Apache SkyWalking vs Superset

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

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FeatureApache SkyWalkingSuperset
CategoryMonitoring & StatusWeb Analytics
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageJavaPython
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM2,048 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, helmbare-metal
GitHub stars★ 24,915★ 74,178
First released20152026
ReplacesNew Relic, Datadog

Why pick each one

Choose Apache SkyWalking if…

  • Full observability suite
  • Strong Apache governance
Apache SkyWalking details

Choose Superset if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • Mature project with 74.2k GitHub stars
  • Written in Python
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Superset details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache SkyWalking or Superset better?

Superset 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 Apache SkyWalking and Superset free and open-source?

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

Can I run Apache SkyWalking and Superset with Docker?

Apache SkyWalking: yes. Superset: check the project docs for container support.

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