Cloud · head to head
Proxmox VE vs Zipkin
Proxmox VE
Cloud
Open-source hypervisor combining KVM and LXC virtualisation
- From
- €120/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Zipkin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Proxmox VE per-socket licensing model: cost scales with CPU socket count, not vCore count, resulting in high costs for multi-socket servers; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Proxmox VE and Zipkin actually diverge.
| Attribute | Proxmox VE | Zipkin |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | €120/year | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Open source, no licence fee |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Linux, Web, API, Self-hosted | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted |
Identical on both: 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 Proxmox VE
Nothing recorded that Zipkin does not also cover.
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.
Proxmox VE
- Open-source datacenter virtualisation for hosting providers and cloud platformsnot Zipkin
- Cost-sensitive enterprise virtualisation replacing commercial hypervisorsnot Zipkin
- High-availability clustering for disaster recovery and business continuitynot Zipkin
- Container deployments using LXC as lighter-weight alternative to Dockernot Zipkin
- Hybrid VM and container workloads in a single management interfacenot Zipkin
- Backup and archival infrastructure alongside primary virtualisationnot Zipkin
Zipkin
- Adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructurenot Proxmox VE
- Java and Spring Boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-establishednot Proxmox VE
- Small deployments where Jaeger is more than the problem requiresnot Proxmox VE
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Proxmox VE
- Per-socket licensing model: cost scales with CPU socket count, not vCore count, resulting in high costs for multi-socket servers
- Linux-based host only; Windows hypervisors not supported, limiting adoption in Windows-focused organisations
- Clustering and high-availability setup requires operational expertise and careful network configuration
- Commercial support tiers limit advanced features (just-in-time access, network flow logs) to paid subscriptions
- Smaller ecosystem of third-party plugins and integrations compared to VMware vSphere
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
Proxmox VE
€120/year- Community$120/year
- Enterprise Repository access
- Community forum support only
- Per-socket subscription model
- Basic$370/year
- 3 support tickets per year
- 1 business day response time
- Stable updates and Enterprise Repository
- Standard$550/year
- 10 support tickets per year
- 4-hour response time for critical issues
- Remote SSH support and offline updates
- Premium$1100/year
- Unlimited support tickets
- 2-hour response time for critical issues
- Remote SSH support and offline updates
Zipkin
Free- ZipkinFree
- Full functionality
- No usage limits
- Community support
Which should you pick?
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 Proxmox VE or Zipkin better?
- Neither clearly leads. Proxmox VE starts at €120/year and Zipkin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Proxmox VE or Zipkin?
- Zipkin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €120/year for Proxmox VE and Free for Zipkin.
- Does Proxmox VE or Zipkin run on more platforms?
- Proxmox VE runs on Linux, Web, API, Self-hosted. Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Zipkin for free?
- Yes. Zipkin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Proxmox VE starts at €120/year.
- What is Proxmox VE best used for?
- Proxmox VE is most often used for open-source datacenter virtualisation for hosting providers and cloud platforms, cost-sensitive enterprise virtualisation replacing commercial hypervisors, high-availability clustering for disaster recovery and business continuity, container deployments using lxc as lighter-weight alternative to docker. Of those, open-source datacenter virtualisation for hosting providers and cloud platforms and cost-sensitive enterprise virtualisation replacing commercial hypervisors are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
- What can Proxmox VE do that Zipkin cannot?
- Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Proxmox VE: What is the licensing model for Proxmox VE?
Proxmox VE is open-source and free to deploy. Optional subscription tiers provide technical support, priority response times, and access to the Enterprise Repository for stable update channels. All tiers include identical virtualisation features.
SourceZipkin: Is Zipkin free?
Yes, open source with no licence fee.
Proxmox VE: Can I run Proxmox VE without a support subscription?
Yes. Community Edition (€120/year per socket) provides Enterprise Repository access with community-based support through forums. The core Proxmox VE platform is fully functional without any subscription.
SourceZipkin: 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.
Proxmox VE: What hypervisors does Proxmox VE support?
Proxmox VE includes both KVM for full virtualisation and LXC for Linux containers. It does not support Xen or Hyper-V. Workloads on those platforms must be migrated or reimplemented.
SourceZipkin: 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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