Glances vs Apache SkyWalking
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted monitoring & status options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Glances
Cross-platform system monitoring at a glance
VS
Apache SkyWalking
APM and observability for cloud-native architectures
| Feature | Glances | Apache SkyWalking |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 33,666 | ★ 24,962 |
| First released | 2012 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Datadog | New Relic, Datadog |
What are Glances and Apache SkyWalking?
Glances
Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool that presents a wide range of host metrics in a terminal or web view. It targets administrators wanting a quick overview of a single machine. It is deployed via Docker, pip, or packages.
- Terminal and web monitoring views
- Wide range of metrics
- REST API and exporters
- Cross-platform support
Apache SkyWalking
Apache SkyWalking is an APM and observability platform for distributed systems, especially microservices and cloud-native architectures. It provides tracing, metrics, logging, and service topology analysis.
- Distributed tracing and metrics
- Service topology maps
- eBPF and OTel integration
- Alerting engine
Glances vs Apache SkyWalking: key differences
Glances is written in Python, while Apache SkyWalking is built with Java. Licensing differs — LGPL-3.0 for Glances versus Apache-2.0 for Apache SkyWalking. Glances is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Apache SkyWalking. Glances is the more established project (first released 2012), while Apache SkyWalking arrived in 2015.
Why pick each one
Choose Glances if…
- Very easy to run
- Lightweight
- Good single-host overview
Watch out for
- Best for one host at a time
- Limited history
Choose Apache SkyWalking if…
- Full observability suite
- Strong Apache governance
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Storage backend required
Frequently asked questions
Is Glances or Apache SkyWalking better?
Glances is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Apache SkyWalking if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Glances and Apache SkyWalking free and open-source?
Yes. Glances is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and Apache SkyWalking under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Glances and Apache SkyWalking with Docker?
Glances: yes. Apache SkyWalking: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Glances or Apache SkyWalking?
Glances has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Apache SkyWalking. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.