AnswervsApache SkyWalking
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Answer | Apache SkyWalking | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #5 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 15 702 | 24 977 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +20 | +3 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 3 |
| Latest release | v2.0.3 · 22 Sept 2026 | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Java |
Which one should you pick?
Apache SkyWalking scores 76/100 against 71/100 for Answer, so it is the safer default.
Answer ships more often: 6 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Apache SkyWalking.
If you want the quickest setup, Answer is easier to run; Apache SkyWalking needs more configuration.
Answer is growing faster right now (+20 stars in 30 days).
Answer details →Apache SkyWalking details →