Glances - System Monitoring
Basic Information
- Company/Brand: Glances (Open Source Community Project)
- Founder: Nicolas Hennion (nicolargo)
- Country/Region: France
- Official Website: https://nicolargo.github.io/glances/
- GitHub: https://github.com/nicolargo/glances
- Type: Open Source Cross-Platform System Monitoring Tool
- Founded: 2011
- Funding Status: Community-Driven Open Source Project
Product Description
Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool written in Python, serving as a modern alternative to top/htop. It provides extensive monitoring information through a curses terminal interface or a web interface, supporting comprehensive data collection from CPU, memory, storage, network, sensors, to containers. The Glances 4.4.0 version (2025) introduces Python API library integration and a Neofetch-style system snapshot mode.
Core Features
- Comprehensive System Monitoring: CPU, memory, storage, network, sensor, and container performance data
- Multi-Interface Modes: Terminal curses interface, Web interface, Python API
- 15+ Export Backends: Supports InfluxDB, Elasticsearch, Prometheus, PostgreSQL/TimescaleDB, Graphite, Kafka, RabbitMQ, etc.
- Python API (New in 4.4.0): Can be integrated as a Python library into custom projects
- --fetch Snapshot Mode: Neofetch-style system status snapshot display
- XML-RPC Server and RESTful JSON API: Supports remote monitoring and third-party integration
- Open Architecture: Supports custom plugins and export modules
- Cross-Platform: GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows
Business Model
- Completely Free and Open Source: LGPL v3 License
- Community Support: Through GitHub and community forums
System Requirements
- Python 3.10 or higher
- Supports GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows
Target Users
- System Administrators
- DevOps Engineers
- Developers (who need quick system status checks)
- Python Developers (utilizing API integration)
- Automated scripts requiring system snapshots
Competitive Advantages
- Provides more comprehensive information than top/htop
- Web interface supports remote monitoring
- 15+ export backends integrate with monitoring ecosystems
- Python API can be embedded into custom projects
- Consistent cross-platform experience
- Open architecture supports plugin extensions
Comparison with Competitors
| Dimension | Glances | htop | btop | Netdata |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Python | C | C++ | C |
| Web Interface | Supported | Not Supported | Not Supported | Supported |
| API | REST + Python | None | None | REST |
| Export Backends | 15+ | None | None | Built-in |
| Resource Usage | Medium | Very Low | Low | Medium |
| Container Monitoring | Supported | Not Supported | Limited | Supported |
Relationship with OpenClaw Ecosystem
Glances provides lightweight yet feature-rich system monitoring capabilities for the OpenClaw ecosystem. Its Python API can be directly integrated into OpenClaw's Python backend, enabling programmatic system resource monitoring. The 15+ export backends allow Glances to send data to time-series databases like Prometheus and InfluxDB, integrating with OpenClaw's Grafana visualization layer. The web interface offers the convenience of remote system status viewing without SSH.
External References
Learn more from these authoritative sources: