Apache SkyWalking vs Speedtest Exporter
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?
Apache SkyWalking
APM and observability for cloud-native architectures
VS
Speedtest Exporter
Prometheus exporter for internet speed test results
| Feature | Apache SkyWalking | Speedtest Exporter |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,915 | ★ 238 |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | New Relic, Datadog | Speedtest.net |
Why pick each one
Choose Apache SkyWalking if…
- Full observability suite
- Strong Apache governance
Choose Speedtest Exporter if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache SkyWalking or Speedtest Exporter better?
Neither is universally better. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community, while Speedtest Exporter is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Apache SkyWalking and Speedtest Exporter free and open-source?
Yes. Apache SkyWalking is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Speedtest Exporter under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache SkyWalking and Speedtest Exporter with Docker?
Apache SkyWalking: yes. Speedtest Exporter: yes.