Smokeping 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.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureSmokepingApache SkyWalking
CategoryMonitoring & StatusMonitoring & Status
LicenseGPL-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguagePerlJava
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM128 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, docker, sourcedocker, kubernetes, helm
GitHub stars★ 1,938★ 24,915
First released20032015
ReplacesPRTGNew Relic, Datadog

Why pick each one

Choose Smokeping if…

  • Excellent for connection quality
  • Lightweight
Smokeping details

Choose Apache SkyWalking if…

  • Full observability suite
  • Strong Apache governance
Apache SkyWalking details

Frequently asked questions

Is Smokeping or Apache SkyWalking better?

Neither is universally better. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community, while Smokeping is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Smokeping and Apache SkyWalking free and open-source?

Yes. Smokeping is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Apache SkyWalking under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Smokeping and Apache SkyWalking with Docker?

Smokeping: yes. Apache SkyWalking: yes.

Related comparisons