PostgreSQL Exporter 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?
PostgreSQL Exporter
Prometheus exporter for PostgreSQL server metrics
VS
Apache SkyWalking
APM and observability for cloud-native architectures
| Feature | PostgreSQL Exporter | Apache SkyWalking |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, kubernetes | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,588 | ★ 24,915 |
| First released | 2016 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Datadog PostgreSQL, pganalyze | New Relic, Datadog |
Why pick each one
Choose PostgreSQL Exporter if…
- Battle-tested in production
- Rich default metrics
Choose Apache SkyWalking if…
- Full observability suite
- Strong Apache governance
Frequently asked questions
Is PostgreSQL Exporter or Apache SkyWalking better?
Neither is universally better. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community, while PostgreSQL Exporter is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are PostgreSQL Exporter and Apache SkyWalking free and open-source?
Yes. PostgreSQL Exporter is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Apache SkyWalking under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PostgreSQL Exporter and Apache SkyWalking with Docker?
PostgreSQL Exporter: yes. Apache SkyWalking: yes.