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Zipkin vs Thanos

Zipkin logo

Zipkin

Cloud

Distributed tracing system for microservice latency

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thanos logo

Thanos

Cloud

Highly available Prometheus with long-term object storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger; Thanos several components — sidecar, store, querier, compactor, ruler — each with its own configuration and failure modes
  • They diverge on capability: Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Thanos covers Global query.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zipkin and Thanos actually diverge.

Attributes where Zipkin and Thanos differ
AttributeZipkinThanos
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedKubernetes, Linux, 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 Zipkin

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

Only in Thanos

  • Global query
  • Object storage retention
  • Deduplication
  • Downsampling

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 Thanos
  • Java and Spring Boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-establishednot Thanos
  • Small deployments where Jaeger is more than the problem requiresnot Thanos

Thanos

  • Querying metrics across many clusters or regions from one placenot Zipkin
  • Retaining metrics for years without local disk growthnot Zipkin
  • Removing the gap that appears when a single Prometheus instance restartsnot 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

Thanos

  • Several components — sidecar, store, querier, compactor, ruler — each with its own configuration and failure modes
  • The compactor is a common source of operational trouble and must not run twice against the same bucket
  • Query latency over object storage is meaningfully higher than local Prometheus
  • Object storage costs and API request charges become real at high volume

Pricing, plan by plan

Zipkin

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

Thanos

Free
  • ThanosFree
    • 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 Thanos if

  • You need global query.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want object storage retention.
Thanos review

Questions people ask

Is Zipkin or Thanos better?
Neither clearly leads. Zipkin starts at Free and Thanos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Zipkin or Thanos?
Zipkin starts at Free and Thanos at Free.
Does Zipkin or Thanos run on more platforms?
Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Thanos runs on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker.
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 Thanos is typically brought in for.
What can Zipkin do that Thanos cannot?
Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage. Thanos covers Global query, Object storage retention, Deduplication, Downsampling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Thanos: Is Thanos free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-incubating. Costs are the object storage it uses.

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.

Thanos: Does Thanos replace Prometheus?

No. It runs alongside existing Prometheus servers, adding global query, deduplication and long-term storage.

Zipkin: Does Zipkin work with OpenTelemetry?

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

Thanos: Thanos or VictoriaMetrics?

Thanos layers onto Prometheus using object storage and is the more established multi-cluster answer. VictoriaMetrics is a separate store aiming at lower resource use and fewer moving parts.

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