head to head · open source
Apache SkyWalking vs opensre
Apache SkyWalking has 24,988 GitHub stars, 6,632 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. opensre has 12,696 stars, 1,864 forks, 67 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Apache SkyWalking leads on adoption by 97% (24,988 vs 12,696 stars). Apache SkyWalking is written in Java under Apache-2.0; opensre is written in Python under Apache-2.0. Apache SkyWalking has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, opensre 15%. opensre 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 | opensre | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 13K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.6K | ⑂ 1.9K |
| 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 opensre if
- You want the opensre feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and opensre 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 opensre
OpenSRE v0.1: Build Your Own AI SRE Agents The open source framework for AI SRE agents, and the training and evaluation environment they need to improve. Connect the 60+ tools you already run, define your own workflows, and answer production questions on your own infrastructure. Quickstart · Docs · FAQ · Security 🚧 Public Alpha: Core workflows are usable for early exploration, though not yet fully stable. The project is in active development, and APIs and integrations may evolve Table of Contents Why OpenSRE? Install Quick Start Deployment How OpenSRE Works Capabilities & integrations Contributing & development…
read the full opensre overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache SkyWalking or opensre more popular?
Apache SkyWalking has 24,988 GitHub stars and opensre has 12,696. Apache SkyWalking has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache SkyWalking and opensre free?
Both are open source. Apache SkyWalking is licensed under Apache-2.0 and opensre under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache SkyWalking and opensre?
Apache SkyWalking is written in Java and opensre in Python. 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 opensre?
Choose Apache SkyWalking if you want the larger community (24,988 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose opensre if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.