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Cloud · head to head

Zeabur vs Zipkin

Zeabur logo

Zeabur

Cloud

AI-powered cloud deployment platform for developers

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: Zeabur free plan limited to single server with 48-hour log retention; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • They diverge on capability: Zeabur covers AI Agent, Zipkin covers Trace collection and search.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zeabur and Zipkin actually diverge.

Attributes where Zeabur and Zipkin differ
AttributeZeaburZipkin
Pricing modelFixed monthly plansOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, CLILinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
Founded2025Unknown

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 Zeabur

  • AI Agent
  • Managed Servers
  • Domain and DNS Management
  • Email Service
  • AI Hub
  • Deploy Templates
  • Git Integration

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.

Zeabur

  • Deploying full-stack web applications without DevOps expertisenot Zipkin
  • Building AI agent infrastructure with integrated API accessnot Zipkin
  • Managing multi-region deployments with automated scalingnot Zipkin
  • Running containerized services with built-in domain and emailnot Zipkin

Zipkin

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

Where each one falls short

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

Zeabur

  • Free plan limited to single server with 48-hour log retention
  • Small team size may limit support and feature velocity
  • Building spec upgrades limited on lower tiers
  • Enterprise support not clearly documented

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

Zeabur

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 manageable server
    • 2C4G build specs
    • 48-hour log retention
  • Dev$5/month
    • 3 manageable servers
    • 7-day log retention
    • 250 MB file uploads
  • Pro$19/month
    • 10 manageable servers
    • 4C8G build specs
    • 30-day log retention
  • Team$79/month
    • 3 included seats
    • Unlimited manageable servers
    • 90-day log retention

Zipkin

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Zeabur if

  • You need ai agent.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want managed servers.
Zeabur 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 Zeabur or Zipkin better?
Neither clearly leads. Zeabur 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, Zeabur or Zipkin?
Zeabur starts at Free and Zipkin at Free.
Does Zeabur or Zipkin run on more platforms?
Zeabur runs on Web, CLI. Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Zeabur for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Zeabur best used for?
Zeabur is most often used for deploying full-stack web applications without devops expertise, building ai agent infrastructure with integrated api access, managing multi-region deployments with automated scaling, running containerized services with built-in domain and email. Of those, deploying full-stack web applications without devops expertise and building ai agent infrastructure with integrated api access are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
What can Zeabur do that Zipkin cannot?
Zeabur covers AI Agent, Managed Servers, Domain and DNS Management, Email Service. Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zeabur: What is included in the free plan?

The free plan includes 1 manageable server, 2C4G build specifications, 48-hour log retention, 50 MB file upload limit, and community support.

Source
Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Zeabur: How do additional seats work on the Team plan?

The Team plan includes 3 seats with additional seats available at $24 per seat per month.

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.

Zeabur: Is there a free trial period?

The Dev and Pro plans include 14 days free before billing begins.

Source
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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