Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Zipkin vs containerd

Zipkin logo

Zipkin

Cloud

Distributed tracing system for microservice latency

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
containerd logo

containerd

Cloud

Industry-standard container runtime, and the engine inside Docker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger; containerd not a developer-facing tool: there is no build command and the CLI is deliberately minimal, so it needs companions like nerdctl or Buildah
  • They diverge on capability: Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, containerd covers Full container lifecycle.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zipkin and containerd actually diverge.

Attributes where Zipkin and containerd differ
AttributeZipkincontainerd
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedLinux, Windows

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 Zipkin

  • Trace collection and search
  • Dependency diagram
  • Simple deployment
  • Pluggable storage

Only in containerd

  • Full container lifecycle
  • CRI support
  • OCI compliant
  • Snapshotter plugins
  • Namespaces
  • Stable API

What people use each for

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

Zipkin

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

containerd

  • Running the container runtime under a Kubernetes cluster after the Docker shim removalnot Zipkin
  • Building a platform or PaaS that needs to execute containersnot Zipkin
  • Reducing the moving parts on nodes that only ever run Kubernetes workloadsnot Zipkin
  • Embedding container execution inside another productnot Zipkin

Where each one falls short

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

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

containerd

  • Not a developer-facing tool: there is no build command and the CLI is deliberately minimal, so it needs companions like nerdctl or Buildah
  • Debugging is lower-level than Docker, and error messages assume knowledge of the runtime internals
  • Documentation is aimed at platform engineers, so newcomers usually find Docker or Podman material more useful
  • No image building at all — that is out of scope by design

Pricing, plan by plan

Zipkin

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

containerd

Free
  • containerdFree
    • 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.
Zipkin review

Choose containerd if

  • You need full container lifecycle.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows.
  • You also want cri support.
containerd review

Questions people ask

Is Zipkin or containerd better?
Neither clearly leads. Zipkin starts at Free and containerd at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Zipkin or containerd?
Zipkin starts at Free and containerd at Free.
Does Zipkin or containerd run on more platforms?
Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. containerd runs on Linux, Windows.
Can I use Zipkin for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Zipkin best used for?
Zipkin is most often used for adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructure, java and spring boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-established, small deployments where jaeger is more than the problem requires. Of those, adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructure and java and spring boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-established are not what containerd is typically brought in for.
What can Zipkin do that containerd cannot?
Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage. containerd covers Full container lifecycle, CRI support, OCI compliant, Snapshotter plugins.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

containerd: Is containerd free?

Yes. It is an open-source CNCF graduated project with no licence fee.

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.

containerd: Do I need containerd if I use Docker?

You already have it. Docker uses containerd underneath to run containers; it is not an alternative you install separately.

Zipkin: Does Zipkin work with OpenTelemetry?

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

containerd: Why did Kubernetes drop Docker for containerd?

Kubernetes talks to runtimes through the Container Runtime Interface. Docker did not speak CRI natively and needed a shim, so Kubernetes removed the shim and talks to containerd directly, which Docker was already using anyway.

containerd: Can containerd build images?

No. Image building is deliberately out of scope. Tools such as Buildah, BuildKit or Docker handle that.

Share

Related pages

More on Zipkin

More on containerd

Keep looking

Other head to heads