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Cloud · head to head

SST vs Jaeger

SST logo

SST

Cloud

Build full-stack apps on your own infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Jaeger logo

Jaeger

Cloud

Open-source end-to-end distributed tracing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SST primarily optimized for AWS with Cloudflare support; Jaeger tracing is only as good as the instrumentation, and partial instrumentation produces misleading gaps
  • They diverge on capability: SST covers Single config file, Jaeger covers Distributed trace search.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SST and Jaeger actually diverge.

Attributes where SST and Jaeger differ
AttributeSSTJaeger
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsAWS, Cloudflare, Node.jsLinux, Kubernetes, Docker

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 SST

  • Single config file
  • Resource linking
  • Local development
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Multiple deployment stages
  • VPC tunneling

Only in Jaeger

  • Distributed trace search
  • Dependency graph
  • Adaptive sampling
  • Pluggable storage

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

SST

  • Deploying Next.js frontends with serverless backendsnot Jaeger
  • Managing databases and storage alongside application codenot Jaeger
  • Creating staging environments for feature testingnot Jaeger

Jaeger

  • Finding which service in a request path causes the latencynot SST
  • Understanding real service dependencies rather than the diagram on the wikinot SST
  • Debugging failures that only appear under production traffic patternsnot SST

Where each one falls short

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

SST

  • Primarily optimized for AWS with Cloudflare support
  • Learning curve for developers unfamiliar with infrastructure concepts
  • Limited documentation for some advanced use cases

Jaeger

  • Tracing is only as good as the instrumentation, and partial instrumentation produces misleading gaps
  • Storage is the real operational cost: high-volume tracing on Elasticsearch or Cassandra is a cluster to run and pay for
  • Traces alone, without correlated metrics and logs, leave you switching between tools during an incident

Pricing, plan by plan

SST

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SST review.

Jaeger

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

Which should you pick?

Choose SST if

  • You need single config file.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js.
  • You also want resource linking.
SST review

Choose Jaeger if

  • You need distributed trace search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Kubernetes, Docker.
  • You also want dependency graph.
Jaeger review

Questions people ask

Is SST or Jaeger better?
Neither clearly leads. SST starts at Free and Jaeger at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SST or Jaeger?
SST starts at Free and Jaeger at Free.
Does SST or Jaeger run on more platforms?
SST runs on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js. Jaeger runs on Linux, Kubernetes, Docker.
Can I use SST for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is SST best used for?
SST is most often used for deploying next.js frontends with serverless backends, managing databases and storage alongside application code, creating staging environments for feature testing. Of those, deploying next.js frontends with serverless backends and managing databases and storage alongside application code are not what Jaeger is typically brought in for.
What can SST do that Jaeger cannot?
SST covers Single config file, Resource linking, Local development, Multi-cloud support. Jaeger covers Distributed trace search, Dependency graph, Adaptive sampling, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SST: Is SST free?

Yes, SST is open source and free. You only pay for cloud resources from AWS and other providers.

Source
Jaeger: Is Jaeger free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-graduated. Costs are the storage backend you run.

SST: What cloud providers does SST support?

SST supports over 150 providers through built-in AWS and Cloudflare components, plus Pulumi and Terraform providers.

Source
Jaeger: Do I use Jaeger or OpenTelemetry?

Both, usually. Instrument with OpenTelemetry and use Jaeger to store and query the traces.

Jaeger: Does Jaeger handle metrics and logs?

No. It is a tracing system. Metrics and logs need Prometheus, Loki or an equivalent.

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