Beszel vs Proxmox Pulse
Pulse reads platform APIs: Proxmox VE/PBS/PMG, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS and vSphere, with real-time updates and AI-assisted alerting. Beszel drops a lightweight agent on any Linux host and gives you a clean dashboard. Your choice depends on whether you are watching platforms or plain servers.
Beszel vs Proxmox Pulse: The Verdict
Beszel is a general-purpose server monitor: one small agent per Linux host, full historical metrics, alerts and multi-user support, free and open source. Pulse is an infrastructure monitor that hooks into Proxmox VE/PBS/PMG, Docker/Podman, Kubernetes, TrueNAS and vSphere. Pulse is MIT but no longer free-only: Community is free with 7-day history, Relay $39/yr and Pro $79/yr add history, remote access and AI Patrol. Choose Beszel for plain Linux hosts and VPS instances; choose Pulse for deep platform visibility. Neither of them answers "is my site up", which is a separate job: Uptime Kuma vs Pulse covers that split if what you are really weighing is infrastructure detail against endpoint availability. If neither is quite the shape you need, Beszel alternatives: 14 monitoring tools compared ranks the rest on what they measure, RAM per host and price.
Last updated: 2026-07-30Quick Comparison
| Feature | Proxmox Pulse | Beszel |
|---|---|---|
| Target Platform | Proxmox VE/PBS/PMG, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS, vSphere | Any Linux server + Docker |
| Starting Price | Community free; Relay $39/yr; Pro price on request | $3/mo (hosted on InstaPods) |
| Real-Time Updates | WebSocket-based (near-instant) | 1-minute polling intervals |
| VM Monitoring | Yes (native Proxmox VMs) | No (servers and Docker only) |
| Docker Monitoring | Yes (Docker and Podman workloads) | Per-container CPU, memory, network |
| Multi-Host | Proxmox cluster nodes | Any mix of servers |
| Historical Data | 7 days free, 14 days Relay, 90 days Pro | Full history (days/weeks/months) |
| Alerting | Basic alerts | Threshold alerts (CPU, memory, disk) |
| Setup | One-line installer (Proxmox only) | Hub + agent (any Linux) |
| Multi-User | Limited | Yes (multiple users + OAuth) |
| Source Code | MIT license (open source) | MIT license (open source) |
Where Proxmox Pulse Gets Expensive
Trade-offs to weigh before committing.
Built Around Platforms, Not Plain Servers
Pulse hooks into platform APIs: Proxmox VE/PBS/PMG, Docker/Podman, Kubernetes, TrueNAS and vSphere. A bare $5 VPS or a Raspberry Pi with no orchestrator underneath is not what it is designed for. Beszel drops an agent on any Linux host and starts reporting.
History Is Tier-Gated
Community keeps 7 days of metric history. You need Relay ($39/yr) for 14 days, or Pro for 90 days, and Pro no longer publishes a price (checked 6 August 2026). Beszel keeps as much history as your disk allows, on the free open-source build.
Paid Tiers for Remote Access
Reaching the Pulse UI from outside your network, plus mobile pairing and push notifications, is a Relay feature at $39/yr. Beszel on InstaPods is reachable from anywhere on a custom domain at $3/mo, with no feature gate.
Heavier Than a Simple Metrics Dashboard
Pulse is growing into an infrastructure platform with AI Patrol runs, RBAC and audit logging. That is genuinely useful if you need it. If you just want CPU, memory and disk graphs with alerts, Beszel is the smaller, simpler tool.
Why Self-Host with Beszel?
What you get when you pick this stack.
Works Everywhere
Monitor any Linux server: Proxmox hosts, Docker hosts, VPS instances, Raspberry Pis, cloud VMs. One tool for your entire infrastructure, not just Proxmox.
Docker-Native Monitoring
Beszel provides dedicated per-container metrics for CPU, memory, and network. Built for the Docker-first workflows that most self-hosters use today.
Rich Historical Data
Track metrics over days, weeks, and months. Spot trends, plan capacity, and diagnose intermittent issues with full historical context.
Multi-User with OAuth
Share your monitoring dashboard with team members. Beszel supports multiple users and OAuth authentication, making it suitable for small teams.
Real Cost Comparison
Monitoring a mixed setup: 2 Proxmox nodes + 3 Docker VPS instances.
- Pulse Community: free (covers the 2 Proxmox nodes)
- Bare VPS instances: not what Pulse targets
- Metric history: 7 days on Community
- Remote access to the UI: Relay, $39/yr
- InstaPods Launch plan: $3/mo (Beszel hub)
- Beszel agents: free (on all 5 servers)
- Monitors Proxmox hosts + Docker VPS
- Single dashboard for everything
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Beszel monitor Proxmox?
Yes. Beszel can monitor Proxmox hosts as Linux servers, tracking CPU, memory, disk, and network metrics. However, it doesn't have native Proxmox API integration for VM-level stats the way Pulse does. For Proxmox-specific VM and LXC monitoring, Pulse is the better choice.
Should I use Beszel or Pulse for my homelab?
If your homelab is entirely Proxmox-based, Pulse gives you the best Proxmox-specific experience with real-time VM stats. If you have a mix of Docker hosts, VPS instances, and Proxmox nodes, Beszel covers everything in one dashboard. Some users run both: Pulse for Proxmox details, Beszel for everything else.
What is Proxmox Pulse?
Pulse (github.com/rcourtman/Pulse) is an MIT-licensed monitoring tool that started as a real-time Proxmox VE dashboard and now also covers Proxmox PBS/PMG, Docker/Podman, Kubernetes, TrueNAS and vSphere, with smart alerts and AI "Patrol" runs that hunt for silent failures. Core monitoring is free, but it is no longer free-only: as of July 2026 Community is free with 7-day metric history, Relay is $39/yr or $4.99/mo (14-day history, remote access, mobile push), and Pro is $79/yr or $8.99/mo (90-day history, Patrol investigations, RBAC and audit logging). MSP plans start at $149/mo.
What is the best monitoring tool for a homelab?
For most homelabs, Beszel is the best starting point. It's lightweight (<10MB RAM per agent), covers servers and Docker containers, and takes minutes to set up. Add Proxmox Pulse if you run Proxmox and want VM-level detail. Add Dozzle if you need Docker log viewing. Add Uptime Kuma if you need endpoint monitoring.
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