Netdata 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?
FeatureNetdataApache SkyWalking
CategoryMonitoring & StatusMonitoring & Status
LicenseGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguageGoJava
Setup difficultyEasyHard
Min. RAM256 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, kubernetesdocker, kubernetes, helm
GitHub stars★ 80,075★ 24,915
First released20132015
ReplacesDatadog, New RelicNew Relic, Datadog

Why pick each one

Choose Netdata if…

  • Instant insight out of the box
  • Beautiful real-time charts
  • Easy install
Netdata details

Choose Apache SkyWalking if…

  • Full observability suite
  • Strong Apache governance
Apache SkyWalking details

Frequently asked questions

Is Netdata or Apache SkyWalking better?

Netdata 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 Netdata and Apache SkyWalking free and open-source?

Yes. Netdata is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Apache SkyWalking under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Netdata and Apache SkyWalking with Docker?

Netdata: yes. Apache SkyWalking: yes.

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