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Technology · head to head

LogRocket vs Zipkin

LogRocket logo

LogRocket

Technology

Replay what users do on your site to find bugs faster

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zipkin logo

Zipkin

Cloud

Distributed tracing system for microservice latency

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LogRocket there is no free tier, only a 14 day trial; the Core plan starts at $176 a month for roughly 25,000 sessions; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • They diverge on capability: LogRocket covers Session replay, Zipkin covers Trace collection and search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LogRocket and Zipkin actually diverge.

Attributes where LogRocket and Zipkin differ
AttributeLogRocketZipkin
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryTechnologyCloud
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 LogRocket

  • Session replay
  • Redux/Vuex support
  • Network request logging
  • Console log capture
  • JavaScript error tracking
  • Performance monitoring
  • User identification
  • Custom logging

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.

LogRocket

  • Bug reproductionnot Zipkin
  • Performance debuggingnot Zipkin
  • User experience analysisnot Zipkin
  • Support ticket resolutionnot Zipkin
  • Error monitoringnot Zipkin

Zipkin

  • Adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructurenot LogRocket
  • Java and Spring Boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-establishednot LogRocket
  • Small deployments where Jaeger is more than the problem requiresnot LogRocket

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

LogRocket

  • There is no free tier, only a 14 day trial; the Core plan starts at $176 a month for roughly 25,000 sessions
  • Pricing scales with sessions captured, so cost tracks traffic rather than seats
  • Galileo AI features are withheld from the Core plan and need Pro
  • API and MCP access is limited on Core, with 500 credits a month on Pro and 2,000 on Enterprise
  • Unlimited seats and streaming data export are Enterprise only

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

LogRocket

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 sessions/month
    • 1 month retention
    • Basic error tracking
  • Team$99/month
    • 10,000 sessions/month
    • 3 month retention
    • Redux/Vuex logging
  • Professional$500/month
    • 50,000 sessions/month
    • 6 month retention
    • Performance monitoring
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom sessions
    • Custom retention
    • SSO

Zipkin

Free
  • ZipkinFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose LogRocket if

  • You need session replay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want redux/vuex support.
LogRocket review

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.
Zipkin review

Questions people ask

Is LogRocket or Zipkin better?
Neither clearly leads. LogRocket 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, LogRocket or Zipkin?
LogRocket starts at Free and Zipkin at Free.
Does LogRocket or Zipkin run on more platforms?
LogRocket runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use LogRocket for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LogRocket best used for?
LogRocket is most often used for bug reproduction, performance debugging, user experience analysis, support ticket resolution. Of those, bug reproduction and performance debugging are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
What can LogRocket do that Zipkin cannot?
LogRocket covers Session replay, Redux/Vuex support, Network request logging, Console log capture. Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LogRocket: How much does LogRocket cost?

LogRocket starts at $176/month for 25K sessions/month, with pricing scaling based on session volume. The Pro plan with AI features is included free above 100K sessions/month. Enterprise plans with unlimited seats and self-hosted options require custom quotes.

Source
Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

LogRocket: Does LogRocket offer a free trial?

Yes, LogRocket offers a 14-day free trial with full feature access including session replay, product analytics, and error monitoring, requiring no credit card to start.

Source
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.

LogRocket: What features are unlimited across all LogRocket plans?

Analytics events, error events, and logs are unlimited across Core, Pro, and Enterprise plans. All plans include session replay, product analytics, error monitoring, clickmaps, heatmaps, path analysis, and conversion funnels.

Source
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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