head to head · open source
Apache SkyWalking vs goose
Apache SkyWalking has 24,988 GitHub stars, 6,632 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped yesterday. goose has 1,014 stars, 81 forks, 43 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Apache SkyWalking leads on adoption by 2,364% (24,988 vs 1,014 stars). Apache SkyWalking is written in Java under Apache-2.0; goose is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. Apache SkyWalking has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, goose 8%. goose was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (metrics), 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 | goose | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 1.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.6K | ⑂ 81 |
| 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 goose if
- You want the goose feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and goose 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 goose
Goose: A Powerful Load Testing Framework What is Load Testing? Load testing is a critical step in ensuring your web application can handle real world traffic patterns. It helps you identify performance bottlenecks, optimize resource allocation, and ensure a seamless user experience. Why Choose Goose? Fast and Scalable: Built with Rust, Goose is designed for speed and scalability. Flexible and Customizable: Supports simple and complex load tests, tailored to mimic real world user behavior. Realistic User Behavior Simulation: Goes beyond just sending requests; simulates user behaviors like logging in, filling out…
read the full goose overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache SkyWalking or goose more popular?
Apache SkyWalking has 24,988 GitHub stars and goose has 1,014. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache SkyWalking and goose free?
Both are open source. Apache SkyWalking is licensed under Apache-2.0 and goose under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache SkyWalking and goose?
Apache SkyWalking is written in Java and goose in Rust. 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 goose?
Choose Apache SkyWalking if you want the larger community (24,988 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose goose if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.