head to head · open source
etcd vs VictoriaMetrics
etcd has 52,441 GitHub stars, 10,552 forks, 351 open issues and last shipped yesterday. VictoriaMetrics has 18,000 stars, 1,795 forks, 800 open issues and last shipped yesterday. etcd leads on adoption by 191% (52,441 vs 18,000 stars). etcd is written in Go under Apache-2.0; VictoriaMetrics is written in Go under Apache-2.0. etcd has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, VictoriaMetrics 10%. etcd was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (database, kubernetes), 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
| etcd | VictoriaMetrics | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 18K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 11K | ⑂ 1.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick etcd if
- You weight community size — 52K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick VictoriaMetrics if
- You want the VictoriaMetrics feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and VictoriaMetrics fits your workflow better
About etcd
etcd Note : The main branch may be in an unstable or even broken state during development. For stable versions, see [releases][github release]. etcd is a distributed reliable key value store for the most critical data of a distributed system, with a focus on being: Simple : well defined, user facing API (gRPC) Secure : automatic TLS with optional client cert authentication Fast : benchmarked 10,000 writes/sec Reliable : properly distributed using Raft etcd is written in Go and uses the [Raft][] consensus algorithm to manage a highly available replicated log. etcd is used in production by many companies, and the…
About VictoriaMetrics
VictoriaMetrics VictoriaMetrics is a fast, cost effective, and scalable solution for monitoring and managing time series data. It delivers high performance and reliability, making it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes. Here are some resources and information about VictoriaMetrics: Case studies : Grammarly, Roblox, Wix, Spotify,.... Available : Binary releases, Docker images on Docker Hub and Quay, Source code. Deployment types : Single node version and Cluster version under Apache License 2.0. Getting started: Read key concepts and follow the quick start guide. Community : Slack (join via Slack…
read the full VictoriaMetrics overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is etcd or VictoriaMetrics more popular?
etcd has 52,441 GitHub stars and VictoriaMetrics has 18,000. etcd has the larger community by that measure.
Are etcd and VictoriaMetrics free?
Both are open source. etcd is licensed under Apache-2.0 and VictoriaMetrics under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between etcd and VictoriaMetrics?
etcd is written in Go and VictoriaMetrics in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, etcd or VictoriaMetrics?
Choose etcd if you want the larger community (52,441 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose VictoriaMetrics if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.