head to head · open source
Apache SkyWalking vs g3log
Apache SkyWalking has 24,958 GitHub stars, 6,633 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. g3log has 964 stars, 280 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped 16 days ago. Apache SkyWalking leads on adoption by 2,489% (24,958 vs 964 stars). Apache SkyWalking is written in Java under Apache-2.0; g3log is written in C++ under Unlicense. Apache SkyWalking has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, g3log 29%. 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 | g3log | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 964 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Unlicense |
| Written in | Java | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.6K | ⑂ 280 |
| 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 g3log if
- You want the g3log feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Unlicense license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and g3log 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 g3log
G3log is an asynchronous, crash safe C++ logging library for OSX, Windows, and several Linux distributions, aimed at C++ developers building critical task systems that must not lose log records when a process dies.
read the full g3log overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache SkyWalking or g3log more popular?
Apache SkyWalking has 24,958 GitHub stars and g3log has 964. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache SkyWalking and g3log free?
Both are open source. Apache SkyWalking is licensed under Apache-2.0 and g3log under Unlicense. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache SkyWalking and g3log?
Apache SkyWalking is written in Java and g3log in C++. 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 g3log?
Choose Apache SkyWalking if you want the larger community (24,958 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose g3log if its feature set, stack or Unlicense licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.