Open-Source DevOps · cyclops-ui

cyclops

Cyclops is an open-source Kubernetes UI platform that abstracts YAML complexity and templating, allowing non-Kubernetes-expert teams (developers, QA, product managers) to deploy and configure applications through customizable web interfaces. It leverages Helm charts and JSON-Schema-based templates to turn multi-hour configuration tasks into click-driven workflows.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/cyclops-ui/cyclops

3.3k

GitHub stars

761

Forks

Primary language

Apache-2.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	cyclops-ui/cyclops
Owner	cyclops-ui
Primary language	Go
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	3.3k
Forks	761
Open issues	85
Latest release	v0.21.1 (2025-06-26)
Last updated	2026-01-22
Source	https://github.com/cyclops-ui/cyclops

What cyclops is

Built in Go with a React/TypeScript frontend, Cyclops functions as a Kubernetes CRD controller and operator that renders dynamic UIs from Helm chart schemas. It uses templates to generate validated configuration forms, then applies resulting manifests to the cluster; it integrates with GitHub for template distribution and provides a CLI (cyctl) for automation.

Quickstart

Get the cyclops source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/cyclops-ui/cyclops.git2cd cyclops3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Multi-team Kubernetes deployment simplification

Enables DevOps to design once-per-service templates, letting developers, QA, and product teams deploy without Kubernetes expertise. Particularly valuable in organizations where not all teams have Kubernetes knowledge.

Helm chart democratization

Convert existing Helm charts into branded, validated UI forms without code changes. Reuse public Helm repos (e.g., Bitnami, stable) to instantly provide standardized deployment interfaces for common services.

Self-service platform engineering

Internal Developer Platform (IDP) teams can publish templates via GitHub, auto-syncing to Cyclops instances. Enables GitOps-like workflows with GitHub Actions integration for continuous template updates and deployments.

Implementation considerations

Prerequisite: existing Kubernetes cluster (supports AKS, EKS, GKE per topics). Verify cluster networking and RBAC policies before deployment.
Template design is critical: DevOps must map team workflows into Helm-based templates using JSON-Schema. Poor template design negates UX benefits.
GitHub integration for template distribution requires GitHub account/organization access; consider fork strategy for private templates.
No built-in secret management visible in data; review how sensitive values (credentials, keys) will be stored and passed to templates.
Cyclops runs as a Kubernetes operator/controller; ensure resource quotas and node capacity allocated for cyclops namespace.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Requires deep Kubernetes manifest control — If teams need fine-grained, unrestricted Kubernetes manifest editing or non-Helm-based infrastructure-as-code, Cyclops' templating abstraction may be overly restrictive.
Compliance-critical environments without RBAC — Roadmap shows authentication and RBAC are not yet implemented. Current deployment does not support per-user resource access limits, making it unsuitable for regulated environments until these features ship.
Kustomize-only or multi-templating-engine stacks — Cyclops currently supports only Helm for template generation. If your toolchain requires Kustomize, Jsonnet, or other templating engines, alternatives are necessary.
Air-gapped or private-Helm-repo-only deployments — Cyclops fetches templates and Helm charts from public repositories and GitHub by default. Highly restricted network environments may require significant customization.

License & commercial use

Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (SPDX: Apache-2.0), a permissive OSI-approved license permitting commercial use, modification, and distribution with limited liability and no warranty.

Apache 2.0 permits commercial use. No proprietary dependencies or commercial licensing restrictions stated in available data. Organizations may deploy, modify, and integrate Cyclops in commercial products; however, review any vendored third-party dependencies (Go modules, npm packages) for their own license constraints. No guarantee of commercial support availability without separate agreement.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Moderate
DEV.co fit	Strong
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

Current state: No authentication or role-based access control (both on roadmap). Cyclops applies Kubernetes manifests directly; validate template schemas to prevent injection. Runs as cluster operator with elevated permissions. Helm repos must be trusted sources. Private GitHub template repos require GitHub credentials. Secret handling not clearly documented; assess how sensitive configuration values are managed and encrypted. Conduct threat model review before production use in multi-tenant environments.

Alternatives to consider

Argocd + custom UI layer

GitOps-native, strong RBAC and multi-tenancy, industry-standard observability. Requires more operational overhead but provides stronger governance for regulated environments.

Helm directly with standard package managers (e.g., Glasskube)

Glasskube (mentioned as alternative install method) provides CLI-first package management. Lighter-weight than Cyclops if UI abstraction is not the primary blocker.

Kyverno + policy-driven templating

Policy-as-code approach for Kubernetes resource validation and governance. Complements rather than replaces templating, better for compliance-heavy scenarios.

Software development agency

Build on cyclops with DEV.co software developers

Evaluate Cyclops for your platform engineering stack. Review security requirements (auth/RBAC roadmap), plan template strategy, and pilot with existing Helm charts. Active community on Discord.

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cyclops FAQ

Does Cyclops replace Helm or Kustomize?

No. Cyclops uses Helm charts as the underlying template engine to generate UI forms. It abstracts the complexity of editing Helm values; Kustomize support is on the roadmap but not yet available.

How does Cyclops handle secrets and sensitive configuration?

Not clearly documented in available data. Review whether Cyclops integrates with Kubernetes secrets, external secret managers (e.g., Vault), or if values are passed to Helm in plaintext. Requires security audit before production use.

Can teams use Cyclops without Kubernetes knowledge?

Yes, that is the core design goal. A DevOps team authors templates once; other teams then use the UI without understanding YAML or Kubernetes concepts. However, template design requires Kubernetes and Helm expertise.

What is the deployment footprint?

Cyclops deploys as a single namespace (cyclops) with a Go-based controller and React-based UI service. Exact resource requirements not specified in README; verify CPU/memory based on cluster size and template complexity.

Custom software development services

From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like cyclops. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source devops and beyond.

Ready to simplify Kubernetes for your team?

Evaluate Cyclops for your platform engineering stack. Review security requirements (auth/RBAC roadmap), plan template strategy, and pilot with existing Helm charts. Active community on Discord.

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