Cloud · head to head
Cilium vs Zipkin
Cilium
Cloud
eBPF-based networking, observability and security for Kubernetes
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cilium requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
- They diverge on capability: Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Zipkin covers Trace collection and search.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cilium and Zipkin actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Cilium
- eBPF datapath
- Identity-based policy
- Hubble observability
- Sidecar-free mesh
Only in Zipkin
- Trace collection and search
- Dependency diagram
- Simple deployment
- Pluggable storage
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cilium
- Kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based CNI performance degradesnot Zipkin
- Network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile IP rulesnot Zipkin
- Seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is droppingnot Zipkin
Zipkin
- Adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructurenot Cilium
- Java and Spring Boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-establishednot Cilium
- Small deployments where Jaeger is more than the problem requiresnot Cilium
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cilium
- Requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments
- eBPF is genuinely hard to debug when it misbehaves, and the skill is rare on most teams
- Broad scope — CNI, policy, mesh, observability — means the learning curve covers several domains at once
Zipkin
- Less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
- Fewer features: sampling, storage options and UI are all more limited
- The interface is dated and slower to work with on large trace volumes
- Tracing alone still leaves metrics and logs in separate tools during an incident
Pricing, plan by plan
Cilium
Free- CiliumFree
- Full functionality
- No usage limits
- Community support
Zipkin
Free- ZipkinFree
- Full functionality
- No usage limits
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Cilium if
- You need ebpf datapath.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Kubernetes, Linux.
- You also want identity-based policy.
Choose Zipkin if
- You need trace collection and search.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- You also want dependency diagram.
Questions people ask
- Is Cilium or Zipkin better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cilium starts at Free and Zipkin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cilium or Zipkin?
- Cilium starts at Free and Zipkin at Free.
- Does Cilium or Zipkin run on more platforms?
- Cilium runs on Kubernetes, Linux. Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Cilium for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Cilium best used for?
- Cilium is most often used for kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based cni performance degrades, network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile ip rules, seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is dropping. Of those, kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based cni performance degrades and network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile ip rules are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
- What can Cilium do that Zipkin cannot?
- Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Identity-based policy, Hubble observability, Sidecar-free mesh. Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Cilium: Is Cilium free?
Yes, open source and CNCF-graduated. Isovalent sells an enterprise distribution and support.
Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?
Yes, open source with no licence fee.
Cilium: What does eBPF change?
It lets Cilium run packet-processing programs inside the kernel instead of relying on iptables rule chains, which behave poorly as the number of services grows.
Zipkin: Zipkin or Jaeger?
Jaeger has more momentum, more features and CNCF backing. Zipkin is lighter and quicker to stand up, and remains well supported in the Java and Spring ecosystem.
Cilium: Does Cilium replace a service mesh?
It can cover much of what a mesh does without sidecars, though full mesh feature sets still favour Istio or Linkerd.
Zipkin: Does Zipkin work with OpenTelemetry?
Yes. OpenTelemetry can export to Zipkin, which is now the usual way to instrument for it.
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