# Apache SkyWalking vs Zero-K

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

| | Apache SkyWalking | Zero-K |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring | #2 of 23 in Gaming |
| GitHub stars | 24 977 ✓ | 877 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +3 | +26 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Lua |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache SkyWalking scores 76/100 against 62/100 for Zero-K, so it is the safer default.

Apache SkyWalking ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Zero-K.

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

Zero-K is growing faster right now (+26 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Apache SkyWalking](https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking.md)
- [Zero-K](https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/skywalking-vs-zero-k