head to head · open source
Apache SkyWalking vs Cachet
Apache SkyWalking has 24,954 GitHub stars, 6,634 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Cachet has 15,244 stars, 1,633 forks, 7 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Apache SkyWalking leads on adoption by 64% (24,954 vs 15,244 stars). Apache SkyWalking is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Cachet is written in PHP under a custom or non-standard licence. Apache SkyWalking has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, Cachet 11%. Cachet was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Apache SkyWalking | Cachet | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 15K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Java | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.6K | ⑂ 1.6K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Apache SkyWalking if
- You weight community size — 25K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Cachet if
- You want the Cachet feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Cachet fits your workflow better
About Apache SkyWalking
Apache SkyWalking is an open source application performance monitoring (APM) system for distributed systems in cloud native architectures, built for teams that run microservices across Kubernetes and container based environments.
read the full Apache SkyWalking overview →
About Cachet
Cachet is an open source, self hosted status page system. It lives in the PHP and Laravel ecosystem, and it is categorized under Infrastructure and Operations and Monitoring and Observability. The project is intended for teams that need a dedicated place to communicate service status and downtime in a transparent way.
read the full Cachet overview →
More in Infrastructure & Operations
Related comparisons
More Monitoring & Observability projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Monitoring & Observability field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache SkyWalking or Cachet more popular?
Apache SkyWalking has 24,954 GitHub stars and Cachet has 15,244. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache SkyWalking and Cachet free?
Both are open source. Apache SkyWalking is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Cachet has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Apache SkyWalking and Cachet?
Apache SkyWalking is written in Java and Cachet in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Apache SkyWalking or Cachet?
Choose Apache SkyWalking if you want the larger community (24,954 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Cachet if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.