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Amundsen vs Glances

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Amundsen and Glances — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Amundsen vs Glances: at a glance

FeatureAmundsenGlances
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesdata-catalog, metadata, maintenance-mode, monorepo-releasessystem monitoring, security fixes, major version, rest api
Last editorial update3mo ago26m ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Amundsen?

Amundsen's last release was a config flag, and the feed has been silent for two years

Amundsen ships as several separately versioned components — databuilder, metadata, frontend, common — cut from one repository, and the release feed shows the same changelog republished under three different component tags on the same afternoon. Reading past the tag names, the content is overwhelmingly dependabot bumps, Python compatibility-matrix maintenance and mypy upgrades, with real features appearing a couple of times a year. The final release, databuilder 7.5.1 in August 2024, contains exactly one change: a config option for implicit transactions in the neo4j extractor.

Read the full Amundsen trajectory →

What is Glances?

Glances 4.5.9 closes out the 4.x line as a 5.0 beta opens for testing.

Glances 4.5.9 replaces the python-jose library, which carried a CVE, with PyJWT and updates every dependency. The notes say it is the last 4.x release and point users to a Glances 5.0.0 beta on Test PyPI and a dev Docker image. Most 4.5 releases this year were security and correctness fixes.

Read the full Glances trajectory →

Amundsen vs Glances: editorial side-by-side

A
Amundsen
ANALYTICS
0.0

Amundsen's last release was a config flag, and the feed has been silent for two years

◆ Current state

Amundsen ships as several separately versioned components — databuilder, metadata, frontend, common — cut from one repository, and the release feed shows the same changelog republished under three different component tags on the same afternoon. Reading past the tag names, the content is overwhelmingly dependabot bumps, Python compatibility-matrix maintenance and mypy upgrades, with real features appearing a couple of times a year. The final release, databuilder 7.5.1 in August 2024, contains exactly one change: a config option for implicit transactions in the neo4j extractor.

◆ Where it's heading

The direction is contraction. Python 3.7 support was dropped and the matrix narrowed to 3.8 and 3.9 before 3.10 was cautiously added to everything except the metadata service, contributor names moved to emeritus status, and organisations were removed from the README's adopter list. What feature work exists is small and peripheral — a PowerBI logo, aggregated alerts, a gremlin proxy method — rather than anything touching how the catalog works. Nothing has been published since August 2024.

◆ Prediction

There is no signal in these entries of planned work, and a two-year silence following a single-flag release means the practical expectation is no further releases; the component version skew across databuilder, metadata and frontend is now frozen where it stopped.

G
Glances
ANALYTICS
5.0

Glances 4.5.9 closes out the 4.x line as a 5.0 beta opens for testing.

◆ Current state

Glances 4.5.9 replaces the python-jose library, which carried a CVE, with PyJWT and updates every dependency. The notes say it is the last 4.x release and point users to a Glances 5.0.0 beta on Test PyPI and a dev Docker image. Most 4.5 releases this year were security and correctness fixes.

◆ Where it's heading

After a year of CVE patches and alert correctness work on 4.5, the project is ending the 4.x line and moving to 5.0. The feed does not yet describe what changes in 5.0.

◆ Prediction

Expect further 5.0 betas and then a 5.0.0 release; whether it changes the plugin model, web UI or API is not visible in these entries.

Alternatives to Amundsen and Glances

Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Amundsen or Glances.

See all Amundsen alternatives → · See all Glances alternatives →

Recent activity from Amundsen and Glances

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 2d agoGlancesGlances 4.5.9
  2. 29d agoGlancesGlances 4.5.8
  3. 29d agoGlancesPre-cutover tag before the v4 migration
  4. 1mo agoGlancesGlances 4.5.7 fixes dozens of wrong or silent alerts
  5. 3mo agoGlancesCredential leak via URL values in /api/4/config
  6. 4mo agoGlancesContainer API latency, ARM GPU monitoring, AMP command-execution fix
  7. 2y agoAmundsenDatabuilder 7.5.1 adds implicit-transaction config for the neo4j extractor
  8. 2y agoAmundsenDatabuilder 7.5.0 is dependency bumps and a Python 3.10 matrix
  9. 2y agoAmundsenMetadata 3.13.0 adds aggregating alerts and a gremlin proxy lookup
  10. 2y agoAmundsenFrontend 4.3.0 republishes the same changelog under a second tag
  11. 2y agoAmundsenCommon 0.32.0 republishes the same changelog under a third tag
  12. 2y agoAmundsenMetadata 3.12.3 clears frontend dependency vulnerabilities

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Amundsen and Glances?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Glances is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Amundsen better than Glances?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Glances is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Amundsen?

Top Amundsen alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Amundsen alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/amundsen for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Glances?

Top Glances alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Glances alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/glances for the full list with editorial commentary on each.