-host overview
Watch out for
- Best for one host at a time
- Limited history
Choose Zabbix if…
- Comprehensive and mature
- Scales to large estates
- Fully free
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Dated interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Glances or Zabbix better?
Glances is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Zabbix if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Glances and Zabbix free and open-source?
Yes. Glances is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and Zabbix under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Glances and Zabbix with Docker?
Glances: yes. Zabbix: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Glances or Zabbix?
Glances has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Zabbix. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.