head to head · open source
Vector vs goose
Vector has 22,800 GitHub stars, 2,371 forks, 2,512 open issues and last shipped today. goose has 1,014 stars, 81 forks, 43 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Vector leads on adoption by 2,149% (22,800 vs 1,014 stars). Vector is written in Rust under MPL-2.0; goose is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. Vector has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, goose 8%. Vector 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
| Vector | goose | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 23K | ★ 1.0K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Rust | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-05 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.4K | ⑂ 81 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Vector if
- You weight community size — 23K stars and counting
- You want the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- 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 Vector
Quickstart • Docs • Guides • Integrations • Chat • Download • Container Images • Rust Crate Docs What is Vector? Vector is a high performance, end to end (agent & aggregator) observability data pipeline that puts you in control of your observability data. [Collect][docs.sources], [transform][docs.transforms], and [route][docs.sinks] all your logs and metrics to any vendors you want today and any other vendors you may want tomorrow. Vector enables dramatic cost reduction, novel data enrichment, and data security where you need it, not where it is most convenient for your…
read the full Vector 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 Vector or goose more popular?
Vector has 22,800 GitHub stars and goose has 1,014. Vector has the larger community by that measure.
Are Vector and goose free?
Both are open source. Vector is licensed under MPL-2.0 and goose under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Vector and goose?
Vector is written in Rust 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, Vector or goose?
Choose Vector if you want the larger community (22,800 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose goose if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.