head to head · open source
Apache SkyWalking vs elastdocker
Apache SkyWalking has 24,988 GitHub stars, 6,632 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. elastdocker has 2,068 stars, 338 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Apache SkyWalking leads on adoption by 1,108% (24,988 vs 2,068 stars). Apache SkyWalking is written in Java under Apache-2.0; elastdocker is written in Dockerfile under MIT. Apache SkyWalking has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, elastdocker 16%. 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 (observability), 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 | elastdocker | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 2.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Java | Dockerfile |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.6K | ⑂ 338 |
| 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 elastdocker if
- You want the elastdocker feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Dockerfile
- You evaluated both and elastdocker fits your workflow better
About Apache SkyWalking
Apache SkyWalking ========== SkyWalking : an APM (Application Performance Monitoring) system, especially designed for microservices, cloud native and container based architectures. Abstract SkyWalking is an open source APM system that provides monitoring, tracing and diagnosing capabilities for distributed systems in Cloud Native architectures. Distributed Tracing End to end distributed tracing. Service topology analysis, service centric observability and APIs dashboards. Agents for your stack Java, .Net Core, PHP, NodeJS, Golang, LUA, Rust, C++, Client JavaScript and Python agents with active development and…
read the full Apache SkyWalking overview →
About elastdocker
Elast ic Stack on Docker Preconfigured Security, Tools, and Self Monitoring Configured to be ready to be used for Log, Metrics, APM, Alerting, Machine Learning, and Security (SIEM) usecases. Introduction Elastic Stack ( ELK ) Docker Composition, preconfigured with Security , Monitoring , and Tools ; Up with a Single Command. Suitable for Demoing, MVPs and small production deployments. Stack Version: 9.4.2 🎉 Based on Official Elastic Docker Images You can change Elastic Stack version by setting ELK VERSION in .env file and rebuild your images. Any version = 9.0.0 is compatible with this template. ⚠️ Upgrading…
read the full elastdocker overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache SkyWalking or elastdocker more popular?
Apache SkyWalking has 24,988 GitHub stars and elastdocker has 2,068. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache SkyWalking and elastdocker free?
Both are open source. Apache SkyWalking is licensed under Apache-2.0 and elastdocker under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache SkyWalking and elastdocker?
Apache SkyWalking is written in Java and elastdocker in Dockerfile. 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 elastdocker?
Choose Apache SkyWalking if you want the larger community (24,988 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose elastdocker if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.