Jaeger vs SigNoz
Self-host pick — both replace Honeycomb (Distributed tracing / observability).
Both Jaeger and SigNoz self-host as a replacement for Honeycomb (Distributed tracing / observability). Pick Jaeger if you want a Apache-licensed codebase (Apache-2.0); pick SigNoz for MIT (MIT). Both run in roughly the same cost bracket — $5/mo vps for dev; $50+/mo for production with elasticsearch storage vs $30-60/mo vps for production traffic.
| Jaegeropen-source | SigNozopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Setup time | 10min docker run (`all-in-one`) for dev; 1h for production with Cassandra/Elasticsearch backend | 30min docker-compose (SigNoz + ClickHouse + collector) |
| Monthly cost | $5/mo VPS for dev; $50+/mo for production with Elasticsearch storage. | $30-60/mo VPS for production traffic. |
| GitHub | jaegertracing/jaeger | SigNoz/signoz |
| Replaces | Honeycomb | Honeycomb + 2 other |
Good fit for
Jaeger
Pure trace exploration — span search, dependency graphs, latency histograms — without the metric/log surface.
Weak at:No metrics or logs; no SLO management; you'll pair with Prometheus and Loki for the rest.
SigNoz
Teams already using OpenTelemetry that want a single product covering traces + metrics + logs.
Weak at:Honeycomb's BubbleUp / interactive explorer doesn't have a one-for-one match — query workflows are more SQL-shaped.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli honeycomb prints Honeycomb's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Jaeger or SigNoz?
Jaeger: 10min docker run (`all-in-one`) for dev; 1h for production with Cassandra/Elasticsearch backend. SigNoz: 30min docker-compose (SigNoz + ClickHouse + collector).
What does each cost to run?
Jaeger: $5/mo VPS for dev; $50+/mo for production with Elasticsearch storage.. SigNoz: $30-60/mo VPS for production traffic.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Jaeger and SigNoz replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Honeycomb.