uptrace
Uptrace is an open-source APM (application performance monitoring) platform that collects and visualizes OpenTelemetry traces, metrics, and logs. It uses ClickHouse for time-series storage and PostgreSQL for metadata, enabling self-hosted observability with low operational cost.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | uptrace/uptrace |
| Owner | uptrace |
| Primary language | Go |
| License | AGPL-3.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 4.2k |
| Forks | 210 |
| Open issues | 41 |
| Latest release | v2.1.0-beta.7 (2026-06-05) |
| Last updated | 2026-06-14 |
| Source | https://github.com/uptrace/uptrace |
What uptrace is
Go-based APM built on OpenTelemetry standards, ingesting data via OTLP, Prometheus, Vector, and other collectors. Uses ClickHouse as the primary datastore for span/metric compression (~40 bytes per 1KB span), PostgreSQL for alerting/user config, and supports PromQL-like metric aggregation with custom span query DSL.
Get the uptrace source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/uptrace/uptrace.gitcd uptrace# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires ClickHouse and PostgreSQL deployment; single-server demo feasible, but production high-availability requires multi-node ClickHouse cluster and PostgreSQL replication.
- OpenTelemetry instrumentation must be added to target applications (SDKs available for most languages); no automatic byte-code injection mentioned.
- YAML-based user/project config is manual; SSO via OIDC (Keycloak, Google, Cloudflare) mitigates identity management overhead for larger teams.
- Pre-built dashboards auto-generate, but custom queries and alert thresholds require domain knowledge of PromQL-like syntax and span aggregation DSL.
- Compression ratio (~40 bytes/KB) and 10K span/sec throughput are test claims; actual performance depends on span cardinality, query patterns, and hardware sizing.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Dependency on commercial support or SaaS guarantees — AGPL-3.0 license requires source availability; no SaaS tier mentioned in README. Organizations requiring vendor-backed SLAs or managed hosting should evaluate Uptrace's commercial offering separately or choose proprietary alternatives.
- No prior observability infrastructure — Requires operational understanding of ClickHouse, PostgreSQL, and OpenTelemetry. Small teams without DevOps capacity may struggle with deployment, scaling, and troubleshooting.
- Closed-source or proprietary data requirements — AGPL-3.0 mandates source availability to users; modifications must be shared. Unsuitable for organizations with strict IP protection needs or those integrating with proprietary tools requiring closed-source modifications.
- Real-time anomaly detection at enterprise scale — README emphasizes alerting rules and notifications but does not claim machine-learning or advanced anomaly detection. Orgs requiring sophisticated predictive capabilities should evaluate specialized platforms.
License & commercial use
AGPL-3.0 (GNU Affero General Public License v3.0). This is a copyleft license: any modifications or derivative works distributed must provide full source code to recipients. Modification of Uptrace in your infrastructure triggers source disclosure obligations to users.
AGPL-3.0 is not a permissive OSI license for proprietary use. Internal deployment for your own observability is permissible without source disclosure, but any modification or distribution (including as a hosted service) requires source availability to recipients. A commercial license or clarification from the maintainers is required for SaaS deployment or proprietary modifications. Requires review before production deployment.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | High |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
No explicit security claims or audit details provided. AGPL source availability enables code review and community scrutiny. Production deployments require: ClickHouse and PostgreSQL authentication/encryption, network isolation, and access controls (OIDC SSO available for Keycloak/Google/Cloudflare). Ingestion endpoints (OTLP, Prometheus) must be restricted to trusted networks or authenticated clients. Data retention policies and backup security depend on operational configuration.
Alternatives to consider
Grafana Loki + Prometheus + Tempo (OSS stack)
Fully open-source, Grafana-native, lower licensing friction for SaaS. Requires more operational overhead (3 separate components); less integrated query experience than Uptrace's unified UI.
Jaeger (CNCF)
Mature distributed tracing platform, Apache 2.0 license (more permissive than AGPL). Lacks metrics and logs integration; primary focus is trace storage and visualization.
DataDog / New Relic / Elastic Cloud
Fully managed SaaS with enterprise support, automatic scaling, and advanced anomaly detection. Higher per-span cost; proprietary data lock-in; no self-hosting option.
Build on uptrace with DEV.co software developers
Try the Docker demo, review ClickHouse and PostgreSQL operational requirements, and confirm AGPL-3.0 license compliance with your legal team before committing to production.
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uptrace FAQ
Can we deploy Uptrace in a high-availability setup?
Does Uptrace support metric retention policies (e.g., downsampling old data)?
Is AGPL-3.0 a blocker for our internal use?
What is the minimum hardware footprint for a production pilot?
Work with a software development agency
DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like uptrace into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source devops stack.
Evaluate Uptrace for Self-Hosted Observability
Try the Docker demo, review ClickHouse and PostgreSQL operational requirements, and confirm AGPL-3.0 license compliance with your legal team before committing to production.