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Cloud · head to head

VictoriaMetrics vs Jaeger

VictoriaMetrics logo

VictoriaMetrics

Cloud

Fast, cost-effective time series database for metrics

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: VictoriaMetrics promQL compatibility is very close but not identical, and MetricsQL extensions do not port back; Jaeger tracing is only as good as the instrumentation, and partial instrumentation produces misleading gaps
  • They diverge on capability: VictoriaMetrics covers PromQL compatible, Jaeger covers Distributed trace search.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which VictoriaMetrics and Jaeger actually diverge.

Attributes where VictoriaMetrics and Jaeger differ
AttributeVictoriaMetricsJaeger
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedLinux, Kubernetes, Docker

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 VictoriaMetrics

  • PromQL compatible
  • Low resource use
  • Single binary or cluster
  • Remote write target

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.

VictoriaMetrics

  • Keeping months or years of Prometheus metrics without the memory costnot Jaeger
  • High-cardinality metrics where Prometheus strugglesnot Jaeger
  • Consolidating metrics from many Prometheus instances into one queryable storenot Jaeger

Jaeger

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

Where each one falls short

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

VictoriaMetrics

  • PromQL compatibility is very close but not identical, and MetricsQL extensions do not port back
  • Smaller community than Prometheus, so fewer guides and third-party integrations
  • The clustered version has meaningfully more moving parts than the single binary suggests
  • Some enterprise features sit outside the open-source offering

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

VictoriaMetrics

Free
  • VictoriaMetricsFree
    • Full functionality
    • No data limits
    • Community support

Jaeger

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

Which should you pick?

Choose VictoriaMetrics if

  • You need promql compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want low resource use.
VictoriaMetrics 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 VictoriaMetrics or Jaeger better?
Neither clearly leads. VictoriaMetrics 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, VictoriaMetrics or Jaeger?
VictoriaMetrics starts at Free and Jaeger at Free.
Does VictoriaMetrics or Jaeger run on more platforms?
VictoriaMetrics runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Jaeger runs on Linux, Kubernetes, Docker.
Can I use VictoriaMetrics for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is VictoriaMetrics best used for?
VictoriaMetrics is most often used for keeping months or years of prometheus metrics without the memory cost, high-cardinality metrics where prometheus struggles, consolidating metrics from many prometheus instances into one queryable store. Of those, keeping months or years of prometheus metrics without the memory cost and high-cardinality metrics where prometheus struggles are not what Jaeger is typically brought in for.
What can VictoriaMetrics do that Jaeger cannot?
VictoriaMetrics covers PromQL compatible, Low resource use, Single binary or cluster, Remote write target. Jaeger covers Distributed trace search, Dependency graph, Adaptive sampling, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

VictoriaMetrics: Is VictoriaMetrics free?

The open-source version is free with no data limits. An enterprise edition and cloud service are paid.

Jaeger: Is Jaeger free?

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

VictoriaMetrics: Does it replace Prometheus?

It can, but most teams keep Prometheus for scraping and use VictoriaMetrics as the long-term store behind it.

Jaeger: Do I use Jaeger or OpenTelemetry?

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

VictoriaMetrics: Is PromQL fully supported?

Very nearly. It implements PromQL and extends it with MetricsQL, though a small number of edge-case behaviours differ.

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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