Apache SkyWalking vs Uptime Kuma

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?
FeatureApache SkyWalkingUptime Kuma
CategoryMonitoring & StatusMonitoring & Status
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageJavaJavaScript
Setup difficultyHardEasy
Min. RAM2,048 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, helmdocker
GitHub stars★ 24,915★ 89,960
First released20152021
ReplacesNew Relic, DatadogPingdom, UptimeRobot

Why pick each one

Choose Apache SkyWalking if…

  • Full observability suite
  • Strong Apache governance
Apache SkyWalking details

Choose Uptime Kuma if…

  • Very easy to use
  • Great notifications
  • Lightweight
Uptime Kuma details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache SkyWalking or Uptime Kuma better?

Uptime Kuma 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 Apache SkyWalking and Uptime Kuma free and open-source?

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

Can I run Apache SkyWalking and Uptime Kuma with Docker?

Apache SkyWalking: yes. Uptime Kuma: yes.

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