Jaeger

B tier on Application Performance MonitoringScore 7.2 · #6 of 31

Android app: Not listed
Free plan: Yes
Runs on: api, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows

jaegertracing.io

Summary

Jaeger is a free, open-source platform for distributed tracing in complex systems. Teams can use it to locate performance bottlenecks, investigate root causes, and examine dependencies among services. It accepts trace data through OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP) and can ingest Zipkin spans over HTTP in Thrift, JSON v1/v2, and Protobuf formats. Its interface provides System Architecture and Deep Dependency Graph service views, while Service Performance Monitoring derives aggregate metrics from traces and presents them as time-series charts. Sampling options include head-based sampling with centralized static or adaptive configuration, as well as tail-based sampling. Supported distributed storage backends include Cassandra, Elasticsearch, and OpenSearch; ClickHouse is experimental behind a feature gate. Jaeger v2 is available as executable binaries and container images, and the all-in-one setup runs collector and query components together with transient in-memory storage. It is self-hosted, so storage capacity and scale depend on the selected infrastructure. Jaeger v1 reached end of life on December 31, 2025 and no longer receives updates.

Who it is for

Jaeger suits teams that need to trace and troubleshoot complex distributed systems using a self-hosted tool. Users should distinguish current v2 availability from the discontinued v1 lifecycle.

What is good

Free and open source.
Accepts OpenTelemetry and Zipkin trace data.
Includes service architecture and dependency graph views.
Offers head-based and tail-based sampling.
v2 binaries and container images are available.

What to know first

Self-hosted storage capacity and scale depend on infrastructure.
ClickHouse support is experimental.
Jaeger v1 no longer receives updates.

Verdict

Jaeger offers distributed tracing, service views, and sampling options without a software price, but users provide the infrastructure. Jaeger v1 is end of life; the project makes v2 available in binaries and container images.

Jaeger plans and pricing

All plans

Jaeger Free 100% open source · self-hosted deployment · storage capacity and scale depend on chosen infrastructure jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on application performance monitoring

Free plan: Yesjaegertracing.io
Distributed tracing: Yesjaegertracing.io
Transaction tracing: Yesjaegertracing.io
Dependency mapping: Yesjaegertracing.io
Real user monitoring: Nojaegertracing.io
Deployment model: self_hostedjaegertracing.io

Facts

Purpose: Jaeger is an open-source distributed tracing platform for monitoring and troubleshooting workflows in complex distributed systems.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Troubleshooting: Jaeger helps identify performance bottlenecks, track root causes, and analyze service dependencies.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Open source: The project describes Jaeger as 100% open source and cloud native.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Tracing protocol: Jaeger can receive trace data using the OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP).jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Zipkin compatibility: Jaeger accepts Zipkin spans over HTTP in Thrift, JSON v1/v2, and Protobuf formats.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Storage integrations: Primary supported distributed storage backends are Cassandra, Elasticsearch, and OpenSearch; ClickHouse is experimental behind a feature gate.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Sampling: Jaeger supports head-based sampling with centralized remote configuration, including static or adaptive configuration, and tail-based sampling.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Service graphs: The UI supports System Architecture and Deep Dependency Graph service graphs.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Performance monitoring: Service Performance Monitoring computes aggregate metrics from traces and visualizes them as time-series charts.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Security: Jaeger documents TLS and mutual TLS support for several component connections, plus bearer-token authentication between browser and UI.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Artifact verification: The download page says binary releases include SHA-256 checksum files and cryptographic signatures.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Deployment: Jaeger v2 is available as executable binaries and container images, and the all-in-one setup runs collector and query components in one process with transient in-memory storage.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Supported desktop platforms: The download page lists binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Notable lifecycle limit: Jaeger v1 reached end of life on December 31, 2025 and no longer receives updates.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026
Community support: The project directs users to CNCF Slack, GitHub issues and discussions, and Stack Overflow for contact and help.jaegertracing.io · 3 Oct 2026