Apache SkyWalkingvsUnderstudy
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Apache SkyWalking | Understudy | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 48/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring | #110 of 209 in AI Agents |
| GitHub stars | 24 978 | 465 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +4 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 0 |
| Latest release | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Java | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Apache SkyWalking scores 76/100 against 48/100 for Understudy, so it is the safer default.
Apache SkyWalking ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Understudy.
If you want the quickest setup, Understudy is easier to run; Apache SkyWalking needs more configuration.
Apache SkyWalking is growing faster right now (+4 stars in 30 days).
Apache SkyWalking details →Understudy details →
Swap a project
Keep Apache SkyWalking, compare it with
Keep Understudy, compare it with