OpenObserve vs New Relic

Self-host swap-in for New Relic. · Self-host New Relic · OpenObserve on os-alt

OpenObserve is one of the open-source self-host replacements for New Relic — license AGPL-3.0, 15min single-binary or docker run to stand up, and $15-40/mo vps; storage backed by s3-compatible object storage keeps cost predictable. Compare against New Relic's Free 100GB/mo + 1 user; Standard $0.30/GB ingested; Enterprise from $0.50/GB below.

	OpenObserveopen-source	New Relicpaid SaaS
Category	APM / observability platform	APM / observability platform
License / pricing	`AGPL-3.0`	Free 100GB/mo + 1 user; Standard $0.30/GB ingested; Enterprise from $0.50/GB
Starting price	$0 self-host	$25/user/mo
GitHub	openobserve/openobserve ★ 18.8k · last commit todayalive	closed source
Setup time	15min single-binary or docker run	SaaS — sign up + bill
Monthly cost	$15-40/mo VPS; storage backed by S3-compatible object storage keeps cost predictable.	from $25/user/mo (Free 100GB/mo + 1 user; Standard $0.30/GB ingested; Enterprise from $0.50/GB)

Switching from New Relic to OpenObserve

Run `docker run -d -v $HOME/openobserve:/data -p 5080:5080 -e ZO_ROOT_USER_EMAIL=admin@example.com -e ZO_ROOT_USER_PASSWORD=admin public.ecr.aws/zinclabs/openobserve:latest`. Point OTLP from your apps at the OpenObserve collector endpoint; logs, traces, metrics ingest through the same OTel pipeline. UI focuses on log search + trace correlation; Lucene-style query language.

Good fit for: Log-heavy stacks moving off Datadog/New Relic that want predictable S3-backed storage costs.
Weak at: APM/services view is less polished than SigNoz's; better at logs than at deep distributed-trace exploration.

Other open-source self-host alternatives to New Relic

SigNoz
MIT30min docker-compose (SigNoz + ClickHouse + Zookeeper + OTel collector)$30-60/mo VPS for production traffic — ClickHouse + collector are the compute load.
Grafana stack (Tempo + Loki + Mimir + Grafana)
AGPL-3.01h docker-compose for the full LGTM stack$30-100/mo VPS depending on retention; S3-backed for traces and logs.

OpenObserve also replaces

Splunk— Log management + SIEM

In a terminal? npx os-alt new-relic prints New Relic's self-host options — how the CLI works →

FAQ

Is OpenObserve a free alternative to New Relic?

Yes — OpenObserve is open source under AGPL-3.0. Self-host cost: $15-40/mo VPS; storage backed by S3-compatible object storage keeps cost predictable.. New Relic starts at $25/user/mo (Free 100GB/mo + 1 user; Standard $0.30/GB ingested; Enterprise from $0.50/GB).

How long does OpenObserve take to set up vs New Relic?

Self-hosting OpenObserve: 15min single-binary or docker run. New Relic is a hosted SaaS — sign up and you're in.

What is OpenObserve good at, and what is it weak at?

Good fit for: Log-heavy stacks moving off Datadog/New Relic that want predictable S3-backed storage costs.. Weak at: APM/services view is less polished than SigNoz's; better at logs than at deep distributed-trace exploration..