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Cloud · head to head

Wasabi vs Zipkin

Wasabi logo

Wasabi

Cloud

Hot cloud storage without egress fees

From
$7.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zipkin logo

Zipkin

Cloud

Distributed tracing system for microservice latency

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zipkin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Wasabi 90-day minimum storage duration with no option to delete before full period without penalty; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • They diverge on capability: Wasabi covers Hot Cloud Storage, 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 Wasabi and Zipkin actually diverge.

Attributes where Wasabi and Zipkin differ
AttributeWasabiZipkin
Starting price$7.99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APILinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
Founded2015Unknown

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 Wasabi

  • Hot Cloud Storage
  • S3 Compatible API
  • Object Lock
  • Versioning
  • Multi-region
  • Data Migration Tools
  • Immutability
  • Ransomware Protection

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.

Wasabi

  • Backup and recoverynot Zipkin
  • Media storagenot Zipkin
  • Archive replacementnot Zipkin
  • Ransomware protectionnot Zipkin

Zipkin

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

Where each one falls short

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

Wasabi

  • 90-day minimum storage duration with no option to delete before full period without penalty
  • Significantly smaller global footprint than AWS with only 16 regions, resulting in higher latency for users in underserved regions
  • Performance can degrade with high-volume transactions requiring throughput management strategies
  • Hot storage only, no cold/archival storage tier for long-term data at lower cost
  • Support responsiveness gaps with teams experiencing multi-day waits for critical issue resolution

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

Wasabi

$7.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Wasabi review.

Zipkin

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Wasabi if

  • You need hot cloud storage.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want s3 compatible api.
Wasabi 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 Wasabi or Zipkin better?
Neither clearly leads. Wasabi starts at $7.99/month and Zipkin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Wasabi or Zipkin?
Zipkin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7.99/month for Wasabi and Free for Zipkin.
Does Wasabi or Zipkin run on more platforms?
Wasabi runs on Web, API. 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. Wasabi starts at $7.99/month.
What is Wasabi best used for?
Wasabi is most often used for backup and recovery, media storage, archive replacement, ransomware protection. Of those, backup and recovery and media storage are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
What can Wasabi do that Zipkin cannot?
Wasabi covers Hot Cloud Storage, S3 Compatible API, Object Lock, Versioning. Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Wasabi: What is Wasabi's pricing structure?

Wasabi offers pay-as-you-go pricing at $7.99 per TB per month as of July 2026, with no egress or API request fees. Reserved capacity plans are available for multi-year terms with volume discounts.

Source
Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Wasabi: Does Wasabi charge for data downloads or API calls?

No. Wasabi includes zero egress fees and zero API request fees, which is a major cost advantage over AWS S3. Customers can plan their budget to the penny without worrying about surprise data transfer charges.

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.

Wasabi: Is there a minimum storage duration requirement?

Yes. Wasabi enforces a 90-day minimum storage term. Users who delete data before 90 days are still charged for the full 90-day period.

Source
Zipkin: Does Zipkin work with OpenTelemetry?

Yes. OpenTelemetry can export to Zipkin, which is now the usual way to instrument for it.

Wasabi: Is Wasabi S3-compatible?

Yes. Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage is fully S3-compatible, meaning organizations can integrate it into existing workflows without rewriting application code used with AWS S3.

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