Softwr

Networking · head to head

Netdata vs Zipkin

Netdata logo

Netdata

Networking

Per-second metrics collection with automatic dashboards and on-node anomaly detection

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: Netdata the dashboard interface is under a restrictive Netdata licence rather than GPL and is served from Netdata infrastructure by default, so the deployment is not fully self-contained without extra configuration.; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • They diverge on capability: Netdata covers Per-second collection, 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 Netdata and Zipkin actually diverge.

Attributes where Netdata and Zipkin differ
AttributeNetdataZipkin
PlatformsLinux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, WindowsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryNetworkingCloud

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 Netdata

  • Per-second collection
  • Zero-configuration discovery
  • Edge machine learning
  • Tiered database engine
  • Streaming and replication
  • Health alarms

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.

Netdata

  • Diagnosing a short-lived performance incident where one-minute averages hide the spike entirelynot Zipkin
  • Kubernetes clusters where per-series billing from a hosted vendor has become the largest observability costnot Zipkin
  • Adding dense host visibility to an estate that already has Prometheus for application metricsnot Zipkin
  • Small teams with no monitoring engineer who need working dashboards on the day of installationnot Zipkin

Zipkin

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

Where each one falls short

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

Netdata

  • The dashboard interface is under a restrictive Netdata licence rather than GPL and is served from Netdata infrastructure by default, so the deployment is not fully self-contained without extra configuration.
  • Retention is limited by disk on each node unless you build and maintain a parent tier, which makes it a poor archive for year-over-year capacity planning.
  • Per-second collection consumes noticeable CPU and memory on small or heavily loaded nodes, and on constrained edge hardware the monitoring becomes part of the problem.
  • Default alerting is generous and fires on conditions many teams consider normal, so the first weeks involve pruning alarms rather than responding to them.
  • Fleet-level features that make it usable across hundreds of nodes sit in Netdata Cloud, so the free agent alone leaves you visiting individual node dashboards.

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

Netdata

Free
  • Netdata AgentFree
    • GPLv3 agent with unlimited nodes
    • Per-second metrics and edge anomaly detection
    • Local dashboards and alerting
  • Netdata Cloud paid tiers$undefined/month
    • Per-node subscription for fleet management features
    • Role based access control and longer alert history
    • Business and enterprise support options

Zipkin

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Netdata if

  • You need per-second collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, Windows.
  • You also want zero-configuration discovery.
Netdata 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 Netdata or Zipkin better?
Neither clearly leads. Netdata 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, Netdata or Zipkin?
Netdata starts at Free and Zipkin at Free.
Does Netdata or Zipkin run on more platforms?
Netdata runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, Windows. Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Netdata for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Netdata best used for?
Netdata is most often used for diagnosing a short-lived performance incident where one-minute averages hide the spike entirely, kubernetes clusters where per-series billing from a hosted vendor has become the largest observability cost, adding dense host visibility to an estate that already has prometheus for application metrics, small teams with no monitoring engineer who need working dashboards on the day of installation. Of those, diagnosing a short-lived performance incident where one-minute averages hide the spike entirely and kubernetes clusters where per-series billing from a hosted vendor has become the largest observability cost are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
What can Netdata do that Zipkin cannot?
Netdata covers Per-second collection, Zero-configuration discovery, Edge machine learning, Tiered database engine. Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Netdata: Is Netdata fully open source?

The agent is GPLv3. The current dashboard interface is under a separate restrictive licence, so the complete product is open core rather than open source.

Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Netdata: Can it run without any connection to Netdata Cloud?

Yes, agents work standalone and dashboards can be served locally, but you lose fleet-wide views and need to configure local interface serving deliberately.

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.

Netdata: Does it replace Prometheus?

For host and container infrastructure metrics it often does. For custom application metrics with an existing exporter ecosystem and long retention, most teams keep both.

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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