Plausible vs Apache SkyWalking

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeaturePlausibleApache SkyWalking
CategoryWeb AnalyticsMonitoring & Status
LicenseAGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguageElixirJava
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM1,024 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, kubernetes, helm
GitHub stars★ 28,416★ 24,915
First released20192015
ReplacesGoogle AnalyticsNew Relic, Datadog

Why pick each one

Choose Plausible if…

  • Privacy-friendly by design
  • Simple and fast
  • Lightweight script
Plausible details

Choose Apache SkyWalking if…

  • Full observability suite
  • Strong Apache governance
Apache SkyWalking details

Frequently asked questions

Is Plausible or Apache SkyWalking better?

Plausible is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Apache SkyWalking if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Plausible and Apache SkyWalking free and open-source?

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

Can I run Plausible and Apache SkyWalking with Docker?

Plausible: yes. Apache SkyWalking: yes.

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