head to head · open source
Apache SkyWalking vs Cloudlog
Apache SkyWalking has 24,958 GitHub stars, 6,633 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Cloudlog has 575 stars, 208 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. Apache SkyWalking leads on adoption by 4,241% (24,958 vs 575 stars). Apache SkyWalking is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Cloudlog is written in PHP under MIT. Apache SkyWalking has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, Cloudlog 36%. Apache SkyWalking was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (logging), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Apache SkyWalking | Cloudlog | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 575 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Java | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.6K | ⑂ 208 |
| 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 Cloudlog if
- You want the Cloudlog feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Cloudlog 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 Cloudlog
Cloudlog is a self hosted, web based amateur radio logging application written in PHP and backed by MySQL, aimed at licensed amateur radio operators who want to record their contacts (QSOs) from any browser with an active internet connection instead of being tied to one machine.
read the full Cloudlog overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache SkyWalking or Cloudlog more popular?
Apache SkyWalking has 24,958 GitHub stars and Cloudlog has 575. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache SkyWalking and Cloudlog free?
Both are open source. Apache SkyWalking is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Cloudlog under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache SkyWalking and Cloudlog?
Apache SkyWalking is written in Java and Cloudlog 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 Cloudlog?
Choose Apache SkyWalking if you want the larger community (24,958 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Cloudlog if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.