# Pixie

> Apache-2.0 eBPF in-cluster observability for Kubernetes

**Category:** Observability  
**Pricing:** open-source  
**URL:** https://px.dev  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/pixie-io/pixie  
**Added:** 2026-10-18

---

## The Hook

Pixie is a CNCF observability tool for Kubernetes that uses eBPF to capture service maps, full-body requests, network and resource metrics and profiles automatically, and stores and queries them inside the cluster.

## What's Good

Apache-2.0 (pixie-io/pixie), developed since 2020. No code changes: eBPF collects HTTP, gRPC, DNS and database traffic, CPU profiles and more. Data stays in the cluster and the project says it uses under 5% of cluster CPU, usually under 2%. PxL, a Pythonic query language, works across the UI, CLI and APIs. ★~6.5k.

## The Catch

Data is kept in memory in-cluster for a short window, so it is for live debugging, not long-term retention. It needs a supported Linux kernel and privileged pods. Running the control plane yourself is more involved than using a hosted Pixie cloud. Release tags are split by component and some are old, so follow the docs for current versions.

## Verdict

Magic for live Kubernetes debugging — pair it with long-term storage elsewhere.