# Serena-MCP vs Apache SkyWalking

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Serena-MCP | Apache SkyWalking |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 166 in Developer Tools | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 30 801 ✓ | 24 976 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 047 ✓ | +2 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | v2.1.0 · 19 Oct 2026 ✓ | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Serena-MCP scores 82/100 against 76/100 for Apache SkyWalking, so it is the safer default.

Serena-MCP ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Apache SkyWalking.

If you want the quickest setup, Serena-MCP is easier to run; Apache SkyWalking needs more configuration.

Serena-MCP is growing faster right now (+1 047 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Serena-MCP](https://selfhost.directory/project/serena-mcp) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/serena-mcp.md)
- [Apache SkyWalking](https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/serena-mcp-vs-skywalking