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Open-Source Observability · perses

perses

Perses is a CNCF sandbox dashboard tool that unifies observability data from Prometheus, Tempo, Loki, and Pyroscope into a single interface. It supports both interactive dashboarding and GitOps-friendly Dashboard-as-Code workflows via SDKs and CLI tooling.

Source: GitHub — github.com/perses/perses
2.3k
GitHub stars
208
Forks
Go
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.

FieldValue
Repositoryperses/perses
Ownerperses
Primary languageGo
LicenseApache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars2.3k
Forks208
Open issues270
Latest releasev0.53.1 (2026-03-12)
Last updated2026-07-08
Sourcehttps://github.com/perses/perses

What perses is

Written in Go with a React frontend, Perses provides a standardized dashboard specification, plugin architecture, and Kubernetes-native deployment via CRDs (Perses Operator). It exposes npm packages for embedding panels and offers SDKs in Go and CueLang for programmatic dashboard definition.

Quickstart

Get the perses source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash
git clone https://github.com/perses/perses.gitcd perses# follow the project's README for install & configuration

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

Best use cases

Multi-signal observability dashboards

Consolidate metrics (Prometheus), traces (Tempo), logs (Loki), and profiles (Pyroscope) in a single pane of glass without switching between tools.

Infrastructure-as-Code dashboard management

Use Dashboard-as-Code SDKs and CLI to version-control dashboards, integrate with CI/CD pipelines, and enforce schema validation across teams.

Kubernetes-native observability

Deploy dashboard definitions as CRDs into application namespaces via the Perses Operator for declarative, GitOps-aligned monitoring.

Implementation considerations

  • Data model is reported as stable; however, verify SDK compatibility if planning programmatic dashboard creation across future releases.
  • Plugin architecture exists (core plugins in perses/plugins repo) but requires understanding of plugin loading and custom implementation if extending beyond defaults.
  • Authentication and authorization are available but require configuration; review security documentation for your environment's compliance needs.
  • NodeJS 22+, npm 10+, and Go 1.23+ needed for building from source; precompiled binaries and Docker images reduce build complexity.
  • SBOM artifacts (SPDX JSON, CycloneDX JSON) are provided per release; review dependency chain if required for supply-chain security policies.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

  • You require production-hardened stability guarantees — Perses is a CNCF sandbox project (not graduated). Data model is stable, but breaking changes to APIs or plugin contracts remain possible as the project matures.
  • You need extensive out-of-the-box integrations — Currently supports four data sources (Prometheus, Tempo, Loki, Pyroscope). Wider datasource coverage is planned but not yet available.
  • Your team lacks DevOps/Kubernetes expertise — Kubernetes-native mode requires CRDs and operators. GitOps workflows demand familiarity with versioning, CI/CD, and IaC patterns.
  • You need vendor-backed SLA or commercial support — Perses is open-source community-driven. No evidence of commercial support contracts or enterprise SLA guarantees in provided data.

License & commercial use

Licensed under Apache License 2.0, a permissive OSI-approved license permitting commercial use, modification, and redistribution with attribution and notice of changes.

Apache-2.0 permits commercial use, but Perses is community-driven with no evidence of vendor backing or commercial support channels in provided data. Organizations using it commercially should establish internal support capacity and monitor project health independently.

DEV.co evaluation signals

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

SignalAssessment
MaintenanceActive
DocumentationAdequate
License clarityClear
Deployment complexityModerate
DEV.co fitGood
Assessment confidenceHigh
Security considerations

Project displays OpenSSF Best Practices badge and Scorecard, indicating security-conscious development. Authentication and authorization are stated as available; configuration and hardening are operator responsibilities. SBOM artifacts enable dependency auditing. No security incidents or exploit details evident in provided data; conduct threat modeling relative to your environment and data sensitivity.

Alternatives to consider

Grafana

Mature, widely adopted dashboard and alerting platform supporting many data sources; established commercial support; higher operational overhead and potential lock-in.

Datadog

SaaS observability platform with native multi-signal correlation (metrics, traces, logs, profiles); no self-hosted option; vendor lock-in and cost considerations.

Prometheus native UI + ecosystem tools

Minimal, lightweight, avoids external dashboard layer; lacks unified trace/log/profile views and GitOps tooling; suitable only for metrics-only teams.

Software development agency

Build on perses with DEV.co software developers

Review the Perses documentation, try the online demo at demo.perses.dev, and assess plugin and SDK requirements for your team's workflow before production rollout.

Talk to DEV.co

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perses FAQ

Can I run Perses in production?
Yes; it is in active development with stable data models. However, as a CNCF sandbox project, expect potential breaking changes. Review release notes and test upgrades in staging.
Do I need Kubernetes to use Perses?
No. Perses runs as a standalone application (binary, Docker). Kubernetes-native mode (CRDs, Perses Operator) is optional and beneficial for multi-team, declarative scenarios.
What if I need a data source beyond Prometheus, Tempo, Loki, Pyroscope?
Plugin architecture supports custom data sources. Roadmap indicates expansion planned. Assess custom plugin development cost and maintenance burden for unsupported datasources.
Is there commercial support available?
Not evident in provided data. Perses is community-driven. Organizations should plan internal support, monitor GitHub issues, and engage community channels for assistance.

Software development & web development with DEV.co

Need help beyond evaluating perses? DEV.co is a software development agency offering software development services and web development for teams of every size. Our software developers and web developers build custom software, web applications, APIs, and open-source observability integrations — and maintain them long-term.

Evaluate Perses for Your Observability Stack

Review the Perses documentation, try the online demo at demo.perses.dev, and assess plugin and SDK requirements for your team's workflow before production rollout.